ACC High Resolution Global Maps & Global Forest Watch Database Worksheet

In typical years the entire ENVS&101 class participates in the annual fall Green Seattle Day, planting trees around the city in a variety of public and private lands. Green Seattle Day is organized by the Green Seattle Partnership and plants around 6000 trees in Seattle every year on that day. It’s fun and everyone learns how to plant trees and about urban forest conservation. Since I’ve been working for over a decade, it brings me enormous joy to see all the new forests growing in Seattle parks thanks in part to volunteers from this class. Lame COVID-19 and other things I won’t say about our national leadership has ruined Green Seattle Day and most tree planting events this year are canceled. If you are able to find an event through Green Seattle Partnership (Links to an external site.) (they were at least canceled through October) or another agency, public or private, please participate in one of their events (typically 3-4 hours) and submit 3 photos and this event reflection. This is usually my favorite lab of the class (grumble, grumble).

Otherwise, complete the following lab which is still gets you outside with the trees but in a slightly less feel good – get dirty – have an impact way.

• First, open this word document assignmentActions and look over the questions you will be asked to reflect on during the following activities.
• In part one you are also asked to visit the incredible Global Forest Watch (Links to an external site.) mapping database and utilize this scientific article, High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover ChangeActions.
• Next, you are asked to go on one urban tree walk (Links to an external site.) in Seattle. Before you go on your tree walk, watch one of the videos below. The first is 4-minutes on how to identify four common Pacific Northwest trees. The goal is to learn what to look for when you observe a tree rather than to be able to identify every single tree you see. If you want to get much more in-depth on identifying Pacific Northwest trees, watch the second, 1-hour video. I personally am someone who loves to geek out about trees. I even competed in a national competition for forestry back in the last century and won. So, I’m a big tree fan over here but I won’t blame you if you choose the 4-minute version.) If you are not in Seattle, please look for another option like this where trees will be labeled for you to observe. This could be an arboretum or botanical garden.
• Next, you are also asked to explore the Seattle Street Tree (Links to an external site.) inventory, including our Heritage Tree database. Heritage trees are those trees that are a unique species, of exceptional size or age, are linked to a historic event or are simply a landmark for that community.
• Finally, explore equity and social justice (Links to an external site.) work around urban forests and urban forest resilience. (Links to an external site.)

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