Community Tree Nursery Database (Phase 1)

About Shrubscriber (Shrub-scriber)Shrubscriber is an Edmonton-based tree nursery network that grows community by propagating and planting trees. Since 2021, Shrubscriber has grown to over two hundred members, propagating close to 300 tree species in backyards, community garden plots, balconies, and vacant lots.When members join Shrubscriber, they receive access to the Shrubscriber community, tree seeds, step-by-step growing instructions, and tree donations. Tree donations support community groups and members in parts of the city that are more prone to climate change impacts.Shrubscriber Airtable DatabaseShrubscriber community activities are supported by a database that tracks each plant being propagated (Index Seminum Table), plant propagation information (Genus species Table), member activities (Shrubscribers Table), neighbourhood demographics (Neighbourhood Table), and donations and distribution (Organization Table, Orders Table, Invoice Table).The present database can be seen as having three overlapping roles:Plant and Propagation DatabaseInventory (Tree & Seed) ManagementCommunity/Member Resources ManagementProject GoalsShrubscriber aims to create vibrant, biodiverse, and climate-resilient neighbourhoods through community plant propagation and planting. Presently, the community's coordination falls on a small handful of people. The overarching goal of the Shrubscriber database is to help facilitate and automate the organization's ordering, distribution, propagation, planting, tending, and community-building capacity. A Phased ApproachTo achieve the final goal, the project has been divided into smaller phased projects, each taking around 60 hours to complete. This approach allows us to establish well-defined goals and tweak each phase as new work and opportunities emerge. I am very open to discussing the scope of each phase and refining/changing it as needed.A phased approach provides the potential for students to continue working with Shrubscriber as new phases are defined and published on the Riipen platform.Phase 1 - Review and Update Plant DatabaseIt is essential to ensure that all of the plant data in the database is accurate and as complete as possible to be useful. This project phase will involve reviewing each plant record, researching information about the plant, and updating/completing the plant record within the database.Goal 1 Students will familiarize themselves with Airtable and the Shrubscriber database. Students may use their knowledge of database structure to suggest structural changes to the base, tables, or fields.Goal 2: Students will review the Genus species table and review its data for completeness and accuracy. Incomplete data will be added, and any inaccuracies will be corrected.Goal 3: Explore the benefits of adding additional fields such as tree height, canopy spread, common diseases, medicinal uses, and native range.Goal 4 (Stretch Goal): Students will review a cold-hardy woody plant list document and add new plants to the Shrubscriber database.