Yesterday I participated in Urban Forestry 2020’s meeting at the University of Maryland. Urban Forestry 2020 is a three-year study funded by the US Forest Service through the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council to assess perceptions of the urban forestry profession and make recommendations for future development.
Dr. Susan Day prepares the Steering Committee for an assessment
The project aims to develop strategies based on solid research for moving the profession forward through developing a consensus-building framework among regional organizations and stakeholders as well as a rigorous research to determine current perceptions of the profession and what influences those perceptions.
I am pleased to be a member of the Urban Forestry 2020 Steering Committee. One of the biggest challenges to growth and sustainability of any organization is recruitment and retention of the best people. Whether as Director of the SavATree Consulting Group or as President-Elect of the American Society of Consulting Arborists, we want to ensure there is a pipeline of qualified young people entering the profession.
Many thanks to Principal Investigator Dr. Susan Day of Virginia Tech, and Co-PIs Dr. Eric Wiseman of Virginia Tech, Dr. Joe Sullivan of University of Maryland, Dr. Greg Dahle of West Virginia University, and Joel Koci of Virginia State University for leading this effort to support the sustainability of urban forestry-related professions.
