City Trees

4 CityTREES President's Message Jamie King Executive Director's Message Leslie Berckes UCFS Members and Friends: Do you feel like you're caught in a whirlwind like I do on many days? An endless news cycle with much uncertainty, new and exciting projects waiting to take off, but that have many moving parts to get them off the ground, and, of course, the emails! It can feel overwhelming, and I know many of you are a one-person operation, taking on everything from snow removal to tree pruning to developing policy memos for your City leadership. I think it's important to acknowledge the intense emotions that some of you may be feeling right now, and to once again recognize the big, import- ant work that you do every day. And, actually, you probably should feel a little tired and overwhelmed because you are growing an entire forest! Can you even believe it? You get to count yourselves among the few professionals who sees instant, appreciable impact from your work. Your work is more important than ever, and together we'll keep pushing forward no matter what is thrown at us. So, when the going gets tough, I'm going to ask you to lean into this network, like I do so many times in my messages here. Make plans now to apply for the Municipal Forestry Institute in 2026 (keep an eye on the monthly UCFS News for details), plan to join us in Henderson, Nevada for our Annual Conference on November 17-18, 2025 (more info to come), or organize a local meet-up with members and friends. And, of course, log in to our new UCFS Member Portal and Community Hub, which you can read more about in this issue. Within the Member Portal, you can ask questions, find and connect with members, join a group, find a mentor, and more. In the spirit of Jamie's message—come discover something you didn't know from a fellow urban and community forester, or share something for someone else to discover. I listened to an interview with the legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal after he died at age 92 on April 16, 2023. His words resonated with me as I prepared to deliver remarks and lead a tree planting service day at Virginia Tech when I was Urban Forest Manager and University Arborist there. Jamal said, "There's no such thing as a creative person … but we can reflect creativity. And when we reflect creativity, we dis- cover. And that's the whole thing about life—discovery." There are good arguments that parenting is creation, but, when viewing life through Jamal's perspective, when I see my son, I see a reflection of his mother, myself, and the world—and I see the potential for unlimited discovery. Jamal's idea of creativity as a reflection of the world is inspiring and aspirational. It's well known how extractive of the planet's resources humans can be. But it also made me once again proud of how our work in urban forestry cultivates livable environments. We are engaged with communities to grow urban forests together, ideally in ways that honor the land, local and regional history, and shared values. How fortunate are we to work in a field that is generative and collabora- tive, one that reflects beauty and nature every day. These thoughts came to mind again in January when the UCFS Board of Directors met in Atlanta, Georgia to revisit the Society's strategic plan. We were charting the third year of strategy and celebrated many suc- cesses while we revised and reprioritized initiatives. I watched with admiration as my colleagues on the Board rooted their intentions in reflection of you, the UCFS Members, and what you need to be successful. Your work is tangible and real. Your labor and ongo- ing discovery helps you cultivate, with the people you serve, an urban forest that can endure for cen- turies, touching generations. As we navigate this period of historic opportunity and unprecedented uncertainty, please remember the UCFS is here for you as we reflect our shared values together.

• Cover