Department of Environmental Conservation

Extension Associate Professor 

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

E-mail: rharper

Primary interests

As Extension faculty, 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)

Bocsi, T.J., P.S. Warren, R.W. Harper and S. DeStefano. 2018. Wildlife Habitat Management on College and University Campuses. Cities and the Environment (CATE) 11(1): 1-14.

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 27(1): 22-25. (February)

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: The Journal of the Society of Municipal Arborists (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: The Journal of the Society of Municipal Arborists 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.