Almas, Andrew

I am the program director of the UBC Faculty of Forestry Bachelor of Urban Forestry. I am very involved in many aspects of the undergraduate program including teaching or co-teaching (UFOR100) Greening the City, (UFOR220) Urban Forest Inventory and Assessment, and (UFOR110) Introduction to Urban Forest Design, as well as leading Field Camp and the Urban Forestry Capstone Course. Like most people, my love of trees stems from multiple sources, including growing up next to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario. While walking through the Carolinian Forest with the odd tree labeled so that passersby could identify the species, I took the opportunity to understand and appreciate the vast diversity of species present. Eventually this interest led to summer jobs and later a career in urban forestry. I have been involved with various aspects of urban forestry in both professional and academic contexts, including working as an urban forester for the Town of Oakville, Ontario, and later as an environmental consultant, where I worked on multiple large scale projects. My educational background includes an undergrad in Geography, post-graduate diploma in Environmental Management, a course based masters in Environment and Sustainability, and a PhD in Urban Forestry. My past research interests explored the role of native species and other urban forest issues on municipal planning and resident attitudes, actions, and knowledge. My current research is mostly pedagogical in nature, exploring the educational leadership components of urban forestry. I keep an open-door policy, and encourage students to seek guidance on cultivating their urban forestry interests and future career paths.