Virginia Tech meets climate action goals through tree planting. - Urban Community Forestry Society

Virginia Tech (VT) University Arborist and Urban Forestry Manager (and UCFS Board Member) Jamie King and the steadfast achievements of the four-person Urban Forestry team are featured in the 11/06/23 VT News piece, Urban Forestry Program advances Virginia Tech’s Climate Action Commitment.

On Nov. 6, King presented to the VT Board of Visitors on the ways his team helps contribute to the VT Climate Action Commitment’s goal of carbon neutral agricultural, forestry, and land use operations by 2030.

In 2023 alone, more than 500 trees were planted on the Blacksburg campus—with plans for more during the upcoming planting season. Several of these plantings involved students and the larger community—events that contributed to the Urban Forestry program receiving several awards, including a 2022 UCF grant to support the development of an urban forest management plan. Congrats to Jamie and team! Read the full story here.

Photo credit: Meghan Marsh

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2026 UCFS Pre-Conference Tour

St. Louis Through the Trees

Monday, November 16 from 1:00-4:00pm

To join us, add the tour with your registration!

Before conference sessions begin, join fellow urban and community forestry professionals for a guided tour of St. Louis that explores the city’s urban forest through the lens of history, resilience, equity, and community investment. From iconic parks to neighborhoods experiencing both environmental challenges and revitalization, you’ll discover how planning decisions, natural disaster recovery, and community partnerships are shaping a healthier, more equitable future.

Our journey begins at Brickline Greenway near Energizer Park, where an ambitious green infrastructure vision is reconnecting neighborhoods and expanding access to greenspace. From there, we’ll travel through the iconic Forest Park to explore the legacy of one of America’s great urban parks and the stewardship practices that continue to make it a model for urban forestry and public space.

As we travel through St. Louis neighborhoods, we’ll view the city’s history through its trees. We will see firsthand how communities are restoring and reimagining their urban forests through community-driven initiatives that are reversing damage from recent devastating tornado and the legacy of historic redlining and its influence on tree canopy distribution.

Along the way, we’ll stop at O’Fallon Park to explore ongoing restoration and neighborhood revitalization efforts before concluding at Kiener Plaza Park, where thoughtful landscape design and thriving urban greenspace showcase the power of trees to create welcoming, resilient downtown environments.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see examples of these critical urban forestry practices:

Public/private fundraising efforts
Public/private maintenance and operations contracts
Place-based community engagement
Tornado response and recovery
Navigating federal transportation grants
Managing native prairie landscaping and urban woodlands
Contract tree growing
Silva cell installation
CU-structural soil use

More than a sightseeing tour, this is an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, exchange ideas, and connect with colleagues who share a passion for building stronger urban forests. Come see St. Louis through a new lens and leave inspired with innovative ideas and practical insights.

Special Guests:

We’ll be joined on the tour by guest speakers from the City of St. Louis Forestry, Great Rivers Greenway, and Forest ReLeaf who will share insider perspectives on organizational collaboration.