State Forester Talks About Trees on Oregon Arbor Month

• This podcast features a discussion with an Oregon state forester about urban forestry, threats to Oregon forests, community forestry, and funding for projects to increase tree cover in Oregon.
• The forester discusses how wildfires threaten trees and communities in Oregon, and how better management of invasive species and planting of climate change tolerant trees can build forest resiliency.
• The host and forester also discuss the importance of trees to human health as they celebrate Arbor Month in Oregon.

Positives

• The state forester encourages individuals to reach out to their local experts if they have questions about tree removal or planting, which is a great action item to preserve trees within communities.
• The conversation between the host and forester is casual and approachable for students, with the forester explaining most scientific jargon and concepts he uses.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with the benefits of trees in an ecosystem and within a community.
• Students should have a basic understanding of the job of a forester.
• Students should understand the difference between native and invasive species.

Differentiation

• To assess students familiarity with the topic, first ask students what they think the job of a forester may involve.
• Have students discuss the amount of tree coverage in their city or town and whether they think it should be increased or managed differently.
• As an extension, students could investigate the main threats to trees in their area and discover what is being done to protect or improve tree habitat where they live.
• The audio clip discusses environmental justice by recognizing that underserved areas in cities tend to have less trees and mentions projects and funding that should help with tree planting in those areas. Have students investigate green spaces and tree cover in their city.