Southern Urban and Interface Forests - What's New

Beginning with Dr. Roger Ulrich, Center for Health Systems and Design, in "View Through a Window..." nature/health research has highlighted the "obvious" but difficult to quantify benefits of natural settings (including urban forests) for physical and psychological well being.

Dr. Esther Sternberg is Research Director at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Her books include Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well Being, and The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health & Emotions

Listen to: The Science of Healing Places with Dr. Sternberg, On Being (30Sep12 American Public Media via NPR).  "The light and smells in places like hospitals can often depress us. And, our favorite room at home keeps us sane. But why? Immunologist Esther Sternberg explains the scientific research revealing how physical spaces create stress and make us sick — and how good design can trigger our "brain’s internal pharmacies" and help heal us." [APM On Being Website]

Dr. Kathleen Wolf, Projects Director at Human Dimensions of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening (School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington) documents and investigates the human/nature connection at Green Cities: Good Health.  "Metro nature - including trees, parks, gardens, and natural areas - enhance quality of life in cities and towns. The experience of nature improves human health and well-being in many ways. Nearly 40 years of scientific studies tell us how." [K Wolf Website]

_{Photo by Joel Bedford, Flickr, Creative Commons by-nd}

Susan Granbery, Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator, Georgia Forestry Commission was selected for the Austin Short Current Achievement Award for Communications.  Susan was recognized for her successful efforts over the past two years to expand The American Grove, an online urban and community forestry community.

Paul Revell, Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator, Virginia Department of Forestry received the Stewart Pequignot Current Achievement Award for Urban Forestry.  Paul ... has developed and managed an excellent and productive program in Virginia. His leadership and contributions on the state, regional and national level, have helped educate decision makers about the value of urban and community forestry and how it improves the overall health of a community.

Awards were presented at the NASF 2012 Annual Meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming last week.  Each year NASF members nominate individuals for awards representing different categories that reflect the work they have done to promote, support and strengthen the forestry community nationwide.

Full story and additional state awards at: NASF

Over the past decade the Morton Arboretum has developed an intensive urban soils research program and  a wealth of information investigating the soils relationship to tree growth and health.  They are also a participant in the Urban Tree Growth & Longevity working group, and have an on-line curriculum for soils:  Introduction to Soil Science.

A summary Bryant Scharenbroch's latest research on improving urban soils with compost and hardwood mulch is here: "The Right Stuff", or  "Compaction and Remediation of Urban Dirt".