Department of Environmental Conservation

Extension Assistant Professor 

Office: 320 Holdsworth Hall
Tel: +1 (413) 545-3747

E-mail: rharper

Primary interests

As an extension faculty member, my position involves initiating and expanding a broad-based integrated research and extension program in support of the management of municipal forests and urban landscapes. I administer a monthly, award-winning, international webcast (Urban Forestry Today) aimed at meeting real-time educational needs of urban forest practitioners, and I closely align programming/outreach efforts with cooperating professional associations and agencies. I am also a regular contributing author to association and agency outreach newsletters (ISA New England Chapter Newsletter; MA DCR Citizen Forester) read by professionals and tree enthusiasts across Massachusetts and New England.

Current Integrated Research-Extension Projects

• Tree Wardens in New England
• Urban wood utilization practices and community woodbanks
• American elm restoration and the urban forest
• Understanding oak spp. in the urban landscape
• Coniferous trees as urban plantings

Current Associations

• Massachusetts Tree Wardens and Foresters Association (Board of Directors)
• International Society of Arboriculture – New England Chapter (President-Elect)
• ReGreen Springfield (Board of Directors)
• USDA Forest Service – Urban Forest Strike Team (Advisory Board)

Courses Taught

• NRC 310 Community Forestry
• NRC 390G Plant Health Care

Refereed Journal Publications (Selected)

Harper, R.W., D.V. Bloniarz, S. DeStefano, C.R. Nicolson. 2017. Urban forest management in New England: Towards a contemporary understanding of tree wardens in Massachusetts communities. Arboricultural Journal 41(3): 1-19.

Yin, J., R.W. Harper and N.L. Bassuk. 2017. Effects of Tree Production Method and Transplanting on Root Hydraulic Conductance. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 35(2): 79-83.

Scharenbroch, B.C., D. Carter, M. Bialecki, R. Fahey, L. Scheberl, M. Catania, L.A. Roman, N.L. Bassuk, R.W. Harper, L. Werner, A. Siewert, S. Miller, L. Hutyra and S. Raciti. 2017. A rapid urban site index for assessing the quality of street tree planting sites. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 27: 279-286.

Allen, K.S., R.W. Harper, A. Bayer and N.J. Brazee. 2017. Nursery production systems and their impact on urban tree survival. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 21(1): 183-191.

Green, B.L., R.W. Harper and D.A. Lass. 2015. Differing nursery production systems impact cost of planting oak species in the urban environment. Horttechnology 25(5): 651-656.

Dampier, J.E.E., R.W. Harper, L. Schwartzberg and R.H. Lemelin. 2015. A comparison of arborists’ and horticulturists’ preferences of  Tsuga chinensis to T. canadensis in the urban landscape. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 41(1): 41-48.

Harper, R.W. and R.S. Cowles. 2013. Susceptibility of Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis) to injury from autumn horticultural oil applications. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 39(1): 6-10.

Weston, P.A. and R.W. Harper. 2009. Potential of Tsuga spp. from North America and Asia as replacements for eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 35(1): 5-9.

Outreach Publications (Selected)

Harper, R.W. and D.V. Bloniarz. 2018. Regreening Springfield, MA – and communities nationwide – one tree at a time. Arborist News (In-press).

McElhinney, A.M., R.W. Harper and D.A. Lass 2017. Understanding the true costs of planting and growing urban trees. Arborist News 26(6): 22-28. (December)

Harper, R.W. and D.V. Bloniarz. 2017. Income, equity and the urban forest: Strengthening student understanding in Springfield, MA. Arborist News 26(3): 26-28. (June)

McElhinney, A.M., R.W. Harper and D.A. Lass 2017. Getting to the roots: Understanding the relationship of planting costs and nursery production systems. American Nurseryman 113(2): 14-19. (February)

Harper, R.W. 2016. Tree of merit. City Trees (Issues I-IV).

McElhinney, A.M. and R.W. Harper. 2015. Growing into agriculture. American Nurseryman 111(7): 20-21. (July)

Clapp, J.C. and R.W. Harper. 2015. The value and function of evergreen conifers as urban green infrastructure. Arborist News 24(2): 42-45. (April)

Harper R.W. and J.L. Gangloff-Kaufmann. 2014. Stinging insects in the urban landscape: Their management, your safety. Arborist News 23(5): 28-31. (October)

Harper R.W. and J.L. Gangloff-Kaufmann. 2014. Arborists and stinging insects in the urban landscape. Arborist News 23(4): 44-47. (August)

Bradley, B.A. and R.W. Harper. 2014. Can community forests keep pace with a changing climate? Arborist News 23(3): 44-47. (June)

Harper, R.W.  2013. Urban forestry on the frontier. City Trees 49(5):10-14.

Book Reviews

Harper, R.W. 2018. Review of Hemlock: A forest giant on the edge, By D. R. Foster. Journal of Forestry 116(1): 88-89.

Harper, R.W. 2017. Review of The illustrated encyclopedia of trees (2^nd ed), by D. Moore and J.W. White. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 42(3): 83-85.

Harper, R.W. 2016. Review of Features from the past for the future, Branching Out: An integrated pest management newsletter for trees and shrubs, by D.D. O’Brien and G.W. Hudler. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 42(3): 213-214.

Harper, R.W. 2015. Review of The abc’s field guide to young and small tree pruning by A.G. Pleninger and C.J. Luley. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 41(1): 49-50.

Harper, R.W. 2014. Review of Wasp and bee management: a common-sense approach, by J.L. Gangloff-Kaufmann. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 40(1): 46-47.