Citizen Foresters
Over the past 30 years, The Greening of Detroit has planted more than 135,000 trees with a lot of help from our volunteers. The Greening also has a group of highly trained volunteers, the Citizen Foresters, who are responsible for leading groups of up to 20 volunteers on planting days. Citizen Foresters demonstrate best practices for planting a tree and are quality control supervisors and motivational leaders during our tree planting events in the spring and fall.
Beyond tree planting training, Citizen Foresters can also receive training in volunteer management, community outreach, tree identification, maintenance and pruning, invasive species ID and removal, and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). The Citizen Forester program is not just about planting trees. Citizen Foresters work in the community with a diverse group of local non-profits, corporations, community groups, and government agencies.
Becoming a Citizen Forester is a great opportunity to develop your leadership skills, gain experience managing volunteers, hone or develop your green thumb, become familiar with different Detroit communities and meet others while working to make Detroit a greener place.
The Citizen Forester Training will include information about The Greening of Detroit and all the community based resources we offer, volunteer management skills, and The Greening tree planting method. The lessons will be interactive and involve a tree planting. Become part of this prolific program while helping to bring the benefits of trees to Detroit neighborhoods!
We are now accepting applications for our next season. If you are interested in environmental education, enjoy working outdoors, and want to plant trees in Detroit, please fill out the application below!
Citizen Forester Overview
Responsibilities:
Guide and oversee up to 20 volunteers working in small groups of two or three people
Lead tree planting demonstrations and reinforce quality planting techniques
Keep groups on task by recognizing what needs to be done and delegating responsibilities to others
Promote proper tool usage and safety throughout the planting
Motivate and encourage volunteers to ensure a positive volunteer experience.
Required Time Commitment:
Attend Citizen Forester Training
Attend at least three tree plantings for either Fall Plantings (September to December) or Spring Plantings(April to June) total nine hours of planting
Ideal Candidate:
16+ years old
Prior experience volunteering in the City of Detroit
Prior experience planting trees or a desire to learn
Interest in working with Detroit residents, block clubs and community associations
Comfortable performing physical labor outdoors in variable weather conditions
Comfortable speaking in front of large groups, working with people, delegating tasks
Dependable, flexible and efficient in a fast-paced environment
Questions? Email: Christina@greeningofdetroit.com
The field training will include:
Tool Use & Safety
Tree plantings (one giving a mock demonstration)
Introducing The Greening of Detroit
Urban Forestry in Detroit
You can visit the The Greening of Detroit's Facebook page here.
Planting Sequence Overview
Community Relations
Volunteer Management
Citizen Forester Responsibilities
Planting Day Schedule Overview