Robin’s extensive knowledge of trees makes him a great teacher to others in the forestry profession. That’s why throughout the month of May, Robin helped teach a spring tree identification course alongside consulting arborist Kelly Koome of Koome Urban Forestry and arborist John Martyn of JPM Tree Services.
Arborist Kelly Koome teaching students about tree identification
The course, which included 7 students, was part of the Burnaby Community & Continuing Education program. Students were provided with an in-class lecture, followed by four outdoor classes, in which they learned practical skills for identifying various tree species. Students had a chance to tour various parks throughout the Lower Mainland during the outdoor portion of the course, including Deer Lake Park in Burnaby and Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.
Non-native dogwood tree near Deer Lake Park in Burnaby
In the course, Robin helped students understand how foresters use ‘markers’ (such as branching patterns, leaves, flowers, fruit, leaf scars, odour, and form) to identify tree species. He also explained ways to identify certain trees at a distance – for example, Western Hemlocks have a distinctive drooping tip at the top, making them easy to spot from afar. The students, who came from various educational and professional backgrounds, were all enthusiastic to learn more about the nature around them!
Robin explaining tree identification techniques to the class
