Saving the Urban Forest: April Woodul of Tulsa's Up with Trees

By Elizabeth Kubik

After close to 80 years of growth and development in Tulsa, the city faced a serious problem. Tulsa’s urban forest was an estimated 200,000 trees short.

In 1976, Sid Patterson, then city street commissioner, organized Up With Trees to combat the growing issue.

Up With Tree is still devoted to the growth of Tulsa’s urban forest. Committed staff members, such as April Woodul, the organization’s outreach and volunteer coordinator, ensure Up With Tree’s continuing success and growth.

Tulsa native and TU graduate, Woodul is passionate about her role with Up With Trees. Her roles vary depending on seasonal needs, but her primary role is to coordinate civic, corporate and individual volunteers for planting projects and events.

“I also happen to be the accidental techie,” Woodul adds. “I manage the website and our social networking profiles.”

Up With Trees offers a variety of volunteer programs, but the Citizen Forester program is one of Woodul’s favorites. The program offers a curriculum for Tulsans interested in learning and enhancing their arboricultural knowledge.

Participants in the program receive 16 hours of training from arborists, and graduates join a large volunteer group that plants, maintains, prunes, and inventories trees around Tulsa.

“I coordinate curriculum logistics behind our Citizen Forester program by organizing meetings with our Education Committee, recruiting individuals and planning continuing education opportunities.” Woodul said.

“I really enjoy this program because it educates Tulsans about the need to expand the city’s urban forest, while also working to preserve and maintain what we have.”

The Up With Trees website is linked here. The organization also has a Facebook page, which you can find here.

Elizabeth Kubik is a TU communication student from the "Show Me" state of Missouri.