Presenter: Ryan Watson with The Giving Grove
Format: Live Webinar
Time: 12:00-2:00 PM EST (Please adjust for your time zone)
CEUs: Pending
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the key layers of a food forest and their functions.
- Explain how plant selection, soil health practices, and cover crops support resilient food forest systems.
- Recognize successful food forest project strategies and management approaches.
- Apply food forest design principles to a real-world, collaborative planning scenario.
Course Description:
This interactive session, hosted by The Giving Grove for the Arborist Institute, introduces arborists to the principles and practices of establishing food forests in community and national contexts. Participants will explore the layers of a food forest—canopy, understory, shrubs, herbaceous plants, ground-covers, vines, and root crops—while learning how thoughtful plant selection and ecological design can support long-term productivity and resilience. The workshop will also highlight successful project precedents and holistic management strategies, including soil health practices and the use of cover crops to build fertility and biodiversity.
Attendees will engage in a hands-on, collaborative activity that applies these concepts to a real-world planning scenario, strengthening their ability to design, manage, and support food forest systems in diverse urban and community settings.
