Volunteer performance in urban forest survey initiatives

Abstract

In 2010, the University of Minnesota Forest Resources Department implemented a community engagement program that drew upon community volunteers. This program sought to help greater Minnesota communities assess and mitigate the potential damages brought upon by the arrival of the invasive emerald ash borer. Volunteers were trained to survey their local urban forest, collecting information on species, size, age, and condition of the city trees as part of the process. A growing number of environmental monitoring programs and natural resource managers have begun to utilize and incorporate volunteer- collected data as part of their comprehensive management strategies. Volunteer-driven programs can help to enhance community capacity and participation in future municipal resource management challenges while providing cost-effective alternatives for local municipalities. However, little information exists regarding the real and perceived accuracy of volunteers undertaking urban forest survey initiatives. An evaluation of nine community tree surveys and two training protocols has provided assessment of volunteer accuracy regarding tree survey data collection.