“Over the summer we had a weekly tree climb to explore a different favorite tree of mine. On our first big tree, we took to the hills to find a special grove of coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia). Our big oak of the day had its first major limb at around 20 feet (6.1 m) off the ground. Time for the throwline!”
That’s Ian Kesterson speaking. He’s has been an urban forester for the City of Berkeley, California for 12 years. Cesar Garcia is a high school senior. Kesterson was host to intern Garcia in the summer of 2023, and Cesar continues to work part time for the City. The crew had a blast with Cesar; Kesterson says, “His presence boosted morale unlike anything I’ve seen in the department.”
Some of the summer’s highlights for Cesar were:
- “First was learning how to climb trees and all of the complex systems with how they work.”
- “Working with the crew had to be one of the most interesting things I’ve done, seeing the different work sites and how the crew works around a car or traffic was a unique experience.”
- “Tree ID: being able to know about each tree is very pleasing, including what they do in the urban environment.”
- “Planting trees in the community. Being able to be excited about planting trees with other people and with everyone putting in effort made the whole thing really great.”
- “Last thing was working on that resume. You really helped me get a better glimpse of myself and to know what I’m good or bad at—but also to be accepting of those things.”
Read the full story of Cesar’s internship here.
