As urban forest managers look for new ways to engage the public, many municipalities and non-profit groups are turning to citizen science and open data to connect with stakeholders. Citizen science generally refers to partnerships between the public and professional scientists to address real-world problems. The public can be involved in all stages of a project including formulating research questions, conducting scientific experiments, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, and developing technologies and applications. Citizen science projects can generate public interest, but there are often concerns about the need for data coordination, quality control, open access, and long-term funding and resource commitment.

The OpenTreeMap mobile applications make it easy for citizen scientists to collect and update tree inventory information from their phones.

Many of our OpenTreeMap customers use citizen science to increase public awareness and support for community forestry and to collect quality data that can help drive management and policy decisions. This month’s Urban Forest Connections webinar, a webinar series sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, highlights the challenges and opportunities surrounding citizen science in urban forestry. Lara Roman, Research Ecologist at the Philadelphia Field Station, presents findings from a study of volunteer data quality in urban tree inventories and implications for the use of citizen science for various urban forest data collection needs. OpenTreeMap Project Manager, Deb Boyer, shares lessons learned from citizen science and open data projects across the U.S. and discusses various technical approaches. You can watch the full recording here.

Since 1973, tens of thousands of volunteers have worked with Asheville GreenWorks to plant trees, clean rivers and improve the environment.

There are many other resources available to help you determine whether citizen science and open data projects are right for your community. We’ve listed a few below. We would also love to hear your stories about using citizen science.

• Data Quality in Citizen Science Urban Tree Inventories: In this article from Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Lara Roman and colleagues examined consistency across volunteer field crews doing street tree inventories, drawing implications for appropriate uses of citizen science in urban forestry.
• TreesCount! 2015: Mapping every street tree in New York City: This webinar provides an overview of the TreesCount project that includes both organizational and technical details.
• Data Management for Urban Tree Monitoring – Software Requirements: This report from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and the USDA Forest Service Philadelphia Field Station explores how technology can be used to support the long-term systematic monitoring of urban trees by trained professionals, student interns, and volunteers; assist with tree planting and maintenance data processes; and enable data to be organized and shared between researchers and practitioners.
• Integrating Experts, Communities, and Online Resources for Equitably Expanding Urban Tree Canopy: Using the case of Portland, Oregon, this webinar from the U.S. Forest Service provides context for organizing a citywide initiative to enable community groups, researchers, and city staff the data and tools to advance urban canopy management and expansion.
• Citizen Science at the U.S. Forest Service: A general resource for learning more about citizen science and crowdsourcing activities at the Forest Service.

At OpenTreeMap, we want to expand the role of technology in solving some of the most urgent problems in urban forestry. We’ve started to do that by developing software that makes it easier for communities to collect and manage tree and green infrastructure data, and use existing socio-demographic data to drive planting decisions.

Over the past seven years we have had the opportunity to work with public and private institutions to build software that furthers community forestry efforts. This includes new features for OpenTreeMap as well as custom web and mobile applications like the platform for TreesCount! 2015, New York City’s street tree census. In fact, many of the OpenTreeMap features available today were developed in partnership with past and current customers. The ability to map green infrastructure, add your tree map to an external website, and automatically add a website link to each tree detail page are a few examples of customer-led development.

For people without a strong technical background, the process of working with a software company to develop a web or mobile application can be overwhelming. In an effort to shed light on how an idea can turn into an application, we’ve identified the four most important questions we ask our clients before starting a project.

What problem are you trying to solve?

Before writing a single line of code, we work with our clients to learn more about the problem they are trying to solve through software. For example, do you want to build an application to virtually inventory street trees or do you want to organize tree giveaways and volunteer planting events or do you want to manage tree crews and collect information on maintenance activities? It would be cumbersome and expensive to solve all three of these problems in a single software platform, which is why clearly identifying the problem and project scope is crucial. After all, the problem you want to solve will dictate nearly every decision made throughout the development process.

One of the most common pitfalls we see is the tendency to want to start software development before clearly outlining the scope of a project. If new project goals emerge during development or if a project has too many goals, it can be difficult to measure success. Further, it is critical to differentiate between essential functions of a new application, also known as the minimum viable product (MVP), and those that are not critical to the application’s initial release. Additional features can be added later pending time and resources, but by releasing an MVP you can get feedback from users and understand whether or not you’re on the right track.

One of the biggest challenges our users cited was the ability to quickly update tree records in the field. In response, we developed iOS and Android applications so users could add and update tree records from their phone.

What existing data or information do you have?

What existing data do you have that you want to incorporate into your application? How does that data help solve your problem? Data can come from a variety of different sources, but before designing a project that hinges on the availability of certain data, you must confirm that the data is available in the right format and at a price that you can afford. Cities and towns have lots of data including spatial files like building parcels, population data, floodplain scenarios and more. And data is not just limited to cities. Nonprofit organizations, universities, homeowners associations and consultants all use data to inform their work. At OpenTreeMap, we’ve worked with communities to map canopy coverage, upload historical planting information and use publicly available socio-demographic data to drive planting decisions.

