Environmental Justice in Urban & Community Forestry

1. Just trust
Adapting urban and community forestry programs
based on community feedback
Christine Carmichael, Ph.D.
Founder and Principal
Fair Forests Consulting, LLC
Alliance for Community Trees Day
November 15, 2022
Source: Speak for the Trees Boston
Source: City of Seattle

2. What is trust? Your home, your neighborhood,
your health & safety.

3. Why we need trust in urban and community forestry
➔ Trust allows people to rely on one another to produce certain outcomes
without needing to monitor each other.
◆ Trees reliably cared for,
◆ Short and long-term support for tree care provided, and
◆ Decision-making power shared at all key stages =
increased tree survival & health, and more social &
environmental benefits to local communities
➔ Trust increases public acceptance of [co-created] management decisions.
Sources: Nelson et al. 2017; Rousseau et al. 1998; Shindler, Brunson, and Stankey 2002; Vulturius and Gerger Swartling 2015.

4. Just like urban tree canopies, trust is something that:
grows over time, requires effort to sustain, and can be lost
without careful stewardship.
Source: Christine Carmichael

5. Milestones toward EJ in urban & community forestry
Pre-1980’s
1980’s-early 2000’s
Focus on what we think we’ve done well
e.g. Detroit dubbed “The City of Trees”
because it had more trees per capita than
any other industrialized city.
Realization about how we have fallen
short (i.e. that urban forests are not fairly
distributed across race and income) and
taking direct action to fix it (i.e. starting
tree-planting organizations and programs).
Source: Detroityes.com
Detroit, Michigan
People working in urban forestry

6. Milestones toward EJ in urban & community forestry
2010’s-2020
2020-2022
Deepening understanding that we can’t just plant
trees to achieve environmental justice.
Instead, we need more thoughtful community
engagement, especially in communities of color.
Revamping urban & community forestry
programs to better engage residents [through an
equity lens].
Greater emphasis on relationship & trust building,
seeking to understand residents’ priorities & needs
related to trees.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Source: Tony Ruth

7. What is “just trust”?
…because they are trying to
repair past harm.
It is the opposite of asking
someone to trust your word
alone.

8. Four steps to (re)building trust
Talk the talk, and walk the walk

9. 1. Recognize and correct past mistakes

10. 2. Be open to new narratives and ways of engaging people
Source: https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/blackforest/overview/
Source: Black Environmental Collective
The Black
Environmental
Collective's mission
is to advance
solutions that support
Black communities.
Provides meaningful employment
coupled with transitional career
coaching using best practices and a
trauma-informed approach.

11. 3. Facilitate participation of diverse stakeholders in
decision-making and implementation
"The only way to grow trust is to take the time needed to understand differences
and find commonalities. It seems counter-intuitive to take that time when things need
to get done – and things always need to get done."
–Dawn Newman, University of Minnesota
➔ Ask questions with genuine curiosity. Everyone has a story to tell & wisdom to share.
◆ Collect “heritage narratives” → https://fairforests.com/resources
◆ “Hearing others' stories helps everyone understand how their experiences shape
them, and how regrettable past incidents might make it tougher for them to trust
now.”
How?
Source: https://extension.umn.edu/vital-connections/building-trust-communities

13. Engagement strategies designed with
community leaders:

14. What could a “call for selfies” help you understand about residents and their
values or needs toward trees?

15. 4. Be accountable and transparent
Source: https://www.treesatlanta.org/who-we-are/community/

16. Check-in on trustworthiness
Think about someone you trust a great deal in your professional life--it could be a supervisor,
a colleague, or a collaborative partner.
How many out of the 5 behaviors below does this person exhibit?
❏ Humility and vulnerability: Acknowledge what they do not know, and that the people they work
with have valuable information and skills.
❏ Ask questions with genuine curiosity: Seek to understand and integrate diverse perspectives
without judgment.
❏ Gather input intentionally from all groups.
❏ Take time. Host a dinner; schedule a meeting; carry on a conversation on Main Street. Take time to
be a welcoming presence.
❏ Share information that helps newcomers be successful. This includes connecting people to
resources that can help address an issue or access services and support.

17. Check-in on trustworthiness
Now think about yourself and the communities you and your organization serve.
How many out of the 5 behaviors below do you normally exhibit with community members?
❏ Humility and vulnerability: Acknowledge what I do not know, and that the people I work
with have valuable information and skills.
❏ Ask questions with genuine curiosity: Seek to understand and integrate diverse
perspectives without judgment.
❏ Gather input intentionally from all groups.
❏ Take time. Host a dinner; schedule a meeting; carry on a conversation on Main Street. Take
time to be a welcoming presence.
❏ Share information that helps newcomers be successful. This includes connecting people
to resources that can help address an issue or access services and support.

18. The future is hybrid

20. Social justice Environmentalism
The way to
environmental justice
Advocating for a healthy
environment.
Advocating for meaningful
inclusion and fair treatment
of all, with a focus on
those who are most
excluded.

21. In-person
engagement
Virtual
engagement
The way to
environmental justice

22. Equity considerations for hybrid engagement
Equity advantages of in-person engagement:
1. Reconnect with and meet neighbors.
2. Can fulfill a basic desire for human
interaction, fresh air and to get out of the
house.
3. More hands-on brainstorming and
discussion opportunities.
4. Community events like farmers markets
and concerts are up and running. For local
governments seeking input you go where
people are already.
Equity advantages of virtual engagement:
1. Minimize health risks.
2. Don’t have to worry about parking, childcare
or time in transit, plus it’s easier for people
with limited mobility or access to transit to
participate.
3. Some folks – introverts and otherwise -- have
discovered they just feel more comfortable in
a Zoom-type setting.
4. Wider range of accessibility tools like closed
captioning and, in some cases, translation.
5. Greater flexibility for people to participate
even if they are traveling or to engage expert
speakers who might not be local.
Try to maximize the advantages of each, and minimize the disadvantages.
Source: https://www.kimlundgrenassociates.com/en-
us/blog/hybrid-engagement

23. Qualitative
indicators of success
Quantitative
indicators of success
The way to
environmental justice
Ongoing, intentional,
culturally-relevant inclusion
of local residents in all parts
of the decision-making
related to urban forestry.
Increase in healthy trees in
low canopy communities.
Increase in tree care
support provided and
accessible to residents in
low canopy neighborhoods.

24. Celebrate what is
going well & what we
should keep doing.
Determine what
needs to adapt as
we learn more.
The way to
environmental justice

25. Christine Carmichael, Ph.D.
Website:https://fairforests.com
Email: Christine@fairforests.com
Thank you! Need more help with the following? Set up a meeting with
me: https://calendly.com/christinecarmichael
➔ Webinars and virtual training on environmental
justice
➔ Equitable outreach & engagement strategies
➔ Evaluation of your DEI policies
➔ Focus group design & facilitation
And check out the podcast I co-host with Sarah Lillie Sewell!