---
title: "DC community stewardship"
slug: "dc-community-forest-stewardship"
tags: ["Washington DC ", "urban forest management", "community engagement", "urban forest restoration", "volunteer stewardship"]
updated: 2023-06-06T19:33:38Z
published: 2023-06-06T19:33:38Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://fic.naturalareasnyc.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Langdon Park Forest Patch: How three women turned their tree rescue efforts into a public-private partnership in community- based forest stewardship

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, community tree activists engaged in tree rescue activities in Washington, D.C.’s Langdon Park. They cleared non-native invasive vines and cataloged native tree species within the park’s 2.2-acre forest patch. Over the last 2+ years, they endeavored to share their story of forest stewardship, garnering support from district agencies and local non-profit Casey Trees. The ensuing collaboration has led to a healthier forest with greater community connection.

### In a nutshell, this resource offers:

- The goals and outcomes of a community-lead effort to restore and program a patch of forest in Washington DC
- A model for public-private partnership and community-driven forest restoration efforts.
- A case study of how community members and city agencies built consensus on how to care for, conserve, and program a local forest patch.

### How to use this resource:

- As a potential scalable model for community engagement and public partnership in public parkland.
- An example of how communities can use citizen science to track forest health over time
- As inspiration for how to build community support and engage residents in local forest care.

**Author:**James Woodworth District Department of Energy and Environment, Urban Forestry Advisory Council, Kelly Collins Choi, Casey Trees, Robert Corletta Urban Forestry Division, District Department of Transportation, Delores Bushong Community volunteer/stakeholder, outgoing UFAC community representative, Casey Trees volunteer Mary Pat Rowan Community volunteer/stakeholder, Co-founder Washington, D.C. Chapter, Maryland Native Plant Society,

**Date published:**May, 2023

**P****oint of contact:**Kelly Collins Choi Casey Trees, kcollinschoi@caseytrees.org

**Citation:**Woodworth, James; Collins Choi, Kelly; Corletta, Robert; Bushong, Delores; Rowan, Mary Pat; and Clausen, Allison (2023) "Langdon Park Forest Patch: How three women turned their tree rescue efforts into a public-private partnership in community-based forest stewardship.," Cities and the Environment (CATE): Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 33. DOI: 10.15365/cate.2023.130133

[Resource is available online here](https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1329&context=cate).

[PDF document](https://cdn.document360.io/18a9acd7-787d-47fa-9b54-01592bb1d507/Images/Documentation/Langdon%20Park%20Forest%20Patch_%20community-based%20forest%20stewardship%20(10).pdf)

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