In this episode, Naomi explains the path her career took when a career in dance was set aside for a chance to work in arboriculture. She explains:-
Growing up in Bronx NY and studying dance and music throughout my formative years, I would never have imagined the professional life realized.
I studied Botany, Horticulture, Landscape Design, but nothing fit until my first hike in the Catskills (NY) Forever Wild forest. My tree journey led me to the developing world of Urban Forestry studies and a relationship with Federal and State Urban Foresters, enabling me to
• co-author the Federal ReLeaf U&CF program for NY State; implement /chair the program in NYC;
• author Recommendations for an Urban Forest Management Plan;
• coordinate international and local educational conferences, seminars and workshops for
professionals and concerned citizens;
• develop/ initiate informed stewardship/ citizen science opportunities for concerned NY
residents, e.g. the Asian Longhorned Beetle NYC Public Outreach program (Federally-funded).
I became a Certified Arborist in 1996, working as a Consulting Arborist, specializing in reviewing/ editing/ authoring Tree/ Landscape Preservation/ Protection specifications for large public infrastructure projects, developing a “Building WITH Trees” approach to design and build.
I co-organized and chaired NYC Root Zone, a 501-c-3, authoring publications and providing informal educational opportunities for landscape professionals. I am now semi-retired, living in Luzern Switzerland and working to enhance and advance European Urban Forestry through
• contributions to COST projects;
• the Swiss federally funded Climate Change Adaptation project;
• implementation of i-Tree as an i-Tree team affiliate member;
• European Forum on Urban Forestry steering committee membership.
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