Forestry Program Receives Award for Excellence
The UConn Cooperative Extension System’s Urban and Community Forestry Initiative: Community Forestry Volunteer Development, Tree Warden Outreach Education, and Local Capacity Building Program, has been honored as one of three recipients of the 2004 Award of Excellence from the Northeast Cooperative Extension Directors.
This is the highest award presented by the Directors of Extension in the Northeast. It recognizes extension outreach programming that has achieved outstanding results and had significant impact in addressing contemporary issues.
Robert Ricard, extension educator, accepted the award in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 1.
The Urban and Community Forestry Initiative was designed to improve the knowledge base from which public tree and community forestry decisions are made; to build local capacity to restore, protect, and replace public trees; and motivate people to act.
The extension urban forester created the Tree Wardens’ Association of Connecticut Inc. and a volunteer community forestry program, the Meskwaka Tree Project. Through partnerships with other organizations, the project has resulted in successful forestry programming. It has also been recognized locally with the State Outstanding Urban Forestry Program Award.
