“Rooted in the Canopy: Mapping Mesquite and Memory” #66
Description
Fabian Brook Shenk
Environmental Researcher | GIS Scholar
📞 +1 (520) 602-7229
✉️ fshenk01@gmail.com | fshenk@asu.edu
🌐 https://sites.google.com/view/fabianshenk/home
Strengthening Tucson’s Urban Forest—A Collaborative Tree Stewardship Initiative
Dear Tucson Clean and Beautiful Team, and other tree aficionados,
My name is Fabian Shenk, and I’m reaching out as both a GIS scholar and a native son of Southern Arizona. Raised in Tucson with ancestral ties reaching across generations—including family roots in Tubutama, Mexico—I’ve grown up under the canopy of mesquites, learning firsthand how trees in our region carry not just ecological importance but cultural memory and continuity. Even my name, which translates to “Nature Lover,” reflects a lifelong connection to this land.
I’ve been expanding an initiative to document and geospatially track native tree health, focusing on mistletoe infestation among mesquite (Prosopis velutina) populations. This work grew out of capstone research and field training from both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, integrating tools to monitor tree DBH, canopy stress, and long-term patterns to preserve the historical value of our urban forestry investments. Trees planted decades ago shouldn’t disappear without trace or replacement—and I believe community engagement, spatial transparency, and heritage conservation should be central to how we care for our canopy.
Mesquite groves once dominated this region, serving Indigenous communities as shelter, medicine, and nourishment. While mesquites may be considered weeds in other states, here they stand as a resilient symbol of the Southwest. My mission is to honor that legacy—through thoughtful mapping, public education, and collaborations that foster ecological stewardship.
Separately, I’m developing a GIS-based plumbing infrastructure taxonomy concept — inspired by my years as a plumbing professional and by the business my father ran in Tucson. This effort bridges hands-on infrastructure experience with spatial analytics, and I hope to explore its potential further during my upcoming interview with Pima County. The idea proposes ways to track fixture types, streamline technician workflows, and reveal long-term patterns in system maintenance—all to support more resilient public infrastructure.
To offer a clear view of my background and technical capacity, I’ve outlined my qualifications and key projects below. I’d be honored to connect with your team to explore how this work might align with Tucson Clean and Beautiful’s mission—whether through outreach initiatives, data visualization partnerships, or urban forestry advocacy.
GIS Qualifications & Thought Leadership
BSc in GIScience (2019) and MAS in Geographic Information Systems (2021) – Arizona State University (3.99 GPA)
Data Analytics Certificate – ASU (4.0 GPA)
10+ years of government and field experience, including ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and Python scripting
Years of experience in plumbing services, grounded in field work and family legacy
Currently pursuing the Certified GIS Professional (GISP) credential
Focus areas: urban forestry, GNSS integration, infrastructure mapping, and heritage-driven spatial planning
Flagship GIS Projects
Tree Tracking & Mistletoe Mapping Initiative
Documenting canopy health in native trees with attention to mistletoe spread—blending ecological care with cultural storytelling.
Urban Forestry Workflow Inspired by the 1 Million Tree Program
Designing a data structure to track tree measurements and histories, ensuring accountability and long-term planning. (Capstone Project)
https://asu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=4b21a297821644e1b0049da1764cee65
Plumbing Taxonomy Proposal for Pima County
Merging practical field experience with GIS innovation to support efficient infrastructure tracking and maintenance services.
Thank you for everything you do to make Tucson cleaner, greener, and more resilient. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to this shared mission.
Warm regards,
Fabian Shenk
P.S. The main mission - I have tree data I collected; trying to get others on-board in support - and also to get this into some kind of tree database that can be utilized by open street map and others for open data, thank you.