Who is the intended audience?

Are you the only one that is going to use the software or is the software designed to be used by other people? A software tool used by 10 people is designed very differently than one used by 1,000 people. If you are building an application to solve a problem for another person or group, it is important to consult those people throughout each stage of the project. We consult with users to design applications that are easy to use and make information more accessible.

What is your time frame?

Is the software application designed to exist for a defined period of time or do you want it to exist well into the foreseeable future? A software application designed for long-term use is different than one built for an event or short-term project. Just like car owners take their cars to the mechanic for routine maintenance, software requires ongoing updates in order to ensure it continues to run properly.

Also related to time frame is the project timeline. How long until you need the application? Is the application connected to grant funding? If so, what information do you need to close out the grant? Do you need to be able to report on user data? Does the code need to be open source? Answers to these questions help us accommodate any constraints or additional requirements clients may have.

OpenTreeMap is open source which means our source code is available for anyone to use and improve. Want to set up your own tree map? Find out more here.

With answers to those four questions, our project managers can work with you to develop a project proposal and pricing estimate. All projects are reviewed by a team of senior software developers who segment project goals into a list of discrete tasks and estimate the time and resources required for completing those tasks. This includes time for designing the application, testing functionality, and incorporating client and user feedback. Throughout project development, project managers work with the client to provide monthly status updates and solicit ongoing feedback to ensure the final product meets client goals.

OpenTreeMap is a product of Azavea, a Philadelphia-based geospatial software company. In addition to building the tree mapping platform, Azavea works with public and private institutions to develop web and mobile applications for organizations working on issues related to the environment. Do you have an idea for an new software application? Not sure how to get started? Drop us a line at opentreemap@azavea.com. We would love to hear from you!

Volunteers for Asheville GreenWorks at a tree planting event.

Being an open source software means our source code is available for anyone to use and improve at no cost. Any software engineer whether or not they work at Azavea, the company that makes OpenTreeMap, can help us improve the software or take the code and create a custom tree map. The only requirement is that all changes are made freely available. In contrast, proprietary software has source code that only the original authors can legally copy and update. Because many groups do not have the time or resources required, we created a paid subscription service. In exchange for an annual fee, we host the map for you. We are able to spread out the hosting costs across our entire customer base, which for many makes purchasing a subscription less expensive than setting up and hosting a map.

Our goal is to make communities greener and more sustainable, and doing so is only possible if people around the world have the opportunity to build off the work we’ve done. Allowing software developers outside Azavea to contribute means we’re able to add new features and functionality more quickly than if we relied exclusively on our small but dedicated team of developers. Incorporating features built by people outside the company also ensures we continue to build a product that meets the needs of users worldwide.  

Many municipalities and nonprofit organizations, including the City of Asheville, North Carolina, have used OpenTreeMap code to build their own tree map. By using our code, the city saved time and resources that would have otherwise been spent building a tree mapping application from scratch. While Asheville’s map looks and functions very similarly to maps we host through our subscription service the city does not pay us.

You can access the City of Asheville’s tree at http://ashevilletreemap.org/.

The City of Asheville crowdsourced tree data in order to reduce the costs associated with an inventory and engage citizens in urban forestry efforts. Building an inventory for a city the size of Asheville can strain limited economic resources and be incredibly time consuming if done by the city’s small urban forestry staff. By creating a map the public could update, the city in conjunction with Asheville GreenWorks a local nonprofit, has engaged hundreds of volunteers and collected data on thousands of trees.

Today, the map is primarily managed by Asheville GreenWorks but continues to be maintained by the city’s Information Technology (IT) department. The nonprofit uses the map to fill out the city’s inventory, and track plantings and maintenance. Asheville’s Department of Parks and Recreation also adds data to the map on their new plantings. By collecting tree data in one centralized location, the city is better prepared to create an urban forest management plan. According to Rick Carpenter, the Urban Forest Coordinator for Asheville GreenWorks,

“You need an urban forest inventory analysis to create policy change and you need input and backing from citizens. We could hire a large tree corporation who for a lot of money would complete and analyze our inventory for us, however, this does not create a sense of place or vested interest from the community members. If you want to change policy you need the backing of people in the area and the best way to do that is by using OpenTreeMap.”

Carpenter has noticed that by mapping, volunteers feel a vested interest in the trees they survey and are more likely to support urban forestry initiatives in the future.

In order to receive funding from the city, Asheville GreenWorks must create site plans, planting plans and project proposals. Historically, they have prepared these reports using QGIS and SketchUp, but Asheville GreenWorks plans to begin using OpenTreeMap’s new modeling and prioritization module in the future. This new suite of features will allow them to more easily create deliverables they previously gathered from a variety of different sources.

