Join Now
Member Login
Join Now
Member Login

Municipal
Forestry
Institute
2025

Welcome

On behalf of the UCFS Board of Directors, Executive Director Leslie Berckes, and the Municipal Forestry Institute Curriculum and Planning Committee, we want to extend a heartfelt welcome as you begin this unique and important leadership journey. You are joining the ranks of an amazing community of urban forestry thought leaders and we are excited and humbled by the breadth of experience that you bring with you. We hope and trust that the MFI experience will inspire, motivate, and support you to continue the important urban forestry work that we have ahead of us.

Welcome to the MFI Pre-Institute and Information hub! We’re eager to have you join us in Scotts Valley, California from February 23 through February 28, 2025. You will join nearly 900 urban forestry professionals who lead the way in growing healthy trees for people and planet. 

This information hub will provide you with MFI logistics, resources, and assignments that will lay the groundwork and prepare you for the weeklong Institute.

Let’s jump in!

MFI 2025 Information Center

Your Instructors and Planning Committee

MFI is instructed by Education Facilitators, a group of urban forestry professionals, who volunteer their time to serve MFI and the profession of urban forestry. Past and future MFI instructors are leaders in urban forestry, chosen for their passion for developing urban forestry leaders, teaching skills, and expertise. They represent a wide range of personal and professional experience. The MFI curriculum is supplemented by examples from their individual professional journey, experiences, and stories.

Onsite Education Facilitators
Carolina Arango
City Arborist, City of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Ian Appow
Founder and CEO, ECO System Solutions, Eugene, Oregon
Leslie Berckes
UCFS Executive Director
Michelle Cole
Academic Programs Administrator, Natural Resources and Urban Forestry Academic Advisor, MANRRS advisor, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
Darren Green
Landscape Architect, City of Alexandria, Louisiana
Casey Jogerst
Permitting and Regulation Manager for the Urban Forestry Division, City of Portland, Oregon
Michael Martini
Director, Urban and Community Forestry- US, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Karla Nagy
UCFS Program and Education Manager
John O'Neill
Lead Forester, District of Columbia's Urban Forestry Division, Washington D.C.

Travel and Logisitcs

Arrival by air

    • Arrival on Sunday, February 23
      • Look for a driver holding a sign with the UCFS logo. The bus company is Corinthian Ground Transportation.
      • First shuttle will depart at 12:00pm
      • Second shuttle will depart at 2:00pm.
      • Third shuttle will depart at 4:00pm.
      • Bus loading times will be added soon and communicated to you before February 23. 

    • Departure on Friday, February 28
      • Shuttle will leave the hotel promptly at 12:00pm!

Arrival by car

    • If you are driving to the hotel, please plan to arrive between 4-5pm pacific time. When making travel arrangements, please do not plan to leave MFI until sometime between 11:30am and 12:00pm on Friday, February 28.
    • Hotel parking is free.

 

Hotel

All accommodations are handled by UCFS starting on the evening of Sunday, February 23 through the night of Thursday, February 27. There is no need for you to make hotel reservations. Rooms will be randomly assigned by the hotel. 

If you are traveling in a day early or staying a day later, the hotel will extend the negotiated rate to you. You will book this on your own by calling the hotel and letting them know that you’d like the UCFS/MFI rate. 

What to wear

We will primarily be indoors throughout the week, but there will be time to be outside. On Wednesday, we will do an offsite tree tour to a local park, so plan appropriate footwear. We will provide more details on this tour as we get closer.

Dress is casual, relaxed office – no need to wear your business best unless you want to.

Food and Dietary Needs

All meals from dinner on Sunday, February 23 through lunch on February 28 will be provided. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. A survey will be sent to all attendees to confirm any dietary needs/restrictions.

The MFI Educational Experience

The MFI instructional model is a balance of lectures from urban forestry professionals, panel discussions, small group activities, large group discussions, group exercises, and individual work and reflection. Small group activities involve both informal discussions and scheduled working groups. Panel discussions include MFI Education Facilitators, industry experts, and MFI alumni. Each MFI module and session has clearly defined learning objectives and lesson plans to be followed and expanded with personal experience and stories from the attendees and Educational Facilitators.

