By Mary Margaret Stewart, assistant editor 

This Friday, Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Trees Atlanta is hosting its second Atlanta Canopy Conference, located at the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center on 225 Chester Avenue SE in Atlanta.

Trees Atlanta is hosting the conference to support “civic and community leaders, arborists and landscape architects, and concerned citizens and the general public” looking to protect trees.

The focus of the conference will be:

– Effective tree protection ordinances and policies

– Organizations and individuals who advocate for trees

– Practical strategies and tactics to better conserve Atlanta’s canopy cover

“Trees are becoming more critical to our communities as our cities rapidly develop and transform,” Trees Atlanta’s Co-Executive Director, Greg Levine said in a recent press release. “This conference will include experts who will address how citizens can take the lead in advocating for smart tree laws, improving quality of life, and solving urban environmental challenges.”

To kick off the morning, Susan West-Montgomery, Vice President of Preservation Resources at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will deliver an opening keynote.

Following the opening keynote, there will be a variety of sessions, including a session led by “tree ordinance expert” Connie Head to see what the city of Atlanta needs as ordinances. In addition, there will be two panels, one displaying city officials from Atlanta, Charlotte, Savannah, and Washington D.C., and another to feature local citizen activists from Beecher Hills, Briarcliff, Inman Park, Peachtree Hills, and Virginia Highlands.

Alice Ewen, Acting Assistant Director for Cooperative Forestry for the U.S. Forest Service, will deliver a closing keynote for the conference.

More information as well as registration can be found at: www.treesatlanta.org/canopyconference.

Following the Canopy Conference, Trees Atlanta encourages conference attendees to go to Trees Atlanta for Canopy Cooler, which will start at 5 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.

According to a recent press release, Canopy Cooler is “a casual networking event and friend-raiser to kick off the Atlanta tree planting season,” presenting Fox Bros. barbeque, Eventide’s locally brewed beer, King of Pops Pop Art, and live music.

Tickets are $15, which includes food, drinks, and popsicles. For more information, or to buy tickets, go to: https://treesatlanta.org/event/canopy-cooler-networking-event/.