November 3, 2009
Public, Private Trees Topic of Free Forum
Charlottesville Va. - Chris Gensic, City of Charlottesville park and trail planner, and Phil Stokes, vice president of the Charlottesville Area Trees Stewards, will discuss trees in their public and private settings at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the Main Building Auditorium at Piedmont Virginia Community College.
"Public Trees, Private Trees" is part the Ballyshannon Fund Forum, a series of lectures at PVCC focusing on issues related to farming, forestry and rural life. The public is invited free of charge.
As park and trails planner, Gensic is developing a system of public trails which will connect all city parks, schools and the downtown. He is also thekey staff in creating the City's urban forest management plan and in managing park planning and improvements. He holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science and a master's in urban and environmental planning from the University of Virginia.
Gensic will focus on the importance of trees to the urban landscape and challenges in that environment. He will discuss Charlottesville's tree canopy and the City's commitment to increasing the canopy as well as the role for citizens in supporting urban forests.
In addition to his work with Tree Stewards, Stokes serves on the board of theVirginia Native Plant Society, Ivy Creek Foundation and Albemarle County Natural Heritage Committee.For the past eight years he has been engaged intree farming for timber and nut production in the Greenwood area. He has a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Florida.
Stokes will discuss ways in which homeowners can be good stewards of existing trees on their property, how to handle trees that are not thriving, and what to consider when planting new trees.
For more information contact Mary Jane King at 434.961.5203 or mking@pvcc.edu.
