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

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


          Article summary

          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

          Point 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.

           

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