TREEKEEPER – An Inspiration to Others.
A lot of the time Sheila spends outdoors is for doing volunteer work to help the natural environment. Things like monitoring different plants and animals, collecting seed for habitat restoration, oak savannah restoration and working on prescribed burns.
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“My love for trees began when I was younger. I recall planting my first tree in elementary school for Arbor Day, a silver maple. About 15 later I went back to visit the tree and it was beautiful healthy tree that looked like it always belonged there. Becoming a TreeKeeper seemed like a natural progression for me.” says Sheila.
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Sheila is someone who loves to be in the wilderness and love what urban forestry provides. Being outside allows many to enjoy and reap the benefits of green space locally. The environmental and economic benefit of trees is easy to explain via data and can be illustrated in graphs. Sheila knows that to really enjoy and experience those benefits by going outside in to the greenspaces.
Sheila’s love for trees also led her to become a certified recreational tree climber. Not many people outside of the arborist/ forestry science community know what recreational tree climbing is. She was intrigued by the thought of using ropes and techniques that do not harm the trees. She also volunteers for the Cook County Forest Preserve and have been able to use her tree climbing skills on a couple of occasions. Sheila travelled to the West Coast to climb redwood trees. She adds, “Tree climbing has become a real passion and I am fortunate to have friends with groves of these ancient giants on their property where I can climb them.”
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What Sheila finds most rewarding, is helping others experience the social, psychological and physical benefit of trees. This is usually done by getting people outdoors to explore and enjoy nature. “I find that once people can experience the benefits of our urban forest they become more concerned about the care and protection of it. As a TreeKeeper, I have a wonderful avenue to ensure that our urban forests are available for all to enjoy. It allows me to be a part of the collective impact of sustaining, advancing and advocating for urban forestry.” expressed Sheila.
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One of Sheila’s favorite quotes that sums up her feeling about urban forestry is “Time spent amongst trees is never wasted” (Katrina Mayer).
Sheila’s favorite tree is Bur Oak