MFI Welcome and Orientation

Goal
This module welcomes participants to MFI and prepares them for the week of training.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain Institute logistics, goals and themes and important training features.
  • Describe the local context of the training and key local features.
  • Identify their Peer Learning Group, MFI education facilitators and staff and meet members of their cohort.
  • Build on inspiration and become excited about the week ahead.

Leadership
Looking Inward: Knowing and understanding your professional self

Goal
These sessions provide participants the opportunity to reflect and explore themselves and the type of leader they want to be, while gaining an understanding of the human dynamics that impact urban forestry.

Learning Objectives

  • Think reflectively about their career development and opportunities for personal and professional growth, recognizing their own capacities, limitations and needs.
  • Apply leadership principles and tools to the profession of urban forestry.
  • Assess their individual personality and professional behavior style and understand how personality types impact group effectiveness.
  • Examine their own communication style, strengths and weaknesses.
  • Consider the implications of managing change for leaders in urban forestry.
  • Develop an action plan, apply MFI materials, and continue to grow personally and professionally

Strategic Planning
Looking Outward: Knowing and understanding the context you work in

Goal
These sessions provide a comprehensive understanding of the context within which participants work and use of strategic thinking and planning to advance their urban forestry programs in equitable and inclusive ways.

Learning Objectives

  • Apply the knowledge of urban planning and governance to improve urban forestry equity.
  • Adopt a strategic thinking mindset to advance urban forestry in new and creative ways.
  • Identify the elements of the strategic planning process and employ them in planning successful urban forestry programs.
  • Employ tools and technology to effectively plan, assess and evaluate their programs and communicate the value of urban forestry.

Partnerships
Making connections: Forming partnerships and coalitions

Goal
These sessions bring together the inward understanding of self, the human dynamics of urban forestry, and the context within which they work to engage and communicate with urban forestry stakeholders.

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize the value of networking, building cross-departmental relationships and non-traditional partnerships to advance urban forestry.
  • Evaluate the roles of tree advisory groups, partnerships, non-profit organizations, and community engagement in a healthy UF program.
  • Employ successful strategies to engage community members, advocates, partners and volunteers.
  • Articulate the important role of communication, marketing, and public relations in successful urban forestry programs and communicate the value of their urban forest to varied audiences.
  • Work productively within and between groups, by listening, respecting others’ perspectives, providing constructive feedback and movement towards progress.

Personal and Professional Growth
Keeping momentum: Developing a growth mindset

Goal
These sessions will help participants lead with resiliency and a growth mindset that encourages continual self and organizational development and improvement.

Learning Objectives

  • Expand their perspective and develop a growth mindset.
  • Identify opportunities for inspiration, personal growth and professional development.
  • Implement strategies and leadership principles to respond to challenges faced in urban forestry.
  • Foster healthy group dynamics and recognize and prevent burnout.
  • Join and/or form urban forestry networks and professional relationships.

Reflection
Putting MFI Principles Into Practice

Goal
These sessions review MFI leadership concepts and experiences, allows time for reflection of the implications for their own career and personal action plan and provides resources for continued growth.

Learning Objectives

  • Implement strategies to expand leadership opportunities for continued personal, professional and organizational growth.
  • Utilize MFI tools and resources to foster continuous personal and professional growth and advancement.
  • Present an action plan, developed over the the week of training, to their peers that incorporate MFI concepts and tools.
  • Offer constructive feedback regarding MFI sessions, activities, and education facilitators, assessing their relevance and applicability to participants’ career objectives.

