Windz of Change Alliance, University of Washington Botanic Gardens and Tacoma Tree Foundation partner to deliver the Urban Forest Symposium at the wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House every year. The symposium brings together a diverse audience of Tribal Peoples, arborists, land managers, academics, policymakers, designers, program managers, municipal planners, non-profits, volunteers, students, and advocates to focus on timely local urban forest topics every year.

2024 Urban Forest Symposium

Native Forests and Health: Living in Relationships

Emerald Shores by SpeakThunder Berry, Puyallup, Nakota, Warm Springs

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024

wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, UW Seattle campus

(4249 Little Canoe Channel NE, Seattle, WA 98105)

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

$85 in-person. $30 virtual.

Discounts available for Indigenous attendees, students, corps members, and financial aid requests.

Register

The 2024 theme for the Urban Forest Symposium is Native Forests and Health: Living in Relationships. As such, we will focus on linkages between the health of urban forests and people, and how Indigenous ways of knowing can assist us in reaching healing outcomes. Tribal knowledge shows us that our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health are intrinsically linked to our identification with place, space, people, and environment. How can we integrate this eco-cultural framework into our work to build stronger reciprocity with All Our Relations? Our key question is: how do eco-cultural frameworks aid in our ability to restore, preserve and steward our urban forests?

Speakers will focus on eco-cultural consciousness and identity, incorporation of Indigenous values, rights, and knowledge into Sustainable Forestry Initiative standards, human-centered urban design, Seattle Parks and Recreation’s shifting approach to park management, and local organizations working to protect and strengthen urban forests in the Puget Sound region. An interactive activity will show us how geological history and influences have shaped our forests, waters, lands, and lives.

Our overall goal with the symposium is to build collaborative relationships between inter-Tribal and non-Tribal community groups, agencies (City of Seattle, King County, City of Tacoma, Department of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, and King Conservation District), non-profit organizations (Sierra Club, Tacoma Tree Foundation, PlantAmnesty, and Dirt Corps), educational institutions (UW American Indian Studies, UW Tacoma, Bellevue College, and the Burke Museum), and individuals in our collective action urban forestry networks.

Let’s gather to celebrate, rejuvenate, rebuild, and re-Indigenize!

2024 Speakers:

Speakers Talk Title & Abstract

 Dr. Michelle Montgomery – Enrolled Haliwa Saponi/descendant Eastern Band Cherokee

Dr. Michelle Montgomery is a Professor of American Indian Studies and Ethnic, Gender, and Labor Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, the Assistant Director for the Office of Undergraduate Education, Adjunct Professor in the School of Education and Cohort Director for Muckleshoot Doctoral Program in partnership with the Muckleshoot Tribe.  She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Bioethics and Humanities in the UW School of Medicine, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council member for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA. Dr. Montgomery’s community engaged scholarship through the Indigenous Speaker Series focuses on Indigenizing and decolonizing the climate justice – environmental ethics narrative, and eco-critical race theory to eliminate racial and environmental oppression.

  Opening Remarks

 Michael Martini – Sustainable Forestry Initiative – US Director of Urban and Community Forestry

Michael Martini is a leader in urban and community forestry, currently serving as the Director of Urban and Community Forestry at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, where he focuses on outreach to communities and assisting them in using the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. He holds a Master’s in Natural Resources, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Urban Forestry, from Oregon State University, and a Bachelor’s in Ecology and Natural Resources from Rutgers University. Michael is also a dedicated mentor committed to mentoring the next generation of urban foresters and serves on several board including the Urban and Community Forestry Society, and co-founder of LGBTree.

Title: Trees for the People & People for the Trees: SFI’ s Urban and Community Forestry Standard

This presentation explores the role of the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard in fostering meaningful connections between people and trees. By focusing on sustainable urban forest management, the standard enhances community engagement, prioritizes underserved communities, and promotes environmental equity. Attendees will learn how the standard can be leveraged to strengthen urban forest ecosystems while improving quality of life through increased green space and community involvement.

