SMA Interns reunite at the annual conference. What will the next 40 years bring and how shall we steer the professional ship? Photo
by Michelle Sutton
16 City Trees
students that introduces urban forestry
through a short video and asks how
these students view the profession
as a potential career. These data are
being analyzed in the context of stu
-
dent demographics, family values, and
career preferences.
A final survey will assess how urban
foresters are networking. We encour-
age everyone to keep an eye out for
this last survey and promote it widely
to help the project gain the most
reliable information possible. The proj-
ect will culminate in a set of strate-
gic recommendations based on these
research findings and supported by
exploratory conversations with profes-
sionals engaged in urban forestry. The
SMA is playing a critical role in this
discovery process and how the urban
forestry profession will use the project
findings.
This is an exciting time for the man-
agement of our urban resources, but
one that needs to be navigated with
deliberation. Over the past 40 years
urban forestry has grown from a con-
gressional mandate to a profession
that, while still young, is changing the
way we consider the natural resourc-
es in and around our cities, towns
and communities. Urban forestry is
coalescing and developing organically,
whether we are ready for it or not. Our
profession is interdisciplinary by nature
and its boundaries are being pushed
on all sides. What will the next 40
years bring and how shall we steer the
professional ship? With Urban Forestry
2020, we hope to provide some of the
answers, or at least some guidance as
we find our way.
Susan D. Day is an Associate Professor
at Virginia Tech and the Project Leader
for UF2020.
Gregory A. Dahle is Assistant Professor
at West Virginia University and
Co-investigator for UF2020.
Other members of the UF2020
research team include: P. Eric Wiseman
(Virginia Tech), Joe Sullivan (University
of Maryland), Joel Koci (Virginia
State), Keith O'Herrin (Virginia Tech),
and Andrew Benjamin (West Virginia
University). For more details, visit
urbanforestry.frec.vt.edu/2020.
