Bend's new Urban Forester\, Ian Gray\, has an ambitious mission: to help protect and strengthen one of the city's mo st valuable natural resources&mdash\;its trees. Learn how the City's urban forestry program is working to preserve existing trees\, improve tree man agement\, and build a healthier\, more sustainable\, functional\, and resi lient urban forest. Discover the many benefits trees provide\, from shade and cleaner air to carbon storage\, cooling\, and an enhanced sense of com munity well-being.
\nThe foundation of this effort is the \;Bend Tree Project\, a citywide GIS inventory of trees growing in public rights -of-way. Before a long-term management plan can be developed\, the City mu st first know what trees it has\, where they are\, what condition they're in\, and what care they need. Using a dedicated corps of volunteers\, the project is creating the database that will guide Bend's urban forest manag ement for years to come while giving residents an opportunity to become ac tive stewards of their community.
\nCome and meet Ian Gray\, whose e nthusiasm for trees is as engaging as his remarkable career. Learn how the Bend Tree Project is laying the groundwork for a healthier\, more resilie nt city for generations to come.
\nAbout the Presenter
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Ian Gray's path to becoming Bend's Urban Forester has taken him around the world&ndash\;and through the trees. Having lived and worked in the United States\, Canada\, France\, and the United Kingdom\, he traces h is love of trees to childhood field trips with his father in the forests o f California\, Oregon\, and Washington. After planting trees in Canada whi le attending the University of Michigan\, a job with a tree service in Eng land sparked a career that has now spanned more than 30 years.
\nGra y has worked as a climbing arborist\, owned a tree service in Colorado\, a nd cared for the trees of Aspen's homes before moving into urban forestry. He later earned a Graduate Certificate in Urban Forestry from Oregon Stat e University and holds numerous professional certifications through the In ternational Society of Arboriculture. Before coming to Bend\, he served wi th the cities of Claremont\, California\; Aspen\, Colorado\; and Renton\, Washington.
\nToday\, Gray combines hands-on experience with a passi on for protecting the urban forest. He still climbs trees whenever he can and proudly wears a tattoo of \;the Lorax\, Dr. Seuss's beloved charac ter who "speaks for the trees\,&rdquo\; a fitting symbol for someone dedic ated to preserving them for future generations.
\nAbout OLLI
\nThe Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Oregon (OLLI-UO) in Central Oregon invites community members to partici pate in our Friday Talks in partnership with the Deschutes Public Library. OLLI-UO is an intellectual and social community of engaged adult learners \, connecting members to university faculty and professionals in respectiv e fields. A six-month or yearlong membership allows participation in a var iety of lectures\, courses\, peer-led study and discussion groups\, educat ional tours\, field trips\, and social events.
\nQuestions? Contact& nbsp\;lizg@deschuteslibrary.org \;
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