What are they?

• Formal committees that assist tree managers in relevant ways to support, encourage and improve the continuation of the urban forest.
• These groups carry different names in different communities, and the work they perform varies greatly, depending upon local needs.

• Community residents, public officials, clubs like a garden club or Rotary, local nurseries, conservation groups, etc.
• It is worth trying to include children and young people, since teaching them now about public trees will produce more knowledgeable homeowners and local officials later.

• With declining resources and personnel, tree managers can use extra help.
• Also, citizens get very concerned about "their" trees. It’s better to encourage citizens to work with tree managers than against them!
• Properly trained and supervised, citizen groups may help by:
• making decisions on appropriate tree species and locations for planting
• raising funds for projects not included in traditional budgets
• carrying out light maintenance: pruning, watering, mulching, training, etc.
• collecting identification and location data for inventories
• educating the local community about the benefits of urban trees
• assisting in writing tree ordinances or making a tree inventory
• judging appeals from homeowners about proprosed tree removals
• supplying advocacy for critical concerns such as tree preservation

• When people see themselves involved in the management of public trees, the whole community benefits.
• Communities with tree citizen groups find an increase in:
• responsibility for public trees, and respect for tree managers and local government
• personal and group contribution to the community, and a sense of civic pride
• Work on urban trees can be accomplished for which otherwise funds or time would be lacking
  

• The beginning takes extra effort, it’s true, but after an informed citizen group gets started, the rewards for tree managers make the initial work more than worthwhile.