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Greenprint National Workshop

In April 2007, thirty leaders representing 23 cities and regions across the United States gathered in Sacramento for a workshop to learn about the Greenprint. Boston, Delaware, Denver, Detroit, Fresno, Houston, Kansas City, Madison, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Tennessee were among the places represented.

Sharing the Greenprint National Workshop

The Sharing the Greenprint National Workshop spanned three days and focused on providing participants with a ten-step approach towards drafting urban forest visions for their areas. The workshop also covered the Tree Foundation’s partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District to create the nation’s largest shade tree planting program, our pioneering partnership and grant with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District using trees to mitigate air pollution, and how the Tree Foundation facilitated 22 cities and six counties signing a regional compact to build the best urban forest for the region.

Participants also discussed the benefits of a regional approach, calculated the monetary value of their existing urban forest, and determined the financial and environmental benefits their planting initiatives could bring. Additional details are available in the full workshop summary report (PDF).

Feedback on the National Workshop:

  • “Great workshop, ideas can be used as a model for developing regional stakeholders”
  •  “It reinforced the need to get leaders on board and showed ways to offer them participation using the growth rings approach”
  • “The i-tree framework and regional approach compliment each other well”
  • “We learned as kids that trees are good, STRATUM and tree value gives that quantification to teach others”

Workshop Follow Up

During the year following the workshop, participants were able to stay connected and contribute their ideas and challenges using conference calls, surveys, and information sharing.  The survey results highlight the benefits received from the workshop and interest in staying connected as they progress in their regional initiatives.

  • 94% of the participants valued the workshop.
  • 94% improved their networking resources as a result of the workshop.
  • 84% want more follow up and are interested in participating in Greenprint Online, a robust web-based resource the Tree Foundation is launching in October for local and national information and participation. 

What participants have achieved in a year:

  • “We went back and produced our first annual report in 15 years and the ideas learned improved private and public involvement efforts” “We took the materials back and started working”
  • We invited the Tree Foundation to do a workshop in our region and agreed upon a regional initiative; Focus on the sum of the benefits, not an individual tree”
  • “We used the workshop materials to develop a stronger ordinance and site specific planting approach”
  • “We conducted a series of talks promoting the value of trees; We created a new strong partnership for statewide influence”
  • “We developed a partnership with a community group and built a city tree planting program with an improved survival rate”
  • “20 million trees by 2020 campaign”
  • “One million tree campaign”
  • “We planted 600 new trees”

View the Full Workshop Summary Report (PDF)

Sacramento Tree Foundation thanks the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) for making the opportunity available to share Greenprint with a larger audience.  The "Sharing the Greenprint Model" national workshop was supported by the United States Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program on the recommendation of NUCFAC.