The TreeLink Project (38-G 96-027)

TreeLink: a world wide website devoted towards addressing the issues associated with urban and community forestry.

Tree Utah played a lead role in the creation, implementation and marketing of TreeLink: a world wide website devoted towards addressing the issues associated with urban and community forestry. TreeLink consists of several main components to meet the mission of expanding public awareness These components are:

• Research
• Multiple Partner Coalition Building & Communication
• Public Education & Awareness
• On-line quarterly magazine
• Organization Management & Current News

Under these components are dozens of specific feature topics that meet the needs of a vast audience.TreeLink's success was measured in the following ways yielding these results:

• Through an access counter that records the number of times a portion of the site has been accessed.Statistics show the Treelink site was accessed 59,000 times between the months of September and December 1998. Sixty eight countries from Canada to Greenland accessed the TreeLink site.
• Approximately 50 people have participated in the on-line bulletin board.
• Finally, Tree Utah and personnel responsible for the site received dozens of positive comments about the TreeLink website. Feedback from TreeLink's advisory panel offered suggestions about the site thatwe have implemented.

The primary goal of the TreeLink project is to advance the cause of urban/community forestry by meeting the information needs of the various groups directly or indirectly involved in this field. Tile The four specific objectives are:

• to provide "one stop shopping" repository of the research materials needed to answer questions and solve problems in urban/community forestry.
• To provide information that will help urban forestry groups manage their organizations, recruit and train volunteers, raise funds, and organize projects.
• To act as a catalyst for community building by providing ways for local and national groups to communicate and share ideas.
• To provide information for the general public that will educate them about urban forestry issues and inspire them to become involved in "hands-on" activities in the community.

Attachments

Click here to download the final report.