Extension: Urban Forestry | School of Natural Resources

Urban foresters attend to trees within the City of Knoxville.

The importance of trees, vegetation, and landscaping in urban areas cannot be understated. They help to cool cities, improve air quality and water quality, and help create desirable, pedestrian-friendly spaces. Our Urban Forestry Extension provides valuable, expert information on tree and urban landscape care and maintenance for private citizens, municipalities, and industry.

Contact

Sharon Jean-Philippe
Professor
865-974-2946
jeanphil@utk.edu

Resources

Webinar Series

The Tennessee Urban Forestry Council and UT Residential and Community Forestry Workgroup have joined forces to bring you free educational webinars to help you manage urban forests. For participants interested in earning International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) CEUs, there is now a $10 fee associated with the webinars. The webinars have also been approved for Society of American Foresters (SAF) CFEs. The webinars are limited to 1,000 participants.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 11 a.m. Central / 12 p.m. Eastern

Topic:
Winter Storm Fern: A Roundtable Discussion about Ice, Infrastructure, and Trees

Speakers:

Keenan Baird
Founder
GreenRoots Tree and Plant Health Care

Matthew Searels
Vice President
Eocene Environmental Group, LLC

Sarah Welz
Urban Forestry Project Manager
Metro Nashville

Continuing Education:
Approval pending for ISA CEUs.

Register online now.

Webinar replays:

Jan. 29, 2026: Cultivating Innovation: Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) and Impact on Tree Research, presented by Paul Putman and Jonathan Cain

Jan. 16, 2025: A New Way to Look at Arborists, presented by Skip Kincaid
Feb. 20, 2025: Proven Strategies for Leveraging Urban Wood, presented by Paul Hickman
March 20, 2025: Tree Risk Assessment Standards, Best Practices, and Advanced Techniques, presented by JP McDonnell
April 17, 2025: Health Benefits of Trees, presented by Derrick Stowell
May 15, 2025: Tree Myths, presented by Linda Chalker-Scott
June 12, 2025: Summer Tree ID, presented by Chris Graves
July 17, 2025: Mycorrhizal Networks: Evidence vs. Fantasy in the Wood-Wide Web, presented by Jason Hoeksema
August 21, 2025: Clarksville-NASA DEVELOP Partnership: Turning Earth Observations into Urban Forestry Action, presented by NASA DEVELOP Fellows and Kathrine Killebrew
September 18, 2025: Scouting for Insect Pests and Implementing the Appropriate Response, presented by Lee Rumble
October 16, 2025: The Future of Eastern North America’s Forests & Our Urban Canopies Is in Our Own Back 40, presented by Bill Finch

Jan. 18, 2024: How Trees Grow Old, presented by Skip Kincaid
Feb. 15, 2024: Spotted Lanternfly in Pennsylvania: What Have We Learned?, presented by Emelie Swackhamer
March 21, 2024: Nutrients Trees Need and How They Get Them, presented by Dr. Jennifer Franklin
April 18, 2024: Observing Seasonal Changes in Plants and Animals, presented by Samantha Brewer
May 16, 2024: Nashville’s Urban Tree Canopy Study, presented by Sarah Welz
June 20, 2024: The National Champion Tree Program: Using Charismatic Trees for Education and Conservation, presented by Jaq Payne
July 18, 2024: Healthy Soils for Healthy Trees, presented by Dr. Yujuan Chen
August 15, 2024: Seed to Tree, presented Dr. Gina Sowders
Sept. 19, 2024: Tree Response to Pruning, presented by Lindsey Purcell
Oct. 18, 2024: Wood Decay in Living Trees, presented by Dr. Andrew Loyd

Sept. 21, 2023: Urban Forest Strike Teams, Nashville-Davidson County, TN, presented by Eric Kuehler and Ashley Kite-Rowland
Aug. 17, 2023: Landscaping with Native Trees, presented by Dennis Bishop
July 20, 2023: Human Health Response to Nature and Trees, presented by Dr. Kathleen Wolf
June 15, 2023: How Trees (Really) Work, presented by Dr. Jennifer Franklin
May 18, 2023: When (and How) to Hire an Arborist, presented by Skip Kincaid
April 20, 2023: Plant Pests Threatening TN Borders, presented by Katy Kilbourne
March 16, 2023: Memphis Project: The Works & Urban Wood Economy, presented by Jeff Carroll
February 16, 2023: How the Federal Government Is Addressing Urban Heat Islands in Tennessee, presented by Morgan Zabow and Jennifer First
February 13, 2023: Winter Tree Identification Part 2, presented by Chris Graves
January 30, 2023: Winter Tree Identification, presented by Chris Graves

October 20, 2022: Green Spaces and Childhood Development, presented by Ashley Kite-Rowland
September 15, 2022: Tree Owner’s Rights and Responsibilities, presented by Wes Hopper
August 18, 2022: Eradicating Invasive Plants at Overton Park, presented by Bill Bullock
July 21, 2022: How Urban Trees Can Detect, Remediate, and Prevent Contamination of Soil and Groundwater in Our Communities, presented by Dr. James Landmeyer
June 16, 2022: Trees and Utilities: Introduction into Utility Vegetative Management, presented by Maegan Mullinax
May 19, 2022: Evaluating Potential for Restoration of Riparian Buffers in East Tennessee Communities, presented by Maddy Johnson
April 21, 2022: How Trees Die: Understanding Basic Tree Physiology, presented by Dr. David Mercker
March 17, 2022: Tennessee’s Champion Tree Program, presented by Jaq Payne
February 17, 2022: Urban Tree Pests to Expect in 2022, presented by Dr. Ellie Lopez
January 20, 2022: Winter Tree Care: Tips for Homeowners, presented by Wes Hopper

August 19, 2021: Tree Preservation During Construction: Getting to the Root of the Problem, presented by Beau Brodbeck
July 15, 2021: If You Plant It, They Will Come: Using Informed Tree Selection to Restore Pollinators and Songbirds in Human-Dominated Landscapes, presented by Desiree Narango
June 17, 2021: Tennessee’s Landmark, Historic, and Heritage Tree Registry, presented by Tom Simpson
May 20, 2021: Introduction to Tree Identification, presented by Joellen Dimond
April 15, 2021: Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) Grant, presented by Diane Warwick
March 18, 2021: Emerald Ash Borer: What to Expect; How to Respond, presented by Dr. Cameron Stauder
February 11, 2021: Rethinking Trees, presented by Dr. Paul Ries
January 21, 2021: Stand Dynamics in the Old Forest State Natural Area, presented by Eric Bridges

November 19, 2020: Proactive Pest Management in Winter and Spring, presented by Dr. Frank Hale
October 15, 2020: Plant Disease in Urban Forests, presented by Alan Windham

Residential and Community Forestry Resources

Meet the Residential and Community Forestry Workgroup

Graphic shows green leaf next to the words "Tree News You Can Use."

Read the latest Tree News You Can Use newsletter from the Residential and Community Forestry Workgroup.