Asheville GreenWorks engages students of all ages in their planting programs.

Carpenter has recruited students studying ecology and forestry at local universities to map trees. By engaging students the city gets additional data that helps them better manage their inventory and the students get an introduction to GIS and data collection. Students and other volunteers use a dichotomous key to identify tree species before entering information on the map. Carpenter fact checks random samples of data and has been impressed by the accuracy of the data. Click here for an summary of Asheville GreenWorks’ urban forestry initiatives and the impact they’ve had across the city.

We realize not all cities and organizations have the technical expertise of Asheville. There are many communities with OpenTreeMap subscriptions that want to see additional features added to the software, but do not have the time or resources to contribute code themselves. In cases where we think feature requests from individual customers would have utility for the broader OpenTreeMap community, we are able to cost share on software development. In other words, we discount the cost of building a feature in return for the ability to share that feature across the entire platform. If you are interested in seeing a particular feature built, please reach out.

Since the organization’s founding in 1973, tens of thousands of volunteers have worked with Asheville GreenWorks to plant trees, clean rivers and improve the environment.

In addition to bringing collaboration and transparency into our development process, we believe being open source gives us a competitive advantage. For this reason, the same principles that guide our product development help shape our business development efforts. We are committed to building a community of urban forestry practitioners and build a platform for people to share ideas and use those ideas to strengthen their own communities. To receive urban forestry news and product updates consider signing up for our newsletter here, or to have your work featured please get in touch with us directly.

To set up a “production” version of OpenTreeMap, we recommend reviewing our installation guide. If you want to set up OpenTreeMap for development and contribute to the open source project, additional information can be found here. To ask specific questions related to use of OpenTreeMap source code, please join the user group.

Azavea has made a demonstrated commitment to building and contributing to open source software beyond just OpenTreeMap. For a list of tools and libraries, you can check out our GitHub as well as the GeoTrellis, OpenDataPhilly and DistrictBuilder projects.

Washington Parks & People Executive Director Steve Coleman speaks with residents of Ward 8 in DC’s Run Park in a scene from CITY OF TREES.

Editor’s Note: We believe storytelling is a powerful tool for sharing the importance of maintaining, protecting and growing our urban forests. At OpenTreeMap, we’ve seen firsthand how storytelling can be used to recruit volunteers, garner support and secure funding. In addition to helping you manage your trees and green infrastructure, maps can help you tell your organization’s story. This month we wanted to share with you how one new documentary film is also working to share the story of urban trees and the people that plant and care for them. The following post is written by Lance Kramer of Meridian Hill Pictures. 

As documentary storytellers, we use film to share underrepresented perspectives, build empathy for people different from ourselves, and facilitate conversations about the complexities of the human experience. Our latest film CITY OF TREES is a story that challenges audiences to think deeply about the triumphs and struggles in making a long-term social impact within an environmental nonprofit.

CITY OF TREES follows the stories of trainees and staff in a stimulus-funded green job-training program, Washington Parks & People’s DC Green Corps, designed to put unemployed people back to work by planting and caring for trees in underserved communities in Washington, DC. The film follows its central participants navigating difficult issues: attempting to make change within a low-income urban community; fighting institutional poverty with short-term, non-renewable grant resources; creating environmental justice where it has been absent for decades.

In the process, CITY OF TREES thrusts viewers into the inspiring but messy world of job training and the struggles change makers face in urban communities everyday.

DC Green Corps trainee Michael Samuels and his mother Eleanor Barnett share the story of Michael’s incarceration in a scene from CITY OF TREES.

Over the course of the five years we spent making CITY OF TREES, telling this kind of story required all parties — us as the filmmakers, the program staff and trainees, funders, and audiences — to embrace a certain unpredictability and complexity. Because our story centered on real people, we had to accept that any message about the impact of tree plantings or green job training would never be as tightly-crafted as a grant report or fundraising video. The goal of the film was not to solve unemployment or lack of canopy coverage in certain neighborhoods, but instead to explore the complexities that emerge when people with different backgrounds and perspectives work towards a common goal.

Stories that deepen public consciousness and promote productive discourse are increasingly important as cities become bigger and more diverse.

With nearly 50 screenings of CITY OF TREES at film festivals, conferences, nonprofits, universities, and public agencies last year, we saw how the film helped audiences develop a deeper understanding of the issues and possible solutions, and strengthen relationships with other stakeholders. At screenings we found that people have craved stories that seek deeper truths and raise hard questions.

Steve Coleman introduces a new cohort of DC Green Corps trainees in a scene from CITY OF TREES.

