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About this Bursary

The Tree Canada Urban Forestry Student Bursary is available to post-secondary school students in Canada who have a strong interest in and dedication for urban forestry as demonstrated by their academic, volunteerism and extra-curricular activities.

The bursary will pay the hotel, travel, meals and registration expenses for a full-time student to attend the Canadian Urban Forest Conference, held every two years in Canada. The approximate value of the bursary is $2,000.

Sophie Nitoslawski

Sophie Nitoslawski is a PhD Candidate in Urban Forestry, Sustainable Development Fellow at the University of British Columbia. Her fascination with trees and forests was cemented during one of her undergraduate courses while identifying and measuring trees in a primeval forest in snowshoes and mittens.

After completing her Bachelors in Environmental Studies at McGill University, she secured funding for graduate work at Dalhousie University, with the ultimate aim of protecting and enhancing the many benefits of our forests. Post-Master’s, she worked as an arboriculture inspector for the City of Montreal, where she gained valuable experience in urban forest program management, tree inspection and assessment, and public education for urban forestry.

She truly enjoy using her leadership skills to engage with citizens, students, practitioners, and researchers, and to develop a dialogue about the importance of green spaces and effective forest management in building healthier and more sustainable communities.

Laura Nguyen

Laura is a graduate student in Master of Forest Conservation program at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Forestry, as well as summer Urban Forestry intern with the City of Toronto where she currently leads a project to develop a comprehensive inventory of all Urban Forestry services including tree planting, maintenance, protection and planning.

She was a Nature Educator at the environmental non-profit High Park Nature Centre, where the largest urban forest in Toronto exists and was a volunteer with LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) as one of their Young Urban Forest Leaders to implement their Adopt-a-Park-Tree program, which engaged local residents with their park trees through watering, mulching, and monitoring the health of the trees.

Lastly, in 2018, the Toronto City Council passed a motion to increase tree protection in Toronto, which was led by Laura, with the mentorship of Toronto City Councillor Sarah Doucette. Motion PE25.1, entitled Tree Protection through the Committee Adjustment, includes eight actions the city can take to address gaps in tree protection.

How to Apply

Eligibility & Conditions

  • Applications are currently closed for this bursary.
  • Open to all full-time students registered at a Canadian University, college or CÉGEP (undergraduate or graduate).
  • Applications should be made by the student themselves.
  • For the purpose of this award, urban forestry is considered as including trees, woodlands, forests, natural green space and green infrastructure in an urban or peri-urban setting.
  • All applications are treated as confidential by the Review Committee.
  • Applications will be accepted in English or French.