Outlook Summer 2026

By Rose Epperson on Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Full Circle Arboriculture: Reflections from the 92nd Annual Conference

There are conferences that educate, conferences that connect, and conferences that inspire. Every so often, one does all three in a way that stays with you long after the name badges are packed away, the exhibit hall is cleared, and everyone has returned home to their daily work. The 92nd Annual Western Chapter ISA Conference, Full Circle Arboriculture, was that kind of experience.

Set at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, this year’s conference gave us a powerful place to gather, learn, reflect, and reconnect. Yosemite has a way of making us feel both small and deeply connected at the same time. Surrounded by forests, granite, history, and natural beauty, we were reminded that arboriculture is not simply a profession focused on individual trees. It is a calling rooted in relationships with landscapes, communities, colleagues, cultures, science, and the generations who will inherit the urban forests we shape today.

As your Executive Director, I have the privilege of seeing the conference from many angles. I see the early planning, the committee conversations, the logistical puzzles, the speaker coordination, the sponsor support, the registration questions, the volunteer energy, and the final details that bring an event of this size to life. But I also get to witness the moments that cannot be fully planned: the laughter between old friends, the first-time attendee finding their community, the student meeting a mentor, the speaker whose message lands in exactly the right way, and the collective feeling in a room when we remember why this work matters.

That is what made Full Circle Arboriculture so meaningful.

The theme invited us to think about where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. In arboriculture, our work is rarely linear. We return again and again to the fundamentals: soil, roots, structure, water, safety, biology, observation, and care. We also return to the larger questions: How do we protect trees in changing climates? How do we build stronger urban forests? How do we train and support the next generation? How do we communicate the value of trees to people who may not yet understand what is at stake?

Full Circle Arboriculture gave us space to explore those questions together.

One of the most memorable moments of the conference was the keynote presentation by Dr. Nalini Nadkarni. Her work studying forest canopies is extraordinary, but what made her message so powerful was the way she connected science with wonder, access, imagination, and humanity. Dr. Nadkarni reminded us that trees are not only subjects of study or assets to be managed. They are living systems that invite curiosity, connection, and care.

Her keynote challenged us to think about how we bring people into the story of trees. As arborists and urban forestry professionals, we often speak in the language of risk, standards, pest management, pruning, infrastructure, and canopy cover. Those conversations are essential. But Dr. Nadkarni reminded us that we must also speak in ways that reach the heart. Trees are science, but they are also memory, shade, beauty, habitat, healing, and hope. They connect children to discovery, neighborhoods to place, and communities to resilience.

That message felt especially important for WCISA. Our mission is to foster a greater appreciation for trees and promote the professional practice of arboriculture. Those two ideas belong together. We cannot advance the profession without also helping people appreciate the living systems we are trained to care for. And we cannot build lasting appreciation for trees without skilled professionals who understand how to protect, manage, and advocate for them.

Throughout the week, our education program reflected the depth and diversity of our profession. Sessions covered science, practice, research, safety, climate resilience, pruning, plant health care, risk assessment, urban forest management, workforce development, and more. The range of topics reminded me how broad arboriculture has become and how much expertise exists within our chapter. Whether attendees were municipal arborists, consultants, climbers, educators, researchers, commercial arborists, students, or nonprofit leaders, there was something in the program that spoke to their work.

I was especially proud to see continued investment in accessibility and inclusion, including Spanish-language education and opportunities for attendees to learn across professional roles and backgrounds. A strong professional community is one where more people can see themselves, participate fully, and contribute their knowledge. WCISA is at its best when we create pathways for connection and learning that reflect the full diversity of the people doing this work.

The conference also reminded us that arboriculture is learned through both instruction and observation. Some of the most valuable learning happens when we step outside, look closely, and ask better questions. Field-based experiences, interactive sessions, informal conversations, and the Yosemite setting itself helped connect classroom learning to the living landscape around us. There is something grounding about talking about trees while surrounded by them. It brings the work back to its source.

Another highlight of the conference was the Awards presentation, where we had the opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations whose contributions have strengthened arboriculture and advanced the mission of WCISA. Awards are among the most meaningful traditions of our chapter because they allow us to pause and say thank you. They remind us that this profession is built not only by technical excellence, but by service, mentorship, leadership, generosity, and persistence.

