Rita L. Jannusch McKenzie is an Urban Forestry Specialist in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) at Purdue University . She received her B.S. in Wildlife Science from Purdue University in 1992 and her M.S. in Urban Forestry from Purdue University in 1995. In 1996 she began working with FNR as an Urban Forestry Specialist in, recently celebrating her 10 th anniversary with Purdue.
Rita was the first full time urban forestry specialist hired by the department. Her extension activities include organizing arboriculture/urban forestry workshops, conferences, and teleconferences for tree care business professionals.
Rita's expertise includes urban tree care (planting, pruning, mulching), tree selection, and tree preservation during construction. She recently received training in iTree Suite which is a Community Forest Assessment Tool that includes MCITI, STRATUM , UFore, and Storm Damage Protocol. UFore and STRATUM can quantify the value of the urban forest to a community by showing the financial benefits of trees reducing stormwater retention, heating and cooling costs, air pollution, and increasing property values. |