 Craig Chatburn – Seattle Parks & Recreation – Senior Planning and Development Specialist

Craig is a former consulting arborist and tree climber from California, with local experience managing the Port of Seattle Grounds and Seattle University Grounds organically, Green Stormwater Infrastructure planner at Seattle Public Utilities, and a Senior Gardener, Crew Chief, and Planner at Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Title: How climate change impacts are influencing tree selection and maintenance

Presentation examines how preparations for our future climate is influencing landscape design, landscape maintenance, tree selection and tree care, and the resulting reductions in workloads, conservation of resources, and the resulting improvements in resilience of vulnerable assets.

 Christian Runge – Mithun – Associate Principal

Christian is a landscape architect passionate about designing at the intersection of nature, culture and human health. He has worked on public realm and environmental education-driven projects across the country, from the Mariposa Grove Restoration at Yosemite National Park to the new Louisiana Children’s Museum at New Orleans City Park, the Sun Valley Healthy Living Initiative in Denver and numerous public parks and schools around the Puget Sound. Christian has presented on the topic of healthy built environments at numerous national conferences and his work has been published in Landscape Architecture Magazine.

Title: Centering Health Equity in the Planning and Design of Urban Green Space

The urban green places where we spend our time have a tremendous influence on our collective health, personal well-being and ability to thrive. Yet, not all community members have equitable access to healthy urban green spaces and not all green spaces have the same impact on human mental and physical health.  Planners and designers, in partnership with community, have the power to incrementally increase equitable access to the life-giving resources provided by urban green space, design healthier green space and promote healthy equity through partnerships with community based organizations and local health institutions. This presentation will share examples of how health equity can be integrated at the policy, planning, and site design scales in the urban public realm.
 Lowell Wyse – Tacoma Tree Foundation – Executive Director – Ojibwe descendant (Lac Courte Oreilles and Fond Du Lac)
An English professor turned urban forest advocate, Lowell Wyse, Ph.D., became the Executive Director of Tacoma Tree Foundation in 2021. For over a decade, he taught college writing, literature, and environmental humanities, focusing on the many ways that social and environmental issues overlap. Lowell is deeply motivated by the values of community, justice, stewardship, resilience, storytelling, and placemaking. Kristin Jackson – PlantAmnesty – Executive Director
Kristin has worked in nearly every sector of the horticulture industry and is a complete biophile with a passion for plants and their care. As director of PlantAmnesty, she works to share resources to prevent malpruning, protect and prolong the life of trees and shrubs, and generate awareness of the damage caused by bad pruning practices and the loss of urban green spaces. James Davis – The Last 6000 Campaign – Volunteer
James is retired from the health care field and believes our large trees are an invaluable public health infrastructure.  He is a volunteer for Plant Amnesty and for The Last 6000 Campaign, whose mission is to identify, map, document, and advocate for Seattle’s remaining large urban trees.		 Panel Discussion – Urban Forests & People

The full symposium program is available here.

Symposium lunch will be catered by Natoncks Metsu, Jason A. Vickers, Nipmuc Chef. View the Lunch Catering Menu.

Contact:  urbhort@uw.edu / 206-685-8033

Acknowledgements

Artwork by Speakthunder Berry, Puyallup, Nakota, Warm Springs

www.speakthunderart.com

Vendor & Information tables:
PlantAmnesty
Windz of Change Alliance

 

Sponsors:

Social and Historical Studies Department (UW Tacoma)
Department of Bioethics and Humanities (UW School of Medicine)
EnviroIssues
Chatwin Books
HandsOn Bay Area/Amazon

 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Steering Committee Members

Olivia Price Adult Education Supervisor, UW Botanic Gardens
Lowell Wyse Executive Director, Tacoma Tree Foundation
Kim Camara Windz of Change Alliance
Jeffrey Thomas (Muckleshoot, Warm Springs) Timber, Fish & Wildlife Director, Puyallup Tribe
Hemalatha Velappan Graduate Student, University of Washington
Kathleen Wolf Research Social Scientist, University of Washington, College of the Environment

 

Past Symposia

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