Urban forestry focuses on the care, protection and maintenance of trees, forests and green spaces in towns and cities. It's caring for "the green in the gray."
As an urban forestry technician, you will require technical, applied skills, but you will also need the ability to work with people and communities. Your work will involve balancing, integrating, and linking the social, economic, environmental, and conservation-related issues associated with the urban forest and community spaces.
This unique 2 + 2 program blends applied and multidisciplinary skills to prepare for the demands of this emerging field. Professionals are needed who can communicate effectively with the public, understand and interpret legislation and policies, and have a broad perspective on planning and conservation. Upon graduation, you will be able to:

Identify and appraise a wide range of species in the urban forest
Maintain safe and healthy trees by applying principles of tree anatomy and physiology
Recommend appropriate arboriculture practices
Use a range of GIS tools and spatial technologies to collect, analyze and model the characteristics of urban forests
Understand soil characteristics, watershed dynamics, and wildlife habitats that contribute to urban forest ecosystems
Safely operate, maintain and troubleshoot equipment
Demonstrate and advocate for an integrated approach to urban forestry management
Interpret legislation, regulation and policies relating to urban forestry
Plan, budget and implement business practices associated with the urban forestry practitioner
Apply practices and principles of urban forest management in an ethical and professional manner.

Career Opportunities
Program graduates will qualify for a broad range of positions with increasing levels of responsibility in supervisory and management roles. There is very little specific career training in urban forestry at the degree level in Canada, although urban forestry jobs have continued to grow. Within the Fleming-UNB program, graduates are eligible to become Registered Professional Foresters, which is a requirement for many of the higher-level urban forestry jobs. Employment opportunities include work with:

City, county, provincial, federal and other government agencies
Municipal parks, recreation and/or planning departments
Environmental consulting companies
Arboreta, botanical gardens and tree research centres
Hydro and utility companies
Corporations with multiple urban properties and private lands
Private landscaping and arboriculture industries

OTHER UNIVERSITY PATHWAYS
Eligible graduates of the Fleming Urban Forestry Technician diploma also are able to complete the Bachelor of Urban Forestry degree at University of British Columbia, with three additional years of study at UBC.
Graduates who meet admission/agreement requirements can complete a Bachelor of Science in Forestry at Lakehead University with a four-week summer transition program, and two years of additional study.