The Eight Ideal Characteristics of a Profession
1. Essential Service to Society. Providing an
essential service to society—a service that can
only be provided by a group of experts possessing
specialized knowledge—is the foundational jus-
tification for a profession to exist in the first
place. If you're reading City Trees, you're probably
in agreement that urban forestry is becoming
increasingly essential to modern society.
2. Body of Knowledge. A Body of Knowledge (BoK)
is a living compendium representing the current,
best understanding of the knowledge required
of an individual to be competent in a profession.
A BoK is the foundation for degree accredita-
tion, credentialing, and more. While all evidence
points to such a BoK existing for urban forest
professionals, it is not currently clearly defined or
stewarded in an organized, consistent fashion.
3. Credentialing. Recognized credentials based on
the BoK demonstrate self-regulation, show ethical
accountability, and build public trust. Every highly
skilled profession has credentials—running the
gamut from degrees, to certificates, to licenses,
and more. Lack of credentials and self-regulation
may indicate an industry may not require partic-
ular skills. Credentials elevate and advance the
careers of participants by advertising competence.
Urban forest professionals hold a variety of cre-
dentials borrowed from arboriculture, forestry,
and a half-dozen other professions to approxi-
mate their unique expertise. Our review of 11
other professions found no examples where
credentials were mislabeled or borrowed
from other professions (e.g., imagine phar-
macists holding certifications built for nurses
and chemists, instead of for pharmacology).
The ISA Municipal Specialist (ISA-MS) certification
is frequently pointed to as a purpose-built creden-
tial, but only 15 % of U.S. residents live in a city
that has an ISA-MS on staff. ISA-MS holders are first
required to be an ISA Certified Arborist; therefore,
newcomers and outsiders may primarily perceive
ISA-MS to be an arboriculture credential. >>
Keith O'Herrin, Ph.D.
Urban Forester
North Carolina State
Extension and Union
County, North Carolina
Susan Day, Ph.D.
Professor of Urban Forestry
Faculty of Forestry
University of
British Columbia
Corrine G. Bassett
Ph.D. Student
Faculty of Forestry
University of
British Columbia
Paul Ries, Ed.D.
Senior Instructor and Director,
Graduate Certificate in Urban Forestry
Dept. of Forest Ecosystems and Society
Oregon State University
Eric Wiseman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Urban Forestry
Dept. of Forest Resources and
Environmental Conservation
Virginia Tech
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