INTERVIEW with Lola Lewis, Regional Urban Forester, Division of Forestry

What do you do to support sustainable development in Ohio?

One important element of sustainable development is quality of life. Quality of life issues refer to the ways that people care for, appreciate and use their local environment. One way to improve the quality of life in a community is to nurture and maintain a diversity of trees.

In my role as urban forester, I assist local communities to effectively manage trees along streets, within parks and on public grounds. I also provide educational workshops and training sessions about how to plan, select, plant and take care of trees.

Tree-lined Street

Biltmore Stick

D-tape

How do you know what type of trees to plant?

That’s a very good question for which we do not always have a quick answer. Different types of trees grow better under different conditions depending on factors such as soil and weather conditions. It is also important to consider what people want their neighborhoods to look like. The photo to the left shows the type of tree-lined street many neighborhoods strive to establish. Communities that have comprehensive urban forestry programs can gain national recognition by becoming a Tree City USA certified community.

In order to learn more about what types of trees are best suited for particular urban environments, our division in cooperation with other groups and researchers in Ohio has been participating in a long-term research project about trees in urban areas.

I help collect data for this project by measuring trees and recording the data. For example, I measure tree diameter with a Biltmore stick shown at left. We take three measurements around the tree and calculate the average diameter. A diameter tape, or D-tape, can also be used to measure tree diameter.

Biltmore Stick

Clinometer

It’s always good to work with a colleague so that one of us can measure while the other records the data.

A Biltmore stick, or a clinometer is used to measure tree height by standing 60 feet from the tree.

We hope the data we collect in this project will help local communities plan to plant the types of trees that meet their needs.

Why are trees important in an urban environment?

Trees provide individual, economic and social benefits. For example, trees in a business district attract more customers, providing higher business profits and an expanded tax base for the community. Trees provide windbreaks in the winter and shade on summer days to help people tolerate severe weather; it is hard to relax or dine outdoors in an un-shaded area on a hot, bright day. Also, trees are some of the biggest plants on earth that people can marvel at for their beauty and the habitat they provide for urban wildlife.

What is most challenging about your job?

One of the most challenging aspects about my job is managing multiple requests and responding to community needs with limited time. For example, in any given day I may be sought out for help to construct a street tree ordinance, to establish a tree board or forestry department and to provide assistance for proper tree care and selection.