Education and Professional Development

To build more sustainable urban communities, there is a growing need to integrate urban ecology into our cities across Canada by incorporating living ecosystems into urban planning and development projects. This goes beyond protecting parks and planting trees; it means reconnecting people with nature, developing a relationship between city residents and the natural features of their cities, and understanding the importance of urban forests for sustainability in cities. Building this connection involves more than just exposure to green spaces and requires a deeper understanding of the role of urban forestry in Canadian cities, and fostering knowledge that will help to best implement it. Consequently, educational and environmental programs are adapting to these demands, fostering a population and workforce that is ecologically educated and informed. 

Urban forestry practices and priorities are ever-changing, as there is a growing need to utilize urban ecological education in building more sustainable and treed urban communities, as well as raising an urban population that is ecologically educated and informed. Thus, fostering adaptive and diverse educational programs is integral to keeping young Canadians, working practitioners, and the public educated and properly informed. Also, disseminating knowledge and information on new and developing urban forestry practices and priorities is a vital part of keeping Canadian citizens and professionals educated and ready for professional development in the field of urban forestry.

Higher Education

Urban forestry in Canada emerged from scholars and graduates from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto (UofT), now part of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design [see chapter: History of Urban Forests in Canada]. In addition, since 1997, many urban forestry professionals have graduated from the UofT’s Master of Forest Conservation (MFC) program, the first graduate-level program to have urban forestry courses, internships, and capstone papers in urban forestry.  MFC graduates specializing in urban forestry have been urban forestry leaders in Canada’s municipalities, NGOs, federal and provincial governments, consulting groups, and abroad. In the past ten years, more educational opportunities across Canada have been created within existing or new academic programs, offering urban forestry programs, courses, topics, and Canada’s first Bachelor of Urban Forestry program (2015) and the more recent Master of Urban Forest Leadership at the University of British Columbia.  The Urban Forestry Training Program (Ufor) is designed to train new urban forest managers. The Ufor network consists of members from universities across Canada, as well as collaborators from around the globe. It includes graduate students (both MSc and PhD), postdoctoral researchers from various parts of Canada, and many partner organizations.

Today, there are eight faculties with accredited forestry-specific programs in Canada, although some other departments and schools, such as Environmental Studies/Sciences, Geography, and Landscape Architecture, also provide courses related to urban forestry. All of these post-secondary institutions across Canada are also advancing the pace of public education about urban forestry through e-lectures, seminars, conferences, and in-person workshops. 

Professional Development

In practice, urban forestry involves the collaboration of diverse and cross-sector professionals, including foresters, arborists, landscape architects, biologists, ecologists, utilities workers, urban planners, engineers, politicians, economists, policy analysts, geographers, information analysts, project managers, and others. Some aspects of urban forestry may require working with licensed practitioners who must meet certain requirements set by professional regulatory bodies; as a result, the educational backgrounds of urban forestry professionals can vary widely across different sectors. 

International programs such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) offer multiple levels of arboriculture certifications, which are valid internationally. In Canada, a provincial certification as a Registered Forest Professional (RFP) is required for arboriculture work in most provinces. Urban foresters are often registered as RFPs and can be employed by municipalities, regionally, and by the province. While accredited programs offer professional urban forestry education, countless organizations and community movements also offer educational opportunities for both the public and practicing professionals. These organizations range from community-led events and workshops to talks and meetings that are occasionally run by municipalities or independent organizations. Educational and professional development opportunities, such as Project Learning Tree and the Canadian Institute of Forestry Job Board, also exist through online platforms to serve and mobilize Canadian Urban Forest Network engagement goals such as connecting Canadians with forestry jobs, promoting regular dialogue, and providing entry points for Canadians hoping to enter or progress in the forestry sector (Tree Canada, 2024; SFI, 2024; CIF, 2024)

Many regions across Canada have in-person meetings to provide interdisciplinary experiences. Hands-on workshops and educational events are common ways to foster professional development and community education. Additionally, urban forestry education is kept relevant and adaptive through the publication of timely urban forestry topics and special series on prevalent and significant topics in urban forestry, such as the engagement of Indigenous peoples in urban forestry, or deconstructing myths and preconceptions about trees. 

Additionally, programs such as the Canadian Urban Forest Network and Conference at Tree Canada offer resources and national networking, learning, and professional development opportunities for all Canadians (Tree Canada, 2024). Federally funded and non-government organizations collaborate through projects such as the Government of Canada’s collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund to plant two billion trees across Canada by 2031 (FCM, 2024). This program provides educational opportunities, financial support, and technical resources to Canadians and organizations wishing to engage in urban greening and tree planting efforts, giving Canadians the information and support they need to properly grow, manage, and protect their tree canopies.

Urban Forestry-Related Public Education

As the urban population grows and more land is urbanized in Canada, urban forests and related environmental education are critical in fostering connections among individuals, cities, and the environment. In support of this, many educational and environmental programs, particularly those concerning individuals in urban settings and their relationship with the natural environment, have been established in Canada. Thus, besides professional schools and bodies, diverse organizations are engaged in urban forestry and relevant environmental education programs. They range from government entities to non-profit organizations and NGOs. 

A recent study conducted to understand a broad spectrum of urban forestry and urban ecology-related educational programs in Canada revealed some interesting results (Puric-Mladenovic & Bardekjian, 2024). This study focused primarily on organizations with national, provincial, and regional scopes and included a few local programs for larger urban centers. For Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal, data mining involved examining local and municipal educational programs related to urban forestry. The study surveyed 188 organizations across Canada, which collectively offered 482 diverse environmental education programs that are either directly or indirectly related to urban forestry or urban ecology. These organizations come from various backgrounds, with primary activities ranging from biodiversity and conservation, climate change, and ecotourism to education, forestry, landscape/horticulture, public outreach, and urban forestry. As expected, the results of the study reveal that organizations primarily focused on education (47%) tend to deliver the majority of educational programs. However, organizations with a primary focus on biodiversity and conservation take second place, providing 29% of educational programs, highlighting the growing importance of education related to urban environments and ecology.