Executive Director's Outlook - Spring 2026

By Rose Epperson on Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Spring has a way of reminding us who we are. Across our chapter’s footprint, trees are responding to longer days and warming soils. Buds swell. Roots press deeper. Energy that has been stored all winter begins to move again. Growth is not loud or showy. It is steady, purposeful, and rooted in something unseen.

That feels like us.

At the Western Chapter ISA, our mission is to advance the practice of arboriculture and foster a greater appreciation for trees. It is a statement we know well. We’ve printed it in programs, referenced it in meetings, and spoken it from stages. But spring invites us to reflect more deeply on what that mission truly means—and how we live it.

This year, I keep returning to a simple phrase: In mission, we are one.

We are a diverse community. Municipal arborists and utility specialists. Climbers and consultants. Researchers, educators, business owners, and students just entering the profession. We hold different credentials. We serve different regions. We face different daily challenges. And yet, when we stand under the canopy together, whether literally or figuratively, we are unified by purpose.

  • We believe in science-based practice.
  • We believe in public safety and professional standards.
  • We believe that trees matter—to climate resilience, to public health, to infrastructure, to beauty, to belonging.

Our unity is not sameness. It is shared commitment. That commitment comes alive most fully when we gather in person. Soon we will come together for our 92nd Annual Conference, Full Circle Arboriculture, at Tenaya at Yosemite. There is something fitting about meeting near Yosemite National Park, a place shaped by time, pressure, resilience, and adaptation. The towering conifers and granite cliffs remind us that the work we do exists within a much larger story. Forests endure because they are interconnected systems. No tree stands alone for long.

Neither do we. The theme Full Circle Arboriculture speaks to the natural arc of our profession. We begin as learners: curious, sometimes uncertain, absorbing everything we can. Over time, we develop expertise. We earn credentials. We mentor others. We contribute to research, policy, and standards. Eventually, we find ourselves guiding the next generation who will carry this work forward.

Full circle. But the circle is not only about careers. It is about ideas moving from research into practice and back again. It is about field experience informing classroom instruction. It is about collaboration between sectors that might otherwise operate in silos. When we come together at Tenaya, we close gaps. We reconnect the threads.

And that reconnection matters. We are navigating a time of increasing complexity. Communities are grappling with climate volatility, canopy inequity, wildfire recovery, pest pressures, workforce development challenges, and growing public expectations. Arboriculture sits at the intersection of environment, infrastructure, and community wellbeing. The decisions we make about pruning cycles, species selection, risk assessment, preservation, removal and so much more carry weight.

In mission, we are one. That unity strengthens our voice. It sharpens our standards. It ensures that when we advocate for trees and for our profession, we do so with clarity and credibility.

As you prepare for Tenaya, I encourage you to approach our time together with intention. Conferences are busy. Schedules are full. It is easy to move from session to session without pause. But I hope you will allow space for conversation, for reflection, for connection.

  • Engage deeply. Ask questions. Share case studies. Challenge assumptions. Our learning is strongest when it is collaborative.
  • Expand your circle. Introduce yourself to someone new, especially a first-time attendee or student. Share your experiences openly both the successes and the lessons learned. Ask questions that stretch your thinking. Visit with exhibitors and sponsors who invest in our growth. Attend the events that celebrate our volunteers and leaders. These moments are not secondary to the education – they are part of it.
  • Reconnect with your “why.” Step outside between sessions. Breathe in the mountain air. Look up at the canopy. Let the setting remind you why you chose this work in the first place.
  • Honor our volunteers and leaders. Every committee, board member, speaker, sponsor, and exhibitor contributes to making this experience possible.

Our chapter has always been strongest when we lean into community. The Western Chapter of ISA is not defined solely by its board, its committees, or its annual conference. It is defined by you, the members who show up, who serve, who teach, who climb, who write, who mentor, who advocate, who care deeply about doing this work well.

Spring is a season of renewal, but it is also a season of responsibility. Growth requires tending. Roots require nourishment. Canopy requires stewardship.

So does a mission. This spring let’s all recommit…to excellence, to inclusion, to mentorship, to science, to integrity. Let us remember that while our roles may differ, our purpose is shared. And let us gather at Tenaya ready not only to learn, but to strengthen the circle that connects us all. Because when we are aligned in mission, we are more than individuals working in parallel. We are a unified community advancing arboriculture together.

I look forward to seeing you in the mountains.

Cheers to trees,

 

~Rose

Rose Epperson

Mission Statement: Western Chapter ISA is a member driven organization dedicated to fostering a greater appreciation of the benefits and value provided by trees through promoting research and education to advance the professional practice of arboriculture