Schoolyard Grants
Tips for Writing a Schoolyard Forestry Project
Sample School Yard Grant Application
Maryland Plant
Community
Maryland
Association of Forest Conservancy
District Boards
|
The urban
forest can best be defined as an ecosystem that consists of all the
trees,
associated vegetation, wildlife and other natural resources
extending
from the town center to the edges of the suburban fringes.
The field of Urban and Community Forestry has evolved into a
comprehensive
effort to manage, conserve, and enhance forest and tree resources in
and around
cities, towns, and suburban areas. Street trees, private lawn
trees,
trees in parks and stream valleys, as well as small blocks of forest,
all play
an important role in the lives of urban dwellers. The benefits
provided
by urban forests and the challenges in managing them present the urban
forester
with a unique opportunity to improve the appearance and appeal of our
communities.
While traditional forestry looks more at forest products, recreation
potential,
and wildlife benefits provided by forests, Urban Forestry focuses more
on the
interaction of trees and people, landscape design, and individual tree
management (arboriculture). But like traditional forestry, Urban
Forestry
represents the art and science of managing trees and forests for a
variety of
societal benefits.
Because of Maryland’s expanding urban/suburban infrastructure, urban
and
community forestry has become an integral part of the state’s resource
management objectives. In 1943 the Maryland Legislature passed a
unique
act establishing twenty-four Forestry Boards throughout the State, one
in each
county
and one in Baltimore
City. Early on these Boards brought together volunteers from
each
county to discuss traditional forestry issues and provide feedback on
policies
to the Department of Natural Resources – Forest Service.
In the last two decades, Maryland’s
Forestry Boards have expanded their focus to include Urban Forestry
issues. In 2003, representatives from Forestry Boards statewide
cooperated to form the Maryland Urban and Community Forest
Committee.
This group is charged with promoting public education and appreciation
of our
urban trees and forests through a variety of grant funding programs and
public
awareness campaigns such as PLANT (People
Loving
and Nurturing Trees). The group will also tackle policy
issues
related to urban and community forestry and endeavor to further improve
urban
forests throughout the state.
Maryland
Urban and Community Forest Committee
The Maryland
Urban and Community Forest Committee (MUCFC) is a volunteer group
of
citizens, professionals, and government officials united to protect and
enhance
Maryland’s forest ecosystems. MUCFC is a sub-committee of the
Maryland
Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards. The primary
functions of the
Committee are to promote and coordinate the Maryland Community PLANT
award
program that officially recognizes communities planting and caring for
trees,
and to administer Grants
to schools and communities through their local
Forestry Boards which promote planting and care of trees.
|
