City Trees

6 CityTREES Every fall, SMA brings its members an opportunity to learn, visit with others, explore new networks, relax, and have fun. This year is no different. We are truly excited about our SMA 53rd Annual International Conference and Trade Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 14, with pre-con- ference tour and other don't-miss activities on November 13. The agenda includes an urban forestry service project (new this year), and a pre-conference tour of Tulsa and its unique urban ecosystems. We will also have the traditional Silent Auction and Raffle and the annual Fun Run, Walk, or Watch. The trade show is another highlight of the conference and there will be ample opportunities to meet our exhibitors—our important partners and supporters—and discover new prod- ucts or services that might benefit your urban forestry pro- gram. The location is already set for the traditional and much anticipated Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) Reunion, which is always a great time and all are welcome—whether you've been to MFI yet or not. Once again, the conference committee has put together a fantastic learning component with presentations focused on urban forestry management, planning, setting priorities, the value of internal collaboration, understanding development, and partnerships. As has become customary, the SMA Conference precedes the Partners in Community Forestry Conference hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation. "Partners" offers a full two days of pre- sentations on many platforms and is an opportunity to engage with community based groups, non-profits, and others to further your urban forestry programs by leveraging the energy and talents within your region. Many SMA Conference attend- ees stay on for Partners. The Silent Auction, the 50/50 Raffle, and the Fun Run, Walk, or Watch support the Urban Forest Foundation. In turn, the Urban Forest Foundation supports MFI and the Municipal Arborist Exchange program. The Exchange offers SMA members a chance to meet folks and observe urban forestry management in other parts of the world. Many of our members have bene- fited greatly from the Exchange and your support is important. The Silent Auction tables get filled with fun, interesting, and sometimes tasty items. Bring along something to donate! See you in Tulsa! MFI. If you don't know what that stands for, you must be brand- new to SMA. MFI is the Municipal Forestry Institute, our weeklong leadership training. About 800 people are graduates of this pro- gram, which has taken place yearly since its launch in 2006. Every year at our annual conference, MFI grads gather for the MFI reunion. They enjoy reuniting with their fellow classmates and expand- ing their professional network. They also love to tell non-grads all about their experience at MFI, so join us this year in Tulsa for the MFI Reunion. Wait, did I see MFI happens once a year? Not in 2017! We are holding a second MFI, from Oct 15-20 in beautiful Ontario, Canada. To keep us from being confused, we call it MFI Canada, and we are excited to have Canadian MFI grads John McNeil and Martha Barwinsky joining the teaching cadre this year. Veteran instructors Paul Ries, Owen Croy, Walt Warriner, and Andy Hillman will be there, too. And since 2018 isn't far off, we have just announced MFI 2018 in Litchfield, Connecticut; registration is already open on our website. Space at the Wisdom House (could there be a better name for a facility to hold leadership training?!) is limited, so please register early. CT State Urban Forestry Coordinator Chris Donnelly has pushed and pulled to get us to bring MFI to his state, and we couldn't be more thrilled. And if you can't get enough of MFI, we are planning to hold two sessions again in 2019, both in the U.S. However, the teaching cadre has asked me to remind our international members that we will gladly bring MFI to your country, espe- cially if it is warm in February (wink). We have just welcomed two MFI grads to the SMA Board: Stephen Harris and Sam Oludunfe. (Training leaders is working out pretty well for us!) There's a lot more going on at SMA, but right now we are in meeting mode with MFI and the confer- ence coming up soon. Hope to see you at one or both of these events, and as always, if you have questions or need more information, you can email us at urbanforestry@prodigy.net. President's Message Joe Benassini Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie

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