Sunday, February 23 through Friday, February 28

Sunday February 23, 2025

12:00pm Bus departs San Jose airport to hotel 

2:00pm Bus departs San Jose airport to hotel

4:00pm Bus departs San Jose airport to hotel

4:00 – 6:00pm Check-in and Registration

6:00 – 6:30pm MFI Welcome and Orientation

6:30 – 7:30pm Dinner with PLG’s

7:30 – 8:00 pm Welcome Activity


Monday – Thursday February 24 – 28, 2025

7:00 – 8:00am Breakfast

8:00 am – 12:00pm Morning sessions

12:00 – 1:00pm Lunch

1:00 – 4:30pm Afternoon sessions

4:30 – 5:00pm Daily Wrap

5:00 – 6:00pm Dinner

6:00 – 7:00pm Evening Event


Friday, February 28, 2025

7:00 – 8:00am Breakfast

8:00 – 10:30am Morning sessions

10:30 – 11:30am Graduation & presentations

11:30 am – 12:00pm Lunch

12:00pm Bus departs for San Jose airport

Pre-Institute Agenda and Assignments

MFI consists of six in-person training days with each day covering a different concept of growing your urban forestry leadership. The Pre-Institute is designed to introduce you to the themes and concepts that will be discussed over each day.

The information below will take you to reading material, resources, and assignments for each of the main MFI modules. These themes and concepts will form the foundation of the materials that will be covered throughout the MFI training.

Friday, January 17, 2025

The first session of the MFI Pre-Institute will provide a welcome to the 2025 Cohort and Education Facilitators. This session will prepare you for engaging in the Institute and the MFI Pre-Institute platform.

Topics to be covered

  • Welcome to MFI
  • Education Facilitator introductions
  • 2025 cohort introductions
  • MFI schedule and arrival logistics
  • MFI Pre-Institute platform, schedule and expectations
  • Introduction to the MFI Challenge/Opportunity Action Plan exercise
 
Assignment #1
Start your MFI Challenge/Opportunity Action Plan
Watch the recording from the first Pre-Institute Here!
Welcome to MFI! The video linked above will share details about the Institute, travel, and your Pre-Institute Assignment #1.
Note: a middle section of the video was cut when people were in breakout rooms, so there is an abrupt jump from time mark 16:44-17:00

Friday, January 31, 2025

Welcome to the MFI Pre-Institute session two of three! Today, we’ll discuss the principles and value of developing a growth mindset to better understand yourself, your colleagues, and other urban forestry stakeholders.

Topics to be covered:

  • Welcome 
  • Breakout groups with introductions/discussion
    • Talk about challenge/opportunity project you have developed
  • Developing a growth mindset to advance professional development
  • Identifying your personal and professional values
  • Time for Q&A 

 

Assignment #2

Start defining your Professional Values (Word)
Value Cards (PDF)

Resources

List of Values sheet

Article: https://pce.sandiego.edu/dare-to-lead-values/

Podcast: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/living-into-our-values/

Book: Dare to Lead, pages 185-197 in particular

Watch the recording from the MFI Pre-Institute #2 at the link below.

Watch the recording here

Friday, February 14, 2025

You’ve made it to the MFI Pre-Institute third of three meetings! We’ll see you in a little more than a week in Scotts Valley. In this session, we’ll talk about the political process in our communities, community engagement, and how these elements help us move towards lasting improvements in urban forestry for people and planet. 

Topics covered:

  • Welcome
  • Breakout/intros
    • Talk about Values Assignment from Session #2
  • Municipal Civics 101 and the policy making process
  • Getting to know your community – tools for community engagement
  • Assignment #3 review: Identifying Laws, Policies, and Community Resources
  • MFI travel, logistics, what to expect.

Assignment #3

Identifying Laws, Policies & Community Resources

Resources

Article: State and Local Government Source: The White House
This article describes the branches of government, including local government.

Video: What is Urban Planning? Source: Crash Course Geography #47
This video explores the design and regulation of space within urban areas by reviewing urban design models and the impacts of the US highway system and redlining on minority Americans.

Video: How Are Cities Organized? Source: Crash Course Geography #46
This video looks at cities, examines how these large complex structures are organized, and identifies patterns and differences in land use around the world.

Video: Gov101: Cities & Towns Source: Washington State Auditor’s Office
This video describes how cities and towns operate in the State of Washington, which is representative of how many communities operate across the U.S.

Join the Conversation!

Join your fellow MFI classmates within the UCFS Membership Hub! Here, you can connect with your fellow classmates within a private group. Click the button to the right to start connecting!  

Let's Chat!