Nili Niu
ARBORIST
Netanili “Nili” Niu, an arborist supervisor with the Public Works Bureau of Urban Forestry, can trace his love for trees back to his childhood in Hawaii. Growing up, he would routinely scale palm trees to retrieve coconuts whenever he and his friends wanted a refreshment.
“I loved climbing the coconut tree, because of the fruit – there's a reward afterwards,” he said. “Surfing in Waikiki Beach and you come out of the water and you want a drink, run over to the elementary school next door and climb up the tree.”
A certified arborist with 30 years of experience, including two decades with Public Works, Niu is part of a team of tree pros who look after the more than 125,000 street trees in San Francisco.
Listen to Nili talk about growing up in Hawaii and his journey as an arborist to Public Works.
“I feel like I want to do what’s right for the tree and if I take care of the tree, the tree is healthy, then it’s good for all of us.”
Public Works took over care of the City’s street tree population in 2016, thanks to a voter-approved City Charter amendment that set aside at least $19 million a year to cover tree-related costs and gave birth to StreetTreeSF – a program that has been a game-changer for the department’s efforts to maintain and grow the City’s urban forest.
Trees are critical resources that can slow the negative effects of climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. They also help absorb stormwater runoff, bring a much-welcome splash of living beauty to neighborhoods and provide wildlife habitat and cooling shade.
Public Works’ Bureau of Urban Forestry – about 120-people strong – maintains the City’s medians with the help of its expert gardeners, grows young street trees at its new nursery and plants, prunes and waters them. In addition, the bureau’s Cement Shop repairs sidewalks and medians and builds curb ramps. The bureau also includes an integrated pest management team that expertly fights harmful weeds and pests.
Aside from keeping a watchful eye on our many street trees to make sure they grow tall and strong and stay healthy, arborists like Niu also jump into action whenever a storm barrels through San Francisco, leaving downed trees, broken branches and mangled limbs in its wake.
Braving ferocious winds and driving rain, Niu and his colleagues use chainsaws, bucket trucks and careful coordination to clean up debris, clear roadways and sidewalks and keep the public safe.
“I think I thrive in emergencies. I’m deep in it.”
“I think I thrive in emergencies,” Niu said. “I’m deep in it.”
Even when there isn’t a winter storm wreaking havoc on our urban forest, our arborists make sure street trees throughout the City don’t pose any danger to the public. If a tree’s limbs represent a hazard, a routine pruning may do the trick. In more extreme cases, the entire tree may have to be replaced.
But all of it is in service to the greater good.
“We don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Niu said.
To Niu, no matter the day, life as an arborist is “always an amazing job.” His attitude has kept him rooted throughout his career.
“Be a hard worker, be honest about what you do – and you will be rewarded,” Niu said.