Society of Municipal Arborists awards Terre Haute an intern ? Local ...

TERRE HAUTE ? Terre Haute is a good place to learn about being an urban forester, at least that?s the view of the Society of Municipal Arborists.

The city is small enough that its urban forester, Sheryle Dell, does a little of everything, which means a student learning the job of urban forestry can learn a lot by working with her on a daily basis.

The Georgia-based Society of Municipal Arborists has awarded Terre Haute a fully funded intern for the summer. For the next several weeks, Mike Zalewski, an urban forestry major at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, will be helping Dell manage Terre Haute?s large urban tree canopy.

?In a week, I?ve already gotten to do so many things,? Zalewski said. ?Much more than I expected.?

On Tuesday, Zalewski was helping Dell plant dozens of seedlings near the intersection of Brown and Maple avenues. The trees will help create a buffer between the roadway and the hiking and biking trail there known as Shadow?s Trail.

In many cities, urban forestry interns are stuck doing a single, repetitive job day after day, Dell said. In Terre Haute, because of the large size of the tree canopy and the small urban forestry staff, an intern can learn a wide variety of urban forestry-related jobs.

In his first week, Zalewski had already done hazard tree evaluations, replacement plantings, species selections for tree rows, attended public meetings and more, Dell said.

?Typically, the [intern?s] job is not that diverse,? Dell said.

Terre Haute has about 17,000 trees in its tree rows alone.

The SMA internship program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program.

It pays the full cost of the internship, so there will be virtually no cost to Terre Haute for Zalewski?s services as he learns the job, Dell said.

In all, 11 students from top-tier urban forestry programs were selected for the internships nationwide, according to the SMA. Other cities receiving interns included New York; Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; and Folsom, Calif. Zalewski was one of four students chosen from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

?I?ve gotten to do lots of different things,? Zalewski said after planting the seedlings. ?I?m here to get all the experience I can.?

Reporter Arthur Foulkes can be reached at 812-231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@

tribstar.com

Source: http://tribstar.com/local/x1543059955/Society-of-Municipal-Arborists-awards-Terre-Haute-an-intern

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