Windz of Change Alliance, University of Washington Botanic Gardens and Tacoma Tree Foundation partner to deliver the Urban Forest Symposium at the wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House every year. The symposium brings together a diverse audience of Tribal Peoples, arborists, land managers, academics, policymakers, designers, program managers, municipal planners, non-profits, volunteers, students, and advocates to focus on timely local urban forest topics every year.

The 2024 theme for the Urban Forest Symposium is —. As such, we will focus on linkages between the health of urban forests and people, and how Indigenous ways of knowing can assist us in reaching healing outcomes. Tribal knowledge shows us that our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health are intrinsically linked to our identification with place, space, people, and environment. How can we integrate this eco-cultural framework into our work to build stronger reciprocity with All Our Relations? Our key question is: how do eco-cultural frameworks aid in our ability to restore, preserve and steward our urban forests?

Speakers will focus on eco-cultural consciousness and identity, incorporation of Indigenous values, rights, and knowledge into Sustainable Forestry Initiative standards, human-centered urban design, Seattle Parks and Recreation’s shifting approach to park management, and local organizations working to protect and strengthen urban forests in the Puget Sound region. An interactive activity will show us how geological history and influences have shaped our forests, waters, lands, and lives.

Our overall goal with the symposium is to build collaborative relationships between inter-Tribal and non-Tribal community groups, agencies (City of Seattle, King County, City of Tacoma, Department of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, and King Conservation District), non-profit organizations (Sierra Club, Tacoma Tree Foundation, PlantAmnesty, and Dirt Corps), educational institutions (UW American Indian Studies, UW Tacoma, Bellevue College, and the Burke Museum), and individuals in our collective action urban forestry networks.

Let’s gather to celebrate, rejuvenate, rebuild, and re-Indigenize!

Registration: $85 in-person, $30 virtual.

To learn more and register, visit: https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/education/adults/conferences-symposia/urban-forest-symposium/