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. 

Fall Training is scheduled for Saturday, September 14th, 10am-2pm! Sign up for the program below to learn more information:

 

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: maya@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

Application