Historic Springfield TreeWalks: Exotic Ornamentals and Climate Resilience

Join SPAR Operations Manager, Springfield Resident, and ISA Certified Arborist®, Zach Hanson for this expert guided walking tour, or TreeWalk through the Springfield Arboretum, spotlighting unique, well-established exotic specimens that have matured within Springfield's urban forest. This expert-guided walking tour looks beyond the ornamental value of these plants to the conditions that have enabled their survival and success — decades of exposure to urban heat island effects, compacted and altered soils, variable water availability, air and soil pollution, and surrounding grey infrastructure such as pavement, utilities, and stormwater systems.
Along the way, we'll trace each specimen's preferred ecological conditions, and geographic origins, connecting the conditions of their native habitats to the traits that make them resilient within Springfield's urban ecology. Understanding where a species comes from — the climate, soil, and disturbance patterns it evolved under — offers real insight into why it thrives (or struggles) in the built environment of a modern city and how we can cultivate plant diversity within the urban forest in a sustainable and responsible manner.
This TreeWalk will meet at the SPAR Office 1321 N Main St, Jacksonville, FL 32206 and have a short informational presentation followed by a walk about the neighborhood to highlight examples.This event will last 90 minutes and is free and open to the public.