We hope that when people watch City of Trees they’re able to draw connections to experiences in their own lives and step into the shoes of someone who is different from themselves. We also hope that the courage displayed by the people who shared their stories in CITY OF TREES — particularly the staff and trainees of Washington Parks & People — will help make it easier for others in urban forestry and environmental justice fields to think about the potential to use authentic storytelling in their own work. To help with this effort, we recently released the CITY OF TREES discussion guide which was made with support from the U.S. Forest Service. The guide is designed to help nonprofits facilitate dialogues around the film’s central themes: environmental justice, workforce development, community engagement and returning citizens.

It is more important than ever for people from all backgrounds to come together to confront some of our country’s most pressing issues. We hope through watching the film people can better understand the complex factors facing urban communities and engage in conversations that lead to positive change.

DC Green Corps community liaison James Magruder conducts outreach in DC’s Oxon Run Park in a scene from CITY OF TREES.

Click here to find out how you can host a screening of CITY OF TREES. The film will also have its encore broadcast on PBS/WORLD Channel‘s America ReFramed on Tuesday, Jan. 17 in a lineup of films focused on the fights for income equality and racial justice.

For more information on accessing the discussion guide and Community Screening Kit, you can contact Lisa Allen at lisa@meridianhillpictures.com. Lance Kramer is the producer of CITY OF TREES and Executive Director of Meredian Hill Pictures.

Veteran willow oaks shade streets in Durham, North Carolina. (Source: News Observer)

Nearly 40 percent of Durham’s 108 square miles are covered by trees. However, without proper maintenance of the existing inventory and systematic replanting efforts, this percent is at risk of decreasing. The city must plant an estimated 1,680 new trees every year for the next 20 years in order to maintain the current canopy coverage.

For many Durham residents, the fragile state of thousands of willow and water oaks planted in the 1930s is all too familiar. Not only are the willow and oak populations near the end of their natural lifespans, construction, vehicle exhaust, improper pruning, and cankerworms have have also weakened the trees’ health. By some estimates, Durham will lose an average of 650 of these large trees and 100 smaller trees per year over the next 20 years due to storm damage, accident and natural attrition. Currently, the city removes 750 or more dead and dying trees annually, a number that can rise due to natural disaster, disease, and pests.

The City of Durham hired Raleigh-based Leaf & Limb to inventory the aging willow and water oak populations in the city rights-of-way in order to create a digital map of the trees. Katie Rose Levin, an arborist consultant with Leaf & Limb and manager of the project with the City of Durham, has extensive experience helping clients collect and leverage tree inventory data for prioritizing maintenance, long-term planning, and regulatory compliance.

While inventories can be expensive and time-consuming to complete, they are essential for allowing organizations to plan for losses and gains and performing a cost-benefit analysis on maintenance activities. “You cannot manage something if you don’t know what you’re managing,” said Levin. With consistent tracking of data, a tree inventory becomes a living document that you can use to develop a master plan, make data-driven management decisions and track maintenance work. “Every city should have an inventory of all its infrastructure. Just as other infrastructure records need to be updated by technicians following maintenance, trees must be mapped and tracked, too,” said Levin.

A map from the Environmental Affairs Board ‘Recommendations On Sustaining a Healthy Urban Forest In Durham, N.C.” shows the percentage of tree-canopy coverage in different parts of Durham. (Source: News Observer)

Leaf & Limb worked closely with the City of Durham to define a list of data collection fields and develop a set of guidelines for assessing the trees. “It’s important to understand how the data collected is being used. The goals of the tree inventory will dictate what information is being collected,” said Levin. Levin trained staff to recognize insects and diseases specific to willow and water oaks before going out in the field to collect data. Collecting extraneous data increases inventory costs and total time required.

According to Levin, it often makes sense for a contractor to complete an inventory for a city. Inventories are time intensive and require a specialized set of knowledge and tech savvy, which can make it difficult for municipalities to complete while also staying on top of their routine activities. Leaf & Limb chose to collect the data using OpenTreeMap as it was customizable, mobile-friendly and could be easily added to Durham’s existing tree map. Alex Johnson, the City of Durham’s Urban Forestry Manager, also noted that he did not want the data collected in a proprietary platform that would make it difficult to use later. He wanted a platform that did not require technical expertise and could use used to engage the community in stewardship activities.

The city also plans on completing a canopy analysis to establish a baseline, and set a goal of what percentage canopy coverage they want to maintain across the city. It is important that the city continues to calculate canopy coverage on the neighborhood-level. Studies have highlighted the lack of tree planting in poorer neighborhood. In recent years unequal distribution of canopy in cities can be exacerbated by the fact that cities tend to plant trees where trees have been recently removed. Canopy coverage data can help the city more effectively close the gap.

You can find more information on how technology can support the long-term monitoring of urban trees; assist with tree planting and maintenance data processes, and enable data to be organized and shared in a report prepared by Azavea for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the USDA Forest Service Philadelphia Field Station.