working as part of a team. For partici- pants, it’s often their first opportunity to wear a crew shirt, use professional tools, and hear community members thank them for making their neighbor- hoods greener and cooler. WHY THIS MATTERS TO THE TREE CARE INDUSTRY Programs like Garden Time are more than feel-good success stories — they’re an emerging workforce strategy. The same structural barriers that make it difficult to staff tree crews of- ten shape the lives of people returning from incarceration: •Limited exposure to skilled trades that provide family-sustaining wages. •Barriers to education, certification, and employment.
•Few connections to employers willing to offer an opportunity.
Garden Time addresses these chal- lenges by introducing green industry concepts during incarceration and re- inforcing them through a structured reentry program. That approach short- ens the learning curve employers often face with entry-level hires. A graduate who already understands root flare identification, proper mulching prac- tices, or basic pruning principles isn’t a fully trained arborist — but they’re significantly ahead of someone whose only outdoor work experience has been mowing a lawn. Just as importantly, Garden Time empha- sizes the workplace skills that determine long-term success. Tree work depends on trust, communication, accountability, and a strong safety culture. Many partic- ipants have already learned to function in high-pressure environments. When those experiences are paired with sup- portive training, mentorship, and clear expectations, they can become valuable members of a tree care crew.
Participants build practical skills through employer site visits, technical training from industry experts, hands‑on fieldwork, and a four‑day internship that lets them put their knowledge to work in a real professional environment.
Graduates with a particular interest in arboriculture may join Garden Time’s Canopy Crew, which cares for young street trees throughout Providence. Crew members receive advanced training and are responsible for watering, mulching, staking, and structural pruning — the essential early-care work that helps trees establish healthy form while protecting a city’s investment in its urban canopy. For employers, the Canopy Crew rep- resents a small but meaningful pipeline of workers who arrive with foundation- al technical knowledge and experience
the prison gate. After release, par- ticipants are encouraged to enroll in the Green Reentry Job Training Pro- gram, an intensive eight-week course that focuses on arboriculture, land- scaping, and urban agriculture with a clear focus on employability and long-term success. Participants gain hands-on experience through employer visits, technical in- struction from industry professionals, fieldwork, and a four-day internship that allows them to apply what they’ve learned in a professional setting.
Research has shown that quality voca-
12 | Summer 2026 ArborTIMES ™
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