Urban and Community Forester

Mass Audubon is seeking an Urban and Community Forester to manage tree planting and care practices for the Boston Tree Alliance program. Responsibilities include designing training sessions, developing educational materials, guiding discussions, maintaining professional connections, managing GIS databases, and advising on tree locations. The role involves collaboration with various city departments and requires innovative solutions for urban forestry challenges in Boston.
About the position

The Urban and Community Forester will be responsible for designing, managing, and evaluating tree planting and care practices associated with the Boston Tree Alliance (BTA) program. The BTA program provides grants to nonprofit and community-based organizations to plant and care for trees on privately-owned land in the City of Boston. Mass Audubon serves as the Alliance convener and fiscal agent for the distribution of grant funds, as well as the technical lead on tree planting and care practices, education, and monitoring. The Urban and Community Forester will be part of Mass Audubon's Nature in the City team working closely with the Boston Community Engagement Coordinator to build a coalition of organizations working collectively to equitably grow and care for Boston's urban forest. In this role, the Urban and Community Forester will design and conduct training sessions for Boston Tree Alliance organizations and others on tree planting and maintenance best practices. They will develop technical urban forestry content for educational materials for multiple audiences including residents, landowners, renters, institutions, and others. The forester will guide discussions on key urban forestry topics for the Boston Tree Alliance Tree Group meetings and build and maintain connections with other urban forestry professionals through professional groups and coalitions related to urban forestry. Additionally, the forester will support the development and management of GIS databases and applications, perform relevant data entry and analysis, and participate in the evaluation of funding proposals for tree planting projects. They will also conduct site visits to advise on tree locations on private property, implement the “Right tree, right place” framework, and serve as the urban forestry liaison with the City of Boston’s Environment Department, Urban Forestry Division, Parks and Recreation Department, and Green Infrastructure Department. The role requires resolving BTA program-wide issues, pursuing creative solutions to urban tree planting challenges, and contributing to long-term planning efforts for the sustainability of the Boston Tree Alliance beyond the current funding horizon.

Responsibilities
• Design and conduct training sessions for Boston Tree Alliance organizations and others on tree planting and maintenance best practices.
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• Develop technical urban forestry content for educational materials for multiple audiences including residents, landowners, renters, institutions, and others.
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• Guide discussions on key urban forestry topics for the Boston Tree Alliance Tree Group meetings.
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• Build and maintain connections with other urban forestry professionals through professional groups and coalitions related to urban forestry.
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• Support the development and management of GIS databases and applications.
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• Perform relevant data entry and analysis.
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• Participate in evaluation of funding proposals for tree planting projects and conducting site visits to advise on tree locations on private property.
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• Serve as the urban forestry liaison with the City of Boston‘s Environment Department, Urban Forestry Division, Parks and Recreation Department, and Green Infrastructure Department.
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• Resolve BTA program-wide issues, such as sourcing trees, prioritizing planting locations, and coordinating planting efforts with other City programs.
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• Pursue creative solutions to urban tree planting challenges, such as de-paving, site preparation, soil conditions, water management, and urban heat mitigation.
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• Develop evaluation methodology and report on Boston Tree Alliance program projects, including planting success and survival, tree species diversity and selection, neighborhood demographics, and more.
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• Contribute to long-term planning efforts for the sustainability of the Boston Tree Alliance beyond current funding horizon.

Requirements
• 5+ years of experience with AS or BS in arboriculture, plant science, forestry, urban forestry, or a related field.
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• International Society of Arboriculture or Massachusetts Certified Arborist certification, knowledge of latest relevant ANSI standards and ISA Best Management Practices or equivalent.
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• Experience with management/analysis of data in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Survey123.
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• Experience in managing community-led tree planting programs.
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• Experience designing educational programs and training people in tree siting, planting, and maintenance.
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• Experience with evaluation and metrics development to measure success of tree planting programs.
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• Ability to work with people with varied knowledge of tree planting and care, climate resilience concepts, and lived experiences.

Nice-to-haves
• Established network and relationships with local officials, community-based organizations, neighborhood leaders in the City of Boston.
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• Proficiency in a language other than English.

Benefits
• Dental insurance
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• Disability insurance
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• Employee assistance program
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• Flexible spending account
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• Health insurance
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• Life insurance
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• Retirement plan