Hello, Again!


We've been quiet for a while, but with so much buzzing in our world, we couldn't think of a better time than summer to rejuvenate our newsletter. We're excited to share some of latest updates and news with you from the LA Urban Center!



Who are we?


The Los Angeles Center for Urban Natural Resources Sustainability, or the “LA Urban Center,” is an information and research destination hub aimed at fostering collaboration, generating new science, delivering information and technology to aid application, and engaging diverse communities and knowledge bases through shared learning.


What to know more about the LA Urban Center? Check out our Strategic Plan.

 

Announcing the 2024 Science Fellowship Program - it has officially gone live!

 

Each academic year, the LA Urban Center offers a prestigious fellowship program that provides research and science delivery opportunities for graduate students from a diversity of academic disciplines and sociodemographic backgrounds.


Please see the PDF for the full details of the 2024 Science Fellowship Program announcement; you can download the announcement here: LA Urban Center 2024 Science Fellowship Program Announcement (PDF)

Selected Fellows will have the option to conduct a one- or two-year project that contributes to the core mission and vision of the LA Urban Center.


Selected proposals will receive non-renewable funding of $12,500 for one-year projects (September 2024 to June 2025) or $25,000 for two-year projects (September 2024 to June 2026) and are required to present main findings or showcase a developed product to researchers, practitioners, and general audiences.


Proposals must focus on one or both of the priority proposal areas (Community Forest Management and/or Nursery Management, please see additional information in the announcement) for a one-year or two-year project.


Applicants may propose other projects not on the list, but all proposed projects must have strong relevance to one or both proposal areas.


The full announcement has a bulleted list of potential projects under each proposal area - Proposals that focus on one or more of those items will be prioritized. The announcement contains important information on all of the themes of interest and requirements!

Each fellow is also expected to secure a project mentor with whom the Fellow will spend time working on project preparation and professional development!


Graduate students are invited to submit an application by Friday, July 26th, 2024 at 5:00 PM PT here: 2024 Science Fellowship Program Application.

Please see the downloadable PDF for the full 2024 Science Fellowship Program announcement with all the details and requirements:

Ready to apply? Follow the link below to reach the easy-to-follow online application form:

Link to the Application

Good luck to all of our applicants!

Join Field Rangers at the

Gateway to Nature Center

this Summer!

In collaboration with the National Forest Foundation, Hispanic Access Foundation, and the LA Urban Center, USDA Forest Service Angeles National Forest Field Rangers will be tabling at the Gateway to Nature in downtown Los Angeles throughout the summer!


Their focus this summer season is on topics related to local wildlife, native plants, water management, and fire ecology.


From 12:00pm - 3:00pm on:

Fri, July 19

Thurs, Aug15

Fri, Aug 16

Thurs, Aug 22

Fri, Aug 23

Thurs, Aug 29


Visitors will learn more about ongoing urban and community forestry projects and upcoming tree planting events. Crews will be engaging with the public, answering questions, and highlighting recreation activities offered on the Angeles.


Visitors will also have a chance to answer an important survey on their preferences for outdoor recreation opportunities in Southern California to help science in our city!


The Field Rangers aim to inform the public about LA’s local national forest, and have meaningful conversations around Leave No Trace principles and Recreate Responsibly guidelines.



Download the flyer to share with your friends and family!

Symposium Save-the-Date!

Join us for the Fall Symposium in beautiful Arcadia, CA on


Thursday, September 5, 2024!


This event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for researchers and practitioners to connect, share insights, and explore the latest developments in our field.


Keep an eye out for the registration link, which will be shared in the next few weeks and will include more detailed information about the symposium. Don't miss out on this exciting event!


Download and share the Save-the-Date Flyer Here


We’ve added some heavy hitters to our roster recently and we are beyond excited to introduce you to LA Urban Center's new Administrator, as well as the new Executive Director of City Plants, the implementing organization of LA Urban Center.


Take a moment to meet the newest members of our team and extend the warmest of welcomes!

Email

Introducing Michelle Carr, our dynamic new LA Urban Center Administrator and Urban and Community Forestry Program Specialist.


Michelle sits in this role from the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry in the Pacific Southwest Region. Since March of 2024, Michelle has been bringing her expertise and enthusiasm to our urban forestry initiatives - we are so lucky to have her on the team!


Let's learn a bit more about Michelle with a fun Q&A

What got you started in forestry? 


In graduate school, I majored in Environmental Science and researched air pollution, and my research only further emphasized how important trees are for improving air quality, which greatly benefits human health.


