Young Urban Forest Leaders

For Lucy Szczesniak, her interest in the natural environment and urban forest set off a chain of rewarding professional, personal and spiritual developments in her life. Becoming a Young Urban Forest Leader (YUFL) gave her clarity in the next chapter of her life and connected her to a new network. Hoping to inspire others to join the YUFL program, she shares her experience and guiding principles.

Willow couldn’t have predicted the impact that participating in the Young Urban Forest Leaders (YUFL) program would have on her life. Driven by her desire to learn more about the urban forest, she found herself developing skills through the program and emerged as a leader in her community. Now, she reflects on her experience and the opportunities ahead.

Throughout 2020, our Community Programs team was tasked with adapting many of our programs and events to follow ever-evolving public health guidelines. Despite the many changes, we were able to continue to engage volunteers and community members with fun and informative programs aimed at protecting and enhancing the urban forest. Here are some of the year’s accomplishments.

Being a young adult is a time of tremendous growth, both personally and professionally, as people move into “the real world.” Navigating this transition can be difficult, particularly for underrepresented individuals looking to enter a field dominated by other demographic groups. LEAF developed the Young Urban Forest Leaders (YUFL) program to support underrepresented young folks who are at the beginning of their careers in urban forestry. Funded in part by the City of Toronto through an Urban Forestry Grant, this program sets participants up to be in the driver’s seat of their own career.