We’re so very excited to announce Lily Bonilla-Reyes as our inaugural Urban Forestry Fellow! Lily has been our Tree Care Associate for the past year, planting trees, watering trees, and engaging with community members. Not only does Lily do her job expertly, but she comes in every day as her full self: full of passion and commitment to tree care, tree equity, and community empowerment.
The Urban Forestry Fellowship will provide advanced education, professional support, and funding for Lily to further develop her skills as she grows her career in urban forestry. In addition to taking courses towards her International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certification, she will have the opportunity to connect with professionals in the field through a mentorship component and expand her community work.
Please join us in congratulating and celebrating Lily!
An Important Update about the Fellowship
Unfortunately, the day after Lily was selected as our first Urban Forestry Fellow, we received news that the US Forest Service (USFS) terminated the three-year fellowship program. This is our second multi-year USFS grant that has been canceled since the start of the year. Like many other nonprofits, we are frustrated by the unexpected loss of support.
After consultation with our Board of Directors, we have made the decision to commit to the fellowship for the upcoming year and support Lily in her role as our first fellow. While we hope that funding from the USFS will be restored in the future, we are currently seeking support to ensure that our Urban Tree Fellowship can continue.
To support Lily and emerging urban forestry professionals in Boston, we hope you will consider a donation today.
