Levi O'Brien
I first learned that I love teaching people about trees while studying and teaching dendrology, entomology and biology at SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology. I’m currently back at ESF on a Graduate Teaching Apprenticeship while I pursue my Master’s in Forest Pathology, and I’ve also taught on the adult ed faculty at the New York Botanical Garden since 2021. But I don’t believe universities and other academic institutions should have a monopoly on an in-depth knowledge of trees—something that for centuries belonged to the people—so in 2021 I started giving public and private tours in NYC for anyone who wanted to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of trees and it has just grown from there.
Whether I’m doing a live tree tour or an online video, I draw from a thorough understanding of tree biology and identification, historical and cultural perspectives, medicinal and culinary use, woodlore, horticulture, ecology and more. My teaching reflects and is informed by the multiple routes and experiences I’ve been privy to along the way: from my beginnings as an amateur entomologist in high school, to private agriculture, horticulture, nursery and landscaping projects, to my work as a TRAQ ISA-certified arborist (I’ve worked as an arborist consultant for the NYC Parks’ street tree program, and later as a Lead Consulting Utility Forester), to my limitless passion for Greenwood craft and wood material science.
As passionate as I am on the topic of trees, it is having an engaged audience and curious minds that makes this all happen. Welcome.