Each award recipient represents a story of commitment. Some have spent years teaching others. Some have advanced research or best practices. Some have built programs, served on committees, mentored young professionals, supported public education, or quietly done the work that makes our industry stronger. Recognizing them in front of their peers is not just a celebration of individual achievement. It is a reflection of our shared values.

As I looked around the room during the Awards program, I saw the full circle of our profession in action. I saw long-time leaders who have shaped WCISA over decades. I saw emerging professionals who are just beginning to imagine their own path. I saw colleagues applauding colleagues, mentors celebrating mentees, and a community honoring the people who have helped move us forward. Those moments matter. They remind us that leadership is not only about titles. It is about showing up, sharing knowledge, opening doors, and leaving the profession better than we found it.

The exhibit hall and social events brought another layer of energy to the conference. Sponsors, exhibitors, and partners are an essential part of the WCISA community, and their support helps make this gathering possible. The exhibit hall was more than a place to see products and services. It was a place to continue conversations, discover new tools, reconnect with familiar faces, and build partnerships that extend beyond the conference.

The informal moments were just as important as the formal ones. Shared meals, hallway conversations, outdoor gatherings, auction excitement, and quiet conversations between sessions all contributed to the Full Circle experience. “Sidewalk CEUs” if you will – their value is immeasurable. Conferences create a rare opportunity for people who are often spread across cities, states, islands, agencies, companies, campuses, and communities to come together in one place. When that happens, ideas move faster. Encouragement grows. Professional friendships deepen. The chapter becomes more than an organization. It becomes a community.

I also left this conference feeling encouraged by the presence of students and young professionals. The future of arboriculture depends on our ability to welcome, train, support, and inspire those entering the field. The challenges ahead are significant. Urban heat, climate change, workforce shortages, environmental justice, wildfire recovery, pest pressures, development conflicts, and public safety will all continue to shape our work. But seeing the next generation engage with curiosity and purpose gives me confidence.

At the same time, I was reminded how much we depend on the wisdom of those who have been doing this work for decades. Arboriculture is a profession where experience matters deeply. Trees teach slowly. Observation accumulates over time. Judgment is built through practice, mentorship, and repetition. One of the great strengths of WCISA is the way knowledge is shared across generations. Full Circle Arboriculture created space for that exchange, and our profession is stronger because of it.

No conference comes together without an extraordinary amount of effort. I am deeply grateful to my team, whose steady work, creativity, flexibility, and good humor helped bring the Full Circle experience to life. From the earliest planning conversations to the final on-site details, your dedication made this conference possible.

I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to President Tracey Takeuchi for her passionate and thoughtful leadership throughout her presidency. Tracey has led with heart, clarity, and a deep commitment to WCISA’s mission. Her steady presence and care for this chapter have been felt in countless ways, and we are better because of her service.

As we celebrate all that was accomplished during this conference year, we also warmly welcome Julia Gowin as WCISA’s incoming president. We look forward to her leadership, perspective, and continued commitment to advancing our chapter and profession.

As Executive Director, I often say that WCISA’s work is rooted in mission. At the 92nd Annual Conference, that mission was visible everywhere. It was visible in the education. It was visible in the awards. It was visible in the keynote. It was visible in the Spanish-language sessions, the student participation, the volunteer service, the sponsor support, and the conversations that continued long after sessions ended.

Full Circle Arboriculture reminded us that trees are at the center, but people carry the work forward. We care for trees, but we also care for communities. We study trees, but we also tell their stories. We manage risk, but we also create possibility. We honor the past, respond to the present, and prepare for the future.

Leaving Yosemite, I felt grateful. Grateful for the place, grateful for the people, and grateful for the profession we share. The circle was there in every part of the conference: in the science and the story, in the awards and the applause, in the seasoned leaders and emerging voices, in the roots beneath us and the canopy above.

As we look ahead, the next chapter is already on the horizon. We are excited to gather again for the 93rd Annual WCISA Conference, Beyond the Horizon – Where Trees, Coastlines, and Ideas Meet, at the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa in May 2027. Until then, we carry the Full Circle experience forward – renewed  reconnected, and reminded of why this work matters.  Stay curious. Stay connected.

Cheers to Trees, 

Rose Epperson