Undergraduate Certificate In Urban And Community Forestry

Our primary goal is to create an undergraduate certificate in Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) at the University of Kentucky that is broad in scope, appealing to students with a wide range of interests, and addressing a gap in student exposure to and career opportunities in urban and community forestry. The UCF Certificate will include pathways addressing 1) trees and tree health, 2) green infrastructure, planning, and design, 3) environmental education, and 4) human health and wellness. Students will be provided with a broad view of the central role that trees play for human populations in urban areas with respect to aesthetics, ecosystem services, education, and health. Completion of the certificate will help prepare students for careers that promote human interactions with urban trees. Cornerstones of the UCF Certificate include two new courses: an introductory Foundations course that exposes students to each pathway and its relevance, and an upper level Capstone-Internship experience where students will demonstrate their understanding of how these pathways are blended in urban and community forestry to promote sustainability in urban ecosystems and in urban populations. The introductory course will ensure that all students have a core understanding of a broad range of urban and community forestry content and gain exposure to careers in these fields. The required coursework for each of the four pathways will be flexible and will draw from existing curricula in a broad range of departments across several colleges in the university. The capstone course will revolve around internships with professionals in fields that relate to urban and community forestry, and will provide exposure to relevant careers and associated opportunities. An additional aspect of the capstone course is an invitation to the stakeholders and the public to see presentations of the students’ projects. To facilitate this program, we plan to fund a program coordinator and a part-time course instructor. The program coordinator will design and instruct the introductory course, recruit students to the certificate, coordinate the capstone course/student internships, and lead the Urban and Community Forestry Certificate planning committee. The part-time instructor will assist the program coordinator with the design and instruction of the introductory course and assist in the instruction of the core class, Landscape Management and Arboriculture.