Urban Forestry in Service to Society and Education

  • type of event:

    Lecture and Q&A

  • place:

    Room 418, KIT-ITAS, Karlstraße 11, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany

  • date:

    30.06.2025

  • referent:

    Colleen Murphy-Dunning (Program Director, Hixon Center for Urban Sustainability, Urban Resources Initiative (URI); Lecturer in Urban and Community Forestry)

  • time:

    09:45

Urban Forestry in Service to Society and Education

Building Mutual Pathways of Learning
Gemälde von grünen Bäumen auf einem Feld, Ausschnitt aus dem Gemälde "Olive Trees" von Vincent van Gogh.
Colleen Murphy-Dunning lächelnd in einem Raum mit Bildern im Hintergrund.
Colleen Murphy-Dunning

The Urban Resources Initiative (URI) based at the Yale School of the Environment engages Yale students in a community-driven urban forestry approach to plant trees, restore green spaces, and invest in green infrastructure in New Haven, CT. Colleen Murphy-Dunning will discuss their model of community-centered urban forestry as both an educational opportunity and means of substantive local partnership with local government and civil society. The cornerstone of URI’s approach is listening and responding to community identified needs, such as responding to a call for employment and creating a garden of healing to counter the pain of gun violence. 

Environmental challenges in the northeastern U.S. includes flooding associated with stormwater runoff and the urban heat island related to disparities in tree canopy cover.  Addressing these environmental needs presents an opportunity to create volunteer pathways of engagement and more inclusive workforce development. URI connects these biophysical challenges to the socioeconomic needs of our city by creating opportunities for volunteer involvement and transitional paid green-job training. URI leverages planting trees as a vehicle for necessary social change, as well as a means for clinical learning experience. 

  • Date: 30.06.2025
  • Venue: Seminar Room 418, ITAS-KIT, Karlstr. 11, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
  • Registration begins at 09:45 AM
  • Lecture followed by a question and answer session: 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

Registration

If you want to participate in this event please register here.

Contact

If you have questions or comments about the event please contact Somidh Saha (somidh.saha∂kit.edu).