Launching a Career in Green: Urban Forestry Internships and Workforce Development
For college students and those seeking a career change, urban forestry internships offer a valuable pathway into conservation and green industries. These opportunities provide hands-on experience, skill development, and a realistic view of what a career in this field entails. This article explores the world of urban forestry internships, highlighting their benefits, availability, and the broader efforts to build a diverse and skilled workforce for the future of urban green spaces.
The Allure of Urban Forestry Internships
Imagine spending a summer learning to prune trees, updating street tree inventories, and working with specialized tools - all while contributing to the health and beauty of a community. This was the experience of Ernest Cisneros, whose internship with the city forester in Moscow, Idaho, proved to be a turning point in his career. Now a certified arborist, Ernest's story exemplifies how internships can spark a passion for urban forestry and provide the foundational skills needed to succeed.
Internships serve as introductions to the green industries, offering young people invaluable training and experience. While funding and program structures may vary, the underlying need for skilled professionals remains constant.
Opportunities with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers both paid and unpaid internship opportunities, providing a realistic view of a career in conservation. These internships are competitive and posted on a rolling basis via the Current Postings webpage. Paid internships are dependent on funding and change by division each year. Unpaid internships are tracked through the Volunteer Management System. Experience is important when applying. TPWD also partners with the DOD SkillBridge program and typically offers internships during the summer months.
Skills and Experience Gained
Urban forestry internships provide a wide range of practical skills and knowledge, including:
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- Tree pruning and maintenance
- Inventory management
- Safe tool handling
- Data collection and analysis
- Community engagement
These experiences not only enhance a student's resume but also provide valuable insights into the day-to-day realities of working in urban forestry.
The Growing Demand for Tree Care Professionals
The tree care industry faces a significant labor shortage, with an annual need for approximately 8,300 workers nationwide. This demand spans various roles, including urban foresters, arborists, tree trimmers, pruners, and pesticide applicators. At the same time, communities with the fewest trees tend to be low-income communities of color with high rates of unemployment.
The need for qualified tree professionals is expected to grow by 10% by 2028.
Addressing Tree Equity through Workforce Development
Recognizing the intersection of labor shortages and social equity, initiatives like the Tree Equity: Career Pathways Initiative are working to connect individuals from underrepresented communities with opportunities in the tree care industry. This initiative supports the Tree Equity mission by working to fill the immense labor shortage in the tree care industry with people who need the jobs the most. The Career Pathways Initiative creates pipelines between low Tree Equity Score communities and tree care employers looking for qualified talent. Whether it be through bolstering the work of pre-employment training programs who train and support community members as they prepare to enter the workforce, or directly connecting individuals with employers while providing wraparound services and retention support, the initiative considers the full cycle of recruitment to retention. The initiative prepares a diverse, thriving workforce to build and sustain economic strength and vibrant, green communities.
The Tree Equity Workforce Network (TEWN), convened by American Forests, is a network of stakeholders whose goal is training and supporting individuals who are underrepresented in the tree care industry, particularly Black, Indigenous and people of color. Developed from feedback by stakeholders to convene a space where cross-sector partners can share ideas and build best practices, TEWN aims to support the development of pre-employment programs and other workforce development initiatives that work to solve the employment gap in the tree care industry. Although TEWN’s focus is on pre-employment programs, any partners engaged in this work, including nonprofit organizations, employers, educators, and local and state agencies are welcome to join the network. Rather than working in silos in individual cities, TEWN provides a space of collaboration for programs to be innovative and creative, as well as learn from one another. The foundation of the network is the Arboriculture Pre-Employment Curriculum, which outlines best practices for developing programs that train and support individuals who are underrepresented in the tree care industry, particularly Black, Indigenous and people of color. The curriculum is designed to serve those who face barriers to traditional employment, have little-to-no knowledge or experience in arboriculture, and live in low-income areas. Anyone involved in this work can become a member of TEWN.
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WorkForest: A Model for Direct Placement and Retention
American Forests pioneered a new way to build a diverse urban forestry workforce. Even with an acute labor shortage, women and people of color are still severely underrepresented in tree care. WorkForest is a direct placement model that creates a pipeline between grassroots organizations serving low Tree Equity score communities and urban forestry employers. Grassroots organizations identify potential Black, Indigenous and people of color applicants facing barriers to employment and connect them with urban forestry employers who train and hire these individuals for entry-level, full-time, permanent positions. Grassroots organizations also provide critical wraparound services for six months that bolster retention, which include case management, financial literacy, career coaching and financial support to help navigate cost-prohibitive barriers like transportation and childcare. American Forests launched the WorkForest model in 2021 through a partnership with TAZO Tea (known through this project as the TAZO Tree Corps). The company sought to address climate change and environmental injustice by helping employ low-income, underrepresented individuals to plant and maintain trees in communities that need them the most. Thanks to interest from other funders, WorkForest is now being rolled out in additional cities, including Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Phoenix.
Texas Trees Foundation: Cultivating Greener Communities
At the Texas Trees Foundation, we are passionate about creating greener, healthier communities through urban forestry, education, and environmental stewardship. Our team is made up of dedicated professionals committed to making a lasting impact on the Texas landscape. We’re always looking for enthusiastic, mission-driven individuals who share our vision of a cooler, more sustainable future. The Director of Urban Forestry Operations is a senior leader responsible for strategically growing the scale, quality, and impact of Texas Trees Urban Forestry Programs. The Senior Program Manager will serve as a key project delivery and operational lead for the Cool Schools program across multiple projects and geographies. Specifically, this position will collaborate with the Director to build and implement operational practices that support program success and impact. They will ensure consistent delivery and alignment across all regional and functional engagements.
Navigating the Application Process
Securing an urban forestry internship often requires a proactive approach. Here are some tips for potential applicants:
- Start early: Internship postings are often released months in advance, so begin your search early.
- Highlight relevant experience: Emphasize any previous experience in landscaping, gardening, or environmental work.
- Tailor your application: Customize your resume and cover letter to match the specific requirements of each internship.
- Network: Attend industry events and connect with professionals in the field to learn about potential opportunities.
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