i-Tree Research and Science Delivery

Below are current and proposed areas of support and outreach for the i-Tree Team.

For a list of proposed i-Tree research on which i-Tree Support will collaborate, please review this page.

Proposed Improvements - Scientific Research

Providing value to i-Tree users is paramount to continuation of the program. Interactions via email, online training sessions, in-person presentations are a critical part of this. Given the scientific nature of the i-Tree program, copious amounts of support materials must be generated, updated, and distributed via a modern website.

Proposed Improvements - Technical Support and Outreach

Training

  • Conduct additional i-Tree virtual academies domestically, and with USFS-IP internationally.
  • Expand with more workshops to bring i-Tree and the value of trees to new audiences.
  • Provide foundational information to new urban forestry programs around the world with USFS IP.
  • Formalize a process to run i-Tree Eco on a Windows emulator on a Mac or cloud-based host.

Support

  • Expand i-Tree’s dedicated online software support staff for users & partners and to allow for social media engagement, etc.
  • Expand staff with qualified science support via email, online training, and professional presentations.
  • Hire dedicated Hydrologist; rural/urban FIA support; climate change temperature; management prescriptions; NFS tie-ins.
  • Hire a dedicated website administrator for content curation, organization, and design. This is i-Tree’s primary “marketing vehicle” to reach, attract & inform users.

Outreach

  • Conduct (2) i-Tree Symposiums to balance the now (3) international i-Tree Symposiums in Europe.
  • Strengthen relationships with state forestry agencies to advance and inform their Forest Action
  • Revise and revamp existing college and K-12 educational materials.
  • Develop new materials to relate i-Tree results to Environmental Justice and Climate Change risks.

Messaging

  • Expanded website curation – constant organization to make things easier to find, add summaries and context to articles, etc.
  • Position i-Tree Species for sustainability efforts and carbon offsets. Ex: provide benefit estimates of full-grown trees that are recommended. Make Mobile-friendly.
  • OurTrees & MyTree: enhance and position as go-to information sources for community engagement.
  • MyTree: also position as a free, simplistic inventory and long-term accountability tool and tie in more tightly with MyTreeMap map.
  • MyTreeMap: position as a free tree inventory and planting tracking tool for communities that can be used with MyTree and other i-Tree tools.
  • i-Tree Planting: Position for carbon offset reporting.
  • i-Tree Species: position as right-tree-right-place tool in terms of location, risks, and benefits.

i-Tree Website

  • Update web development environment.
  • Update CMS server software.
  • Explore and develop additional templates for pages to engage users with modern appearance and fresh styling.