Sarah Mincey, MSES/MPA 2007, Ph.D. Environmental Science 2012, represented IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs on a panel along with representatives from Indiana DNR and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, which discussed urban forests around the state of Indiana. Her focus was on the social benefits the urban forest provides for the public as well as the need to consider equity in planning for a resilient urban forest.
On the program, Mincey shares insights from studies done by BUFRG collaborators. Highlights include Fischer and Moxley’s 2017 project "Exploring the ecological legacy of redlining maps used by the Homeowners Loan Corporation in Indianapolis: 80 years later" and "Explaining planted-tree survival and growth in urban neighborhoods: A social–ecological approach to studying recently-planted trees in Indianapolis" (Vogt et al. 2015). She emphasizes the strengths gained from community partnerships, including those between universities and non-profit organizations, as well as the biophysical and social benefits the urban forest and the community receive from neighborhood-level collaboration.