Plant Stories | Featuring Erik Burke with Friends of Trees

This week on Herbal Radio, we sit down for an educational and thought-provoking conversation with our long-time friend and local Oregonian partner, Erik Burke. Erik is the Eugene Director of Friends of Trees, and has been a passionate advocate for trees his whole life. 🌲

Since 1989, Friends of Trees has planted over 950,000 trees and native shrubs in neighborhoods and natural areas in six counties across two states. Today, we’ll learn from Erik about the importance of introducing native tree and plant species throughout our communities, and how you can sink your hands into the soil and plant successful and thriving trees in your own backyard. As always, thank you for joining us, and we’ll see you next week for another botanical adventure!

🌿 Erik Burke has lived in Eugene and Springfield for most of his life and has been volunteering planting and caring for trees and natural areas there since 1986. He now directs the Friends of Trees office in Eugene. Erik spends his spare time with his family, gardening, and getting outside around Oregon.

Erik attended K-12 in Eugene, went to Lane Community College, and received a BA from the UO, and a MA in applied anthropology from OSU. Erik is an ISA-certified arborist, and municipal specialist, has the tree risk assessment qualification, and is a licensed landscape construction professional. Erik began regular paid work at age 7 and has worked in construction, forestry, agriculture, the nursery trade, social science research, and social work. Erik currently has a 2nd job working as an arborist for Sperry Tree Care.

Erik began volunteering with trees in 1986 with Friends of Eugene's Urban Forest and was a part-time volunteer until 2002, when he joined the board of directors of Eugene Tree Foundation (ETF), serving over 7 years as secretary, treasurer, vice president, and president. In 2009, Erik led the move for ETF to be consolidated within Friends of Trees and became paid staff at FOT as Eugene Director in 2011.

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