As part of The Conversation’s Uncommon Courses series, Professor of Urban Forestry Sharon Jean-Philippe discusses her course Principles of Urban Forestry.
What prompted the idea for the course? Students who study forestry will read about trees, but they do not often get the chance to climb up into a tree, feel its branches and see its leaves up close.
After observing how many forestry courses gave students limited chances to learn through hands-on experiences, I attended a workshop to gain tree-climbing skills and brought some of these lessons back to my own university’s new urban forestry program.
Forestry students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, now learn about trees in the classroom and on laptops but also from 50 feet above the ground. In the process, they gain practical tree-climbing skills, including knot-tying, how to set a climbing line and basic techniques that help them go up, down and across trees.
I designed the course Principles of Urban Forestry to teach students about the history, benefits and costs of growing and maintaining trees in cities.
Many trees grow near homes, sidewalks, roads, buildings and utility lines in cities. Climbing is one way tree-care professionals can safely reach these trees to prune branches, look for signs of disease and assess possible risks.
Read the full article at The Conversation.
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