How to support the urban forest
In just one month, you can get certified to maintain trees in the public way
Last month we took the TreeKeepers® Certification and Program at Columbus Park in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. The combination of great weather, stunning civic architecture, and learning how to steward a common resource made for a great experience.
This terrific program is run by Openlands, an organization that “protects the natural and open spaces of northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region to ensure cleaner air and water, protect natural habitats and wildlife, and help balance and enrich our lives.”
The course consisted of eight sections, with a rigorous but fun set of material that centered on practical experience outdoors—identifying, planting, pruning, and mulching trees on the grounds of one of Chicago’s glorious public parks.
Above, are massive lanterns at the east entrance of Columbus Park designed by Schmidt, Garden & Martin.
The decorative urns and balustrade to the entrance of Refectory were designed by Chatten & Hammond.
I was struck by how well-maintained the park is—buildings, grounds, water features— everything. The urinals are more than 110 years old, as seen in a patent notice stamped on the original. Using the fateful “november 1 1910 urinal patent” search, I was able to find the original document as #US974145A.
The in-person classes were 4 hours long over three Saturdays and a Sunday in October 2024, and were held in a brilliant room with hand-painted tropical trees.
We had three outdoor classes in beautiful autumn weather.
We passed the final exam and now SL is TreeKeeper #2057 and DXO is TreeKeeper #2065. All hail the trees of the urban forest.