At Riverfront Park, urban forestry worker Dressander stands in the open air, a sharp contrast to the locked gates and hidden timber operations of his past.
The Human Element of City Forestry
Trees provide shade and environmental benefits while supporting physical and mental health across urban areas. In a city like Billings, urban forests can help offset some of the impacts of a busy, industrial environment, simplylocalbillings.com reported.
Managing those green spaces involves far more than ecological maintenance. Urban forestry is fundamentally about people.
Trading Hidden Gates for Public Conversations
Operating out in the open means Dressander frequently spends time clarifying the crew’s current tasks and motivations to curious onlookers. He has collaborated with young children and volunteers, introducing them to daily forestry tasks and the realities of conservation.
That level of public interaction marks a sharp departure from his earlier forestry career.
“I’m always behind a locked gate, and I’m kind of hidden away from everybody,” Dressander said of his previous jobs.
Explaining the Saw to Billings Residents
In Billings, residents simply walk up and ask questions about ongoing operations. Dressander now routinely breaks down the reasoning behind pruning or cutting down trees, the necessity of heavy machinery in public parks, and the broader goals behind these projects. For him, that community connection has become one of the most interesting parts of urban forestry.
“It’s something that you can really see about doing,” he said, describing the chance to introduce people to forestry and conservation.
Shifting Horizons for Montana Conservation Corps
As his Montana Conservation Corps term approaches its finish line, Dressander plans to stay in the forestry field, though his exact next destination remains open. He is considering another temporary position, potentially with a different municipal department.
He has also been looking toward the Southwest, where an arid environment would bring an identifier of an entirely different set of conservation challenges compared to Montana's river corridors.