I had a desire to contribute to environmental conservation by providing people with the necessary information and opportunities to establish or enhance healthy urban forests.


I have always loved outdoor activities, especially those where I was surrounded by nature and greenery, and I believe everyone should have equal access to nature and to the benefits it provides.

What is a part of your job that would surprise most people? 

How much room there is for creativity when planning outreach events for communicating research findings. There are so many different ways to reach people when explaining science, through things like games, art, or even virtual reality. People have different learning styles that work best for them when comprehending information, no one size fits all, so sometimes all it takes for someone to learn a new concept is an unconventional approach.



What is the most rewarding part of your job? 

Many times, research findings can be inaccessible due to paywalls or even sometimes based on the complex way they are written. My goal has been to bridge the gap between science and the public through engagement and using various methods, such as hands on activities or art exhibits, to make scientific information easy for different audiences to understand.

It is so fulfilling to support our partners’ urban and community forestry projects and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a liaison between research, management, practitioners, and the general public to make sure everyone has equal access to the best available science.

What's your favorite tree and why?

My favorite tree is a mango tree (Mangifera indica). Not only does it bear my favorite fruit, but it also reminds me of the islands where my parents grew up (Trinidad and St. Kitts). The fruit is a huge part of our culture and cuisine.


What do you do when you aren’t working? 

Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and friends and going hiking, visiting the beach, roller skating, and traveling the world. I also consider myself a “foodie” and I enjoy cooking and trying new restaurants.

 

And finally...

Email

Allow us to introduce you to another key member of our team,

Carlos O. Campero, the new Executive Director of City Plants.


Carlos comes to this role from his previous work with the LA Conservation Corps as a Director of Conservation Programs for their Compton site at Compton Creek Natural Park. Carlos joined City Plants in March of 2024, and hopes to increase staff capacity, continue to leverage City of LA funding to increase canopy to bring more resources to underserved communities. 


"My larger goal is to mirror the services we provide to City of LA residents and bring these services to residents of greater Los Angeles County," Carlos shared, "I want to build on what my predecessor Rachel O'Leary began and continue to be a hub for collaboration and equitable green space.”


Let's learn more about the man behind City Plants:

What got you started in forestry?


When I was a new crew supervisor for LA Corps I went on a hike at Temescal Canyon with a new crew of middle school Clean & Green kids. We were led by a naturalist who showed us a tree that had been carved on. He said that a study was done where scientists placed super microphones on a tree and proceeded to carve on it. He explained that they could hear the tree scream


At that point I became an advocate for trees and their benefits.


What is a part of your job that would surprise most people?



I make it a point to mentor future tree stewards. One of my responsibilities is to check in with our Fellows and speak with them about their progress and expose them to different career paths that pertain to or intersect with urban forestry.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

When I am able to bridge a gap through collaboration. If I or someone else has a strength or deficiency, and we connect and help make each other stronger, and accomplish a goal, there is nothing like that feeling of teamwork and collaboration.



What's your favorite tree and why? 

The Texas umbrella tree or Chinaberry (Melia azedarach). When I was a boy my father always reminisced about a tree he sat under when he was a teen. He called it "una Lila'' which translates to Lilac. He acquired some seed, and planted it in our front yard. That tree is still there, with a huge trunk. It reminds me of Cd. Juarez Chihuahua where my Dad grew up, but more so it reminds me of my Pop's.



What do you do when you aren’t working?

I'm a Dad to three kids, and a husband. I try to be a good one. I'm also a Deacon at my church and a Sunday School teacher. I volunteer at my kids' high school and do the chains at the home football games. Best seat in the house.


_


Thank you to both Michelle and Carlos for taking the time to help us get to know the folks behind the organizations! We are so lucky to have you both on the team and can't wait to see all the great things you will accomplish for City Plants, the LA Urban Center, and Los Angeles as a whole!

Stay connected with everything happening at the LA Urban Center!

We keep our online calendar up-to-date with events and activities, including our monthly webinar series.

Check out our Online Calendar

We get by with a little help from our friends..

The LA Urban Center operates through a partnership among the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region and Research Station and the City of Los Angeles (City Plants and Recreation and Parks). Joining in this collaboration are the many Federal, State, and local government partners as well as academia, industry, private, and non-profit organizations concerned with urban natural resources and socioecological resilience. 

Meet Our Partners Here.

LA Urban Center | www.laurbanresearchcenter.org