Six Wyoming residents just completed the Freshman Class of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Tree Commission Academy.
The ODNR’s Division of Forestry created the Tree Commission Academy (TCA) to provide formal training to volunteer tree commissioners in Ohio. TCA is series of 4 classes or “grade levels” that helps tree commission volunteers understand the basics of urban forestry and their role in the public management of resources.
Regardless of a community’s size or capacity, tree commissions are vital in supporting the public employees who care for and expand the urban tree canopy. These citizens are the enthusiastic cheerleaders, advisors, and sounding boards that keep professional staff energized and connected to the public.
Urban forests must be properly managed by dedicated and knowledgeable staff members so that communities can enjoy and sustain the benefits of trees. TCA’s objective is to produce comfortable, confident, and knowledgeable “graduates” capable of helping their community effectively meet its urban forestry mission.
The Freshman Class was held at the Village of Woodlawn’s Community Center and covered the following areas of urban forestry: Ordinances, Tree Biology & Anatomy, Introduction to Urban Forestry, Marketing Urban Forestry, and Scheduling. The class also included representatives from the communities of: Trotwood, Forest Park, Lynchburg, Woodlawn, Greenhills, Monroe, Lockland, Milford, Harveysburg, Dayton, Maineville and Amberley Village.
The Sophomore Class will take place in Woodlawn on March 15th and 16th, 2017.
For more information on TCA see: http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/tca
