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By Canopy Team on August 27, 2018
In this post we meet Julisa Lopez, Canopy’s summer intern, who helped to organize the Young Tree Care Survey and Great Oak Count in Palo Alto. Julisa did a stellar job not only surveying trees and helping to organize volunteer survey days, but also with transitioning the Young Tree Care Survey to our new online mapping tool, Tree Plotter. Thanks Julisa!
I’m Julisa Lopez, currently a sophomore at San Francisco State University, studying Environmental Studies. As the tree survey intern at Canopy, I am in charge of all things relating to the number of surveys we conduct around the city of Palo Alto to check on the health of its trees. These surveys include the Young Tree Care Survey and the Great Oak Count.
Julisa Lopez (right), with her younger sister Natalia, surveying trees.
I became interested in interning with Canopy because it’s a small nonprofit that has made big changes in the commuity. With my interest in the environmental sector, I wanted to learn more about the type of work that is related to my major because there are so many areas one can explore and I also wanted to learn a little bit more about nonprofits in this area. Canopy’s goal of making our cities robust with a urban forest, is something that really resonated with me because I believe trees are vital towards having a healthy planet.
For most of the summer I spent my time working on the Young Tree Care Survey. Before starting to work on this project, I was not aware of young trees at all. I had never put much thought into the vital role that these small trees play in our city. With this project, I learned how to look at these trees differently. Although small now, the role that they are destined to play is huge. As they mature, not only will they provide shade, they will also help clean the air of pollution in our heavily populated cities.
What has interested me most about this project is its end goal. Not only do we want the public to be more aware about these trees and take care of them, but we also want to steer towards the direction of Earth-friendly cities, and we can start this with having healthy trees. Urbanization in our current time is inevitable, but we can make a difference by taking care of our trees.
So far, all our trees have been doing well! A little bit more water would not hurt them though!
Click here to check out the Young Tree Care Survey report that was submitted to the City of Palo Alto.
Trees are immensely important to the environment. They provide habitat for many animals, give us oxygen, and take in the endless amounts of carbon dioxide we generate. I care about trees immensely because I want to live in a world where forests still exist. Walking through a forest of trees, breathing in the fresh air, and seeing wildlife benefit from these trees is an amazing experience like no other.
As urbanized as we have become, I think this experience could still be achievable in our asphalt forest, and I think everyone should be able to experience this at one point in their lives. I also believe as a society, it is our duty to preserve and care for trees so next generations can enjoy the same benefits we have been able to enjoy.
The California Pepper tree (Schinus molle).
Julisa Lopez, Tree Survey Intern, started working with Canopy in June 2018. She is currently pursuing a BS in Environmental Studies. She is interested in ecosystem services and the management of these resources. She hopes to pursue a career that will emphasize the importance of sustainability in order to help preserve as much of the natural environment. Julisa is currently a student at San Francisco State University. She enjoys going to the beach, hiking, and spending time with loved ones.
