City Trees

4 CityTREES President's Message Rachel Habig-Myers Executive Director's Message Leslie Berckes As I write this, a team of UCFS Board Members and I wrapped the resume review and interviews for our new Program and Education Manager. It's exciting to see the organization continue to grow and to know that UCFS will be able to provide even more sup- port for members and the profession as a whole. Stay tuned for some new things from us soon! During resume review, I was struck by the amazing talent of people who are eager to make their mark in the urban forestry world. To clarify, I'm not surprised that there are so many top-notch people in urban forestry—I get the pleasure of learning from awesome tree people every day. It's that from my seat, I hear from city foresters about not filling positions, the influx of Inflation Reduction Act dollars creating more jobs, and how this maturing profession will need more trained urban foresters to help us reach our tree goals. So, it is with these issues as a backdrop that I look at current job seekers and think, "Wow, the talent and drive is there. How do we get them in?!" It's exciting to think about how UCFS can help support current and future urban and community foresters through training, access to peer networks, and a job board to find and post employment opportunities. We are proudly in com- munity with our friends and colleagues at American Forests, Arbor Day Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, International Society of Arboriculture, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, college and university urban forestry degree programs, and other entities that are focused on workforce development. If you're reading this and trying to find a new job in urban forestry or move up the career ladder, please stick with it. I know, that's easier said than done when you're seek- ing a new job and the frustration of waiting and hoping mounts. We need and want you in this profession! If you have the desire and intention to enter this field or advance within it, you will find friends and mentors in the UCFS network standing ready to help. We're all in this together, and we all benefit from the growth of this essential and rewarding profession of urban and community forestry. This week I received a draft from past UCFS Board Member David Jahn (retired from the City of Des Moines, Iowa and now living in Florida) of the newly updated history of SMA/UCFS, documenting 60 years of our Society. Thank you for your hard work on this, David! Included in the updated history is the original constitution of the organization, which states: "The purpose of this Society shall be to represent to the public, to public officials, and to other professionals within horticul- ture the manifold benefits that accrue to people, cities, and countries when municipal arboriculture is conducted on a scientific plane and as a major ingredient of city planning." I find this fascinating, because while that original statement emphasizes educating people about the benefits of urban for- estry, our current mission statement shifts in an interesting way. Our modern mission is "to build the confidence, competence, and camaraderie of all professionals who manage trees and forests to create and sustain more livable communities." This statement speaks directly to supporting our members as individuals (who in turn will naturally become better advocates for urban forestry). Over the last 60 years, our field of urban forestry has built a body of knowledge that has grown increasingly advanced and technical. We have more tools than ever to help us find solutions that are highly specific to site, species, local policy, etc. And importantly, historic funding opportunities have followed, further growing our field of practice and the practical applications of technology. Yet because all of our efforts are tied to trees—about which people have almost as many emotions as they have about themselves—I don't think it's any surprise that we as an organization now focus on knowing ourselves and our strengths and on creating a network of colleagues who manage urban forests. We need this reinforcement, as the work of urban forestry, while rewarding, is challenging. If in the future UCFS ever contemplates a potential change to our current mission statement, I hope we retain the emphasis on supporting and lifting one another up, as that is an essential feature of this organization. Here's to the next 60 years of UCFS!

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