A tree on your doorstep is a forest in your mind.

The City of Ljubljana, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) and the Brussels Capital Region have all recently been awarded Tree Cities of the World status (TCoW). Bringing together the three cities as a partner event of the EU Green Week, European Forum on Urban Forestry (EFUF), European Forest Institute (EFI) and CLEARING HOUSE project, invite you to join an online ‘tree awakening’ activity – focus - celebration of trees to build and strengthen existing relationships at a continental level.

The 2-hour interactive online event is targeted at practitioners, researchers, policymakers and everyone eager to explore ways to work together towards a greener and more resilient future in cities around Europe and beyond.

The ‘tree awakening’ will follow the main theme of the life of a tree in the city, which will be explored by a range of high-level speakers and throughout a technical panel discussion, where participants have the opportunity to engage in an interactive Q&A session.

To round off the ‘tree awakening’, attendees and urban adventurers are invited to explore trees and forests around the City of Ljubljana, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) and the Brussels Capital Region from anywhere around the globe or in-situ to as a self-guided tree discovery excursion to learn about the manifold opportunities and challenges urban green encompasses in these three areas.

PROGRAMME

11 June, 10:30-12:30 CEST

10:30 Opening

• Introduction and Welcome – Elisabeth Pötzelsberger (EFI)
• Inspirational Speech - Chris Baines, environmental campaigner
• Exploring three tree cities of the world – City of Ljubljana, Brussels Capital Region, Barcelona Metropolitan Area

10:50 Speaker Session

Moderator: John Parker, Arboricultural Association

• Moving from Nature Based Solutions to Nature Based Thinking – Thomas Randrup (SLU)
• Tree cities of the world – Simone Borelli (FAO)
• The 3-30-300 rule – Cecil. C. Konijnendijk van den Bosch (NBSI)
• Q&A Session with speakers

10-minutes comfort break

11:40 Technical Panel Discussion

Opportunities and Challenges of Managing Trees in Cities

Moderator and Interviewer: Clive Davies (EFI, EFUF, CH)

• City of Ljubljana –Nejc Praznik/ Andrej Verlič, JP VOKA SNAGA
• Brussels Capital Region – Valérie Decoux, Brussels Mobility, Public Service of the Brussels Capital Region
• Barcelona Metropolian Area – Antoni Farrero, Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB)

12:15 Introducing the ActionBound Discovery Walks in the City of Ljubljana, Brussels Capital Region and Barcelona Metropolitan Area & Closing

• ActionBound Introduction – Vera Franziska Knill (EFI/EFUF) and brief introduction of discovery walks by city representatives
• Closing Words by Clive Davies (EFI, EFUF, CH)

We are looking forward to seeing you online.

European Forum on Urban Forestry

The European Forum on Urban Forestry (EFUF) is a unique meeting place for practitioners, policy-makers, managers, educators and scientists who are active in urban forestry, urban greening and green infrastructure. Since 1998, EFUF has met annually to discuss new developments, to exchange experiences, and to visit examples of good practices on planning, design and management of urban forests (from woodland to urban parks and street trees).

European Forest Institute

The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an international organisation, established by European States. EFI conducts research and provides policy support on forest-related issues, connecting knowledge to action. EFI has 29 Member Countries, and c. 120 member organizations from 38 different countries working in diverse research fields. The headquarters of the Institute are in Joensuu, Finland, and its other main offices are in Barcelona, Bonn and Brussels.

CLEARING HOUSE

The CLEARING HOUSE project gathers 26 partners in Europe and China, and will provide evidence and tools that facilitate the mobilisation of the full potential of urban forest-based solutions (UF-NBS) for rehabilitating, reconnecting and restoring urban ecosystems. This project has received funding from the European Union's HORIZON 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 821242.