Message to the Membership

Matt Searels, Southern Chapter President

Hey, y’all! It is finally full-on summer here in east Tennessee, but this Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus) is keeping me shaded and an easterly wind is keeping me cool as I write to you.

Wow, I love the South! I was born here, studied here, and lived here all but about 10 years of my life. There is, however, still so much for me to experience and learn about this wonderful portion of the world. I look forward to continuing to learn and sharing that knowledge with my children and as many folks that are willing to explore with me.

As Chair of the Education Committee, this mindset is the driving force that initiates our motives. How can we, the ISA Southern Chapter, help spark new learning interest and reinforce known best practices? More specifically, our objectives are to promote educational opportunities that serve the needs of Southern Chapter members, tree care professionals, and members of the public across the territory.

As a team, we have been working hard to: n bring ISA Certified Arborist study courses as frequently and as geographically minded as possible, with a goal of providing at least one in each state each year. n reach more of the landscaping professionals who impact so many of our urban and suburban tree populations. We partnered with Auburn University which has recently applied for federal grant money to build Spanish- and English-specific educational materials on best management practices to support the Green Industry. n bring the Wildfire Risk Reduction Qualification (WRRQ) more broadly to the Southern Chapter. n increase the availability of the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) courses. With a BIG “Thank you!” to Jimmy Walters for making this possible. n broaden opportunities for workshops, like the very recent Biomechanics course held in Asheville, NC.

We hope these opportunities are reaching you and providing value for both you and communities across the South. If you have input, additional ideas, or want to be part of this nimble team trying hard to push these initiatives forward, please feel free to reach out to me directly at isasouthern@isasouthern.org. Additionally, as I mentioned in the Spring newsletter, we also have active Finance and Membership committees that could use support and feedback (I will give you all updates on these in future editions). Have a great summer and enjoy the shade from your local tree!