CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Jessica Sanders
Sacramento Tree Foundation
SPEAKER BIO
Jessica serves as the Executive Director of the Sacramento Tree Foundation. She has a doctorate from Rutgers University and is a certified Project Management Professional. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Arboriculture, the steering committee for Green Communities Leadership Institute, the Board Chair for the Urban Wood Network and a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum - Mountain Valley Chapter.
Jessica has a passion for the urban forest, and her research has focused on developing and enhancing current urban forestry practices in order to better manage the urban interface throughout its entire lifecycle. Growing up in New Jersey and spending her college years walking through Atlantic white cedar bogs, she wanted nature to be a daily experience, not a destination. Jessica has worked at the intersection of science communication and creation of long-lasting urban forestry policy to create livable and loveable communities.
She served as the chair of the Conference Program Committee, the chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee for the International Society of Arboriculture as well as a member of the Science and Research Committee. She was a board member for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter (MAC) of ISA and has served as President of ISA-AREA. She fell in love with the Sacramento Tree Foundation’s holistic vision of urban forestry and prioritizes the organization’s goal of urban forestry from seed to slab, creating and cultivating an equitable urban forest through education and stewardship of trees in the Sacramento region. She previously worked at Casey Trees as the Director of Science and Policy, overseeing community science, mapping, policy, partnerships, and land conservation.
TALK TITLE
Holistic stewardship – Engaging the public in all aspects of trees from seed to slab
Reaching up: New techniques for reaching tree canopy goals
ABSTRACT
Holistic stewardship – Engaging the public in all aspects of trees from seed to slab:
Many nonprofits seek to engage communities who can plant and care for trees; however, not everyone can plant or care for a tree at their property. This entry point is frequently seen as a barrier to participation for elderly, renters, and residents who live in historically disadvantaged communities where according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs if physiological and safety needs are not being met, the ability to create a green community is not possible. While many try to create inclusive urban forestry programs, without multiple entry points for engagement, learning, and participation - the best intentions fall flat.
The Sacramento Tree Foundation has created a way to steward the urban forest, engage communities and ensure a multitude of entry points to create lasting connections with trees and the natural and urbanized world that surrounds us. From harvesting acorns; growing those seeds in classrooms; using those trees to reforest and provide natural habitats; partnering with our energy provider to ensure communities have free climate appropriate, resilient trees; working with under canopied communities to remove historical barriers to participation while building lasting trust and when a tree needs to be removed from the urban forest - milling, kiln-drying and ensuring that the lasting legacy of a tree and the environmental benefits accrued through its lifetime are honored and preserved. The Sacramento Tree Foundation recognizes that a healthy forest is a diverse one. We seek to honor the diversity and roots of this region by prioritizing equity internally and externally. This novel wrap-around approach ensures that no matter what the age or relationship with trees, we create an inclusive urban forest. From seed to slab, we work with communities to create livable and lovable communities for everyone.
Trees are our love note to Sacramentans. From seed to slab, we're growing the urban forest that makes this region livable and lovable. Together, we are cultivating beautiful green spaces that nurture our health, uplift our spirits, and continue our legacy as the City of Trees.
Reaching up: New techniques for reaching tree canopy goals
Traditional tree planting has led to urban areas filling the lowest hanging fruit first. But what if we changed our approach and techniques to meet the needs of communities. What if we focused on areas that have the greatest potential benefit of trees to ensure that we can reach tree canopy equitably in neighborhoods of the greatest tree need. What if we measured success by using heat reduction, community cohesion, and increased outdoor enjoyment? This explores unusual techniques to ensure trees are planted and maintained in the areas that need them the most.