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In an Australian first, the City of Melbourne has partnered with the University of Melbourne to deliver a new course dedicated to the understanding and protection of urban forests.

Being held from Sunday 11th to Friday 16th November 2018, the inaugural Australian School of Urban Forestry will explore how cities can continue to enjoy the benefits of a healthy urban forest in the face of increasing environmental, societal and population pressures.

Introducing the program, Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood advised “our tree-lined streets contribute enormously to Melbourne’s liveability, from providing much needed shade in summer to mitigate the urban heat island effect to helping reduce stormwater run-off and pollution. After a decade of drought and extreme heat many of our trees are in accelerated decline and we face the challenge of climate future proofing our urban canopy.

“Our dedicated Urban Forest and Ecology teams have become world leading in research, mapping and recording every tree in our municipality, developing biodiverse planting programs and building a resilient urban forest that can tolerate and continue to thrive in future climatic extremes.”

“We are excited to partner with the University of Melbourne in sharing this expertise to expand the network of urban forest experts working in government, industry and the community.”

With a program spanning six consecutive days, the Australian School of Urban Forestry features skills-based workshops led by local and national leading researchers, industry practitioners, managers and policy experts, case studies and field visits in which participants are introduced to real-world urban forest challenges.

University of Melbourne Associate Professor Stephen Livesley said unlike a conference or workshop, the school will facilitate deep engagement around issues of urban forestry policy, planning and management, adding “the urban forest is a complex and dynamic system, supported by many decision-makers, stakeholders and communities that sometimes have opposing views.

“There has never been a more critical time to come together and share professional and academic knowledge across urban forestry experts within government, industry, and community.”

Click here for more information on the Australian School of Urban Forestry website.

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