West Coast Arborists partner with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach to expand recycling and urban lumber programs

Here at West Coast Arborists, we do more than just maintain trees. For the past 50 years, we have seen firsthand the positive impact proper training and tree education has had on our team members’ success, and so we are excited to announce our partnership with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB) career training programs. West Coast Arborists utilizes trees that would be disposed of in a landfill from its Urban Lumber Program, called Street Tree Revival, during the training it conducts with members of the CCLB.

Over two years ago, the CCLB developed an Urban Lumber Program with the goal of removing 2,000 dead, dying and diseased trees in the City and replacing them with healthy new trees that will positively impact climate change with an increase in resources supporting carbon sequestration. Funded by a Cal Fire grant totaling $1 million, this program is in collaboration with the City of Long Beach’s Public Works Department and West Coast Arborists. The CCLB forged this partnership with West Coast Arborists, who have provided four months of training to corps members on milling, wood stocking, identifying wood species, best management practices for chainsaw operations and basic knowledge of products the end wood product would be used for. The program has provided this important training to a dozen Corpsmembers and counting.

“Due to the partnership with West Coast Arborists, the Conservation Corps of Long Beach was able to fully implement the urban forestry program that provided in-depth training to our corps members,” said Dan Knapp, executive director and CEO of the Conservation Corps of Long Beach, “This valuable training imposed a positive impact on the career direction for corps members while at the same time impacting climate change in our Cities and communities.”

Since 1987, the CCLB has been connecting 18-26 year olds with useful training and skills they can bring into the workforce. Members spend a year engaging in paid training to explore various career paths in recycling, tree maintenance and more.

Alongside WCA foremen, corps members learn the basics of a wood mill, including how to operate and clean it. Members are also immersed in wood education with hands-on opportunities to examine various tree species. The removed tree trunks are converted into usable pieces the Public Works Department distributes throughout the City in the form of mulch and other wood products.

Typically, the trees West Coast Arborists’ Street Tree Revival program utilizes would be disposed of in a landfill. The program’s restoration efforts beautifies the City, giving the City back its native trees. The program allows members to build both tangible and intangible skills as they receive hands-on and side-by-side training provided by West Coast Arborists, training that has proven to peak an interest in corps members to pursue a career as an arborist themselves.