Abstract Detail

Education and Outreach

Burnside, Lorelei R [1], Hallman, Christine [2], Jefferson, Michael K [3], Waring, Elizabeth [4].

It takes a tree to build a campus community.

Urban and rural communities have been using trees as center pieces of their community for millennia. A seemingly simple project to inventory the trees at the Northeastern State University’s Tahlequah campus arboretum has blossomed into a community building exercise. We started with a unique collaboration with the campus Grounds Department and academic departments focusing on the goal of providing a detailed tree catalogue for all of Northeastern State University’s Tahlequah campus trees. Our team set out to collect GPS points, Tree Health ratings, DBH, and photos to create a map for each Ground Keeper zone on the Tahlequah Campus. Working with the NSU Grounds department has provided our team with real time updates, firsthand knowledge of campus trees, and zones that help make cataloging and upkeep easier for students and grounds keepers. Starting from a two-person team and growing to include a total of six interns, we aim to continue educating young minds in urban forestry efforts and the GIS fields. Since December 2019 we have been working in the field and collected specifics on both native and exotic tree species, this information has gone on to help with various classes across multiple fields of study like our Geography, History, Cherokee Language and Science departments on campus. Within these departments our project data is being utilized by multiple research students and professors alike. Campus phenology walks are guided by the specific information provided by our project, the NSU History department will eventually be assisting with a virtual history of older and culturally significant trees on campus. Our campus has many trees that are important to the Indigenous community living within Tahlequah, the capitol of the Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees, where NSU resides. Another important end goal for the project is to not only provide the virtual history in English but Cherokee, as well as installing plaques in front of the significantly important species like Cedar, Osage Orange, or Persimmons.

1 - Northeastern State University , Natural Sciences, 601 N Grand Ave, Tahlequah, OK, 74464, USA
2 - Northeastern State University , Geography, 601 N Grand Ave, Tahlequah, OK, 74464, USA
3 - Northeastern State University , Tahlequah Grounds, 601 N Grand Ave, Tahlequah, OK, 74464, USA
4 - Northeastern State University, Biology, 611 N Grand Ave, Tahlequah, OK, 74464, USA

Keywords:
UrbanForestry
tree
GIS
Interns
Education
campuscollaboration.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P2, Education and Outreach Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P2EO003
Abstract ID:257
Candidate for Awards:None