Featured presenters included Maggie Owens from the Boston Parks & Recreation Department who shared an update about the City of Boston’s creation of the first ever Urban Forest Plan (UFP) and Evan Kuras of BU URBAN who shared info about three of his PhD students and the research they are doing around air pollution, soil microbes, and how gas leaks affect tree health. Erica Holm, Urban Ecologist at Mass Audubon, spoke about urban forestry, the importance of skilled labor, and the critical need for collaboration in t he work they are doing from Boston to Lowell. Finally, Molly Henry of American Forests shared details about their Tree Equity Score tools, including the Tree Equity Score Analyzer (TESA) that will be making its way to Boston very soon.
Natalie Merline, TerraCorps member at Speak for the Trees, mentioned a new EPA-funded project at SFTT to capture stories and create community tree walks. The three partnering community organizations were able to meet and learn about each other and the other program partners on the grant. She ended the morning session by sharing a wonderful "Tree Story" from Robin in Hyde Park. David Meshoulam, executive director of Speak for the Trees, closed out our symposium with thoughtfulness, care and a mission to remember that trees bring us together, and he set forth a collective challenge: for each individual and community to meet this moment and build a healthier and more equitable future. This event was funded in part by the USDA Forest Service through the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Urban and Community Forestry Program. | 
