As we become a more urbanised nation, the roles of our urban forests are more important than ever. Research shows that well-designed and well-managed urban forests provide a wide range of benefits to our cities – from climate mitigation, improved human health and wellbeing, to biodiversity protection and improved social and economic development.

The Australian School of Urban Forestry is what’s being called Australia’s first “urban forestry school,” an intensive course focusing on urban forestry policy, planning and management. The five-and-a-half-day short course has been developed by the University of Melbourne in partnership with the City of Melbourne to deliver new knowledge and cutting-edge skills in the field of urban forestry. 

In announcing the new school, deputy mayor Arron Wood said it will help explore the role of urban forests in the face of increasing environmental, societal and population pressures.

“Our dedicated Urban Forest and Ecology teams have become world leading in research, mapping and recording every tree in our municipality, developing biodiverse planting programs and building a resilient urban forest that can tolerate and continue to thrive in future climatic extremes.”

“We are excited to partner with the University of Melbourne in sharing this expertise to expand the network of urban forest experts working in government, industry and the community.”

The University of Melbourne associate professor Stephen Livesley said the school would offer deeper engagement with topical issues in urban forestry than a conference or workshop could.

 “There has never been a more critical time to come together and share professional and academic knowledge across urban forestry experts within government, industry, and community.”

Protect, manage and restore our urban greenspaces  - LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM