Melanie Sutton
(She/Her)
Urban Forestry (B.A.)
Oakland, CA 94607 (Mailing Address)
*************@*****.***
Education
Iowa State University, Ames, IA - Forestry
January 2016 - May 2019
Forestry Major (Urban Option) - Graduated Spring of 2019.
Work Experience
Peets Coffee - Oakland
Barista - Supervisor Ember
Nov 2023 - Feb 2024
●Make espresso and coffee drinks
●Work register and provide excellent customer service
Thee Stork Club - Oakland, CA
Event booker/promoter - Supervisor: Marc
Feb 2023 - Present
●Booking live bands and Dj’s for regular shows weekly
●Designing posters and Art
●Promoting events at the Club
●Handling money/paying acts
Awaken Cafe - Oakland, CA
Barista
April 2023 - June 2023
●Make espresso and coffee drinks
●Prepare food for customers, maintain and stock food supply.
●Perform daily cleaning duties
Kilovolt Coffee - Oakland, CA
Barista
November 2022 - April 2023
●Make espresso and coffee drinks
●Prepare food for customers, maintain and stock food supply.
●Perform daily cleaning duties
City of San Jose - San Jose, CA
Arborist Technician
April 2022 - October 2022
●Perform inspections on trees throughout the city of San Jose for Tree Removal Applications, Tree Planting permits, and Tree Pruning Requests and root removal inspections for sidewalk work.
●Inventory ingredients and databases trees across the City of San Jose and updating existing trees by adding notes and photos.
●Addressing homeowner and contractor concerns in regards trees within the right-of-way.
●Focus on building maps and work lists for trees that fall into special district areas for city contractors.
●Audit work done by contractors as well as work assigned to home owners once it has been performed.
●Working with the public and private sector to promote a healthy urban canopy.
Canopy - Palo Alto, CA - Community Forestry Field Coordinator
September 2020 - April 2022
●Coordinate and plan all Tree Care activities for Canopy; including but not limited to: Pruning, Mulching, stake and strap fixing, health checks and diagnosis on young trees for the first three years. Involves creating routes, using Tree Plotter.
●Training volunteers, staff, and interns on pruning specifically. Following industry best management practices, as well as safely and education. Leading the CFS pruning workshops.
●Supporting all planting events, supervising volunteers while being on standby for difficult tasks such as root removal, electric shovel use, hard digging.
●Doing site visits for school and large sites as one of the ISA Arborists on staff and making suggestions on Tree species.
●Ordering all Trees for planting events, including tagging and selecting stock at nurseries as well as receiving deliveries and quality inspections.
●Managing the yard where the trees are kept waiting before they are planted. Entails watering, fertilizing, pruning, and caring for any trees located at the yard. Maintaining tools and equipment currently located at the yard, and in canopy vehicles. Yard maintenance requires ordering mulch, and stakes, as well as weeding, mulching and maintaining the outdoor space.
●Maintaining and servicing the two vehicles Canopy uses for fieldwork.
Our City Forest (Americorps) - San Jose, CA - Tree’s For All Coordinator
September 2019 - August 2020
●Americorps crew member working at growing the urban canopy of Silicon Valley as well as engaging the community in stewardship and education about the urban forest and ecosystem.
●Worked with residents to provide trees for their homes and park strips, worked closely with the arborists at the city of San Jose to provide the right tree for the right spot.
●Performed 99 tree plantings, provided pruning for immature trees, educated residents on water needs and treecare.
●Worked with countless volunteers at our community nursery as well as community plantings, educating them on the effects of climate change, the urban heat island effect, proper tree planting and maintenance.
Summit Tree Care Service - Grand Rapids, MI - Plant Health Care Technician/Groundsperson
June 2019 - August 2019
●Worked with the lead Plant health care tech to provide sprays, maintenance and diagnosis to a variety of different trees and plants of clients in the area.
●Provided pruning and tree removal services
Running equipment including the following: Chainsaw, Stump Grinder, Chipper, Power Pole-saw, Backpack Blower, Bobcat
●Identification of Tree and shrub Species
Monster Tree Service - Grand Rapids, MI – Grounds Crew/Tree Care Provider
May 2019 – June 2019
●Tree removal and pruning as part of a four-person crew
Running equipment including the following: Chainsaw, Avant, Spider Lift, Stump Grinder, Chipper, Power Pole-saw, Backpack Blower
●Identification of Tree and shrub Species
●Knowledge and identification of insect, disease and abiotic factors affecting these species and assessment of further action and care
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX - Summer Intern/Camp Counselor
May 2018 - August 2018
●Taught camp students about different NREM topics including
Insects, Mammals, Ecosystems, Forests, and aquatic life
●Designed several programs to be used by camp and center staff to teach children about orienteering and oak trees
●Worked with the onsite Arborists doing pruning, removal, and other tree care work
Target Corporation, Ames, IA - Market Team Trainer
January 2015 - April 2019
●Focus on guest service
●Order, unload and stage the regular deliveries
●Train new Team Member’s in Market core role
●Coordinate with vendors and set Sales Plans
Awards and Certifications
●Eagle Scout - February 2009
●ISA Certified Arborist WE-13450A
●Wilderness First Aid and CPR Certified
●Class D Driver's License
Volunteer Work
●Volunteer at Bottoms Up Community Garden in West Oakland
●Volunteering through Second Harvest Food Bank during Covid 19 relief
●Boy Scout Day Camp Camp Counselor
●Counselor at Boy Scout Summer Camp
●Cub Scout Volunteer on large number of occasions
References
Maya Briones - Advocacy Associate at Canopy
Former Urban Forestry Operations Manager - Canopy
*************@*******.*** - 408-***-****
Nara Baker
Assistant Arborist at City of San Jose
****.*****@*********.*** - 408-***-****
Andy Frank - Greenhouse Coordinator at Valley Verde
Former Nursery Manager & Staff Arborist - Our City Forest
****.********@*****.*** - 617-***-****
Jan Thompson
Professor of Urban Forestry - Iowa State University
****@*******.*** - 515-***-****
Tanya Zastrow - Executive Director at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Former Director of Programs - Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
********@*************.*** - 512-***-****