This document summarizes a conference on faith communities and urban forestry. It discusses recruiting different faith groups to participate in landscape audits of their properties. The landscape audits examine tree health, landscape features, grounds management practices, and how nature is incorporated into worship and community activities. The goal is to analyze the data, develop plans with the faith communities, and help provide usable tools and support to care for urban forests. The document highlights examples of faith leaders emphasizing the importance of caring for creation and their sacred spaces. It explores connecting faith practices with environmental stewardship and looking at forestry through the lens of different faith traditions.

1. Faith in Our
Urban Forest
PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY
FORESTRY CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 17, 2016

2. Landscape Audit
for
Faith Communities

3. Welcome! About our
interfaith
partners
Specifics:
Recruitment
The story of
Louisville
Specifics:
Methodology
“Terms of
Engagement”
Go forth and
[partner]!
Presentation Pathway

4. Takeaway Points
5
Religions may be slow to change but here to stay.
Religion:
from
problem to
promise
Be bold and break down the language barrier – share your story with
others!
Join the
conversation
Provide latent urban foresters with usable tools that teach, and
provide support when needed.
Usable tools
and support
Partnerships with faith communities require listening to the unique
needs and visions of people of faith.
Mutually
beneficial
partnerships

5. Religious and Moral Leaders
Rev Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr
Thich Nhat Hanh
Dorothy Day
Mahatma Gandhi
Fr. Thomas Merton
Pema Chödrön
Pope
Francis

6. Faith in Our Urban Forest
Why Louisville?

7. 8 NDVI

8. LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
AIR QUALITY URBAN HEAT HEALTHY TREES COMMUNITY
HUMAN HEALTH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

9. GreenFaith Shield Program
Stacey Kennealy

10. Devan King
Specifics:
Recruitment &
Methodology

11. RECRUITMENT
Center for Interfaith Relations
(Interfaith Community)
River Road Mosque/
Louisville Islamic Center
Christ Cathedral
Episcopal Church
St. Xavier Catholic High School
Faith Community
Consultants

12. Landscape Audit Components
16
Grounds
Management
Worship/
Community
Landscape
Mapping
Tree Canopy
Assessment

13. I. Tree
Assessment
Type: Field assessment of tree health/ inventory
Metrics: Species, location, size (DBH), crown size, USFS
crown health protocol, pest/diseases, tree mapping
Equipment: smart phone, Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities
app, DBH tape (optional)

14. II. Landscape
Mapping
Type: Outdoor observation/ online exercise
Metrics: Landscape features, focused on
pollinators/wildlife
Equipment: Computer/tablet, Habitat Network website

15. III. Grounds
Management
Type: Basic questionnaire
Metrics: Assessment of current management practices,
access to property, financial expenditures (optional)
Equipment: paper/pen, questionnaire, financial records
(optional)

16. IV. Worship/
Community
Type: Basic questionnaire
Metrics: Exploration of liturgical practices, perception of
nature and related concepts within community activities
Equipment: paper/pen, questionnaire, camera

17. Celine answering impromptu
questions from youth
21
DATA
ANALYSIS
PLAN
ACTION
Putting Information to Work

18. Devan King
Going deeper… asking why?

19. Common purpose. Diverse perspectives and more hands. Giving back.

20. Brother Sikhander
Chowhan
“As a Muslim, leaving places cleaner
than when you arrived is one of the
central themes the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) taught. He was a
conservationist at heart… [makes] me
want to be on the front lines for the
Muslim people as far as promoting
sustainability and conservation.”
“The mosque for Muslims – this is the
most sacred place that we have in our
community. If you don’t care for your
place of worship, my personal belief is
that that’s in a way disrespectful to our
Creator.”

21. “Faith has to be relevant for people – in
their everyday lives. It’s especially
difficult to reach young people.
Opportunities like this appeal to people
we aren’t as successful reaching
through traditional faith community
activities like worship and bible study.
By doing this work together, we are
able to live out our faith commitment to
God and to each other in community.”
Very Reverend
Joan Pritcher

22. FAITH
Redemption Restoration
Forgiveness Mitigation
Stewardship
Ritual Best Prac
Preaching Teaching
Enlightenment UTC
Praise Celebrate
PRAYER
FORESTRY
Restoration
Mitigation
Stewardship
Best Practices
Teaching
UTC Analysis
Celebrate
?
Joining the Discourse

23. Looking Forward…
Halida Hatic
halida@interfaithrelations.org
Chris Chandler
Christopher.chandler@tnc.org
Rachel Holmes
rholmes@tnc.org
www.centerforinterfaithrelations.org
www.nature.org
www.healthytreeshealthycities.org
www.greenfaith.org
www.habitatnetwork.net
www.fore.yale.edu