The Arborist Exchange Program offers urban forestry and municipal arborist professionals from around the world the opportunity to engage with colleagues, and experience urban forestry challenges and successes in varying political and cultural settings.
The program reimburses airfare, lodging, and basic travel expenses for professional exchanges up to $2,000
It is suggested that each participant will spend at least one week visiting and working with another city’s forestry department, but the length of time can be determined between each exchange participant. An exchange may be “two-way”, meaning that paired participants take turns hosting the other, or “one-way”, where a selected participant only visits a willing host city identified and approved by the Arborist Exchange Committee.
Participants must be a member of UCFS. One can apply to the program immediately upon joining. A candidate must be employed within the urban forestry profession for at least two years. Read about past participant exchanges here.
The purpose is to create a way for urban forest managers to exchange expertise, ideas, and technology through in-person contact and on-site experience. What better way to find out how other forestry practitioners operate than to spend time with each other? We have much to learn from other programs in our own countries and around the world, and we each have much to offer. Not only will the program facilitate the transfer of knowledge, but it will also help foster an international community of municipal arborists.
The UCFS Arborist Exchange program is a member-only opportunity.
Details
Participants will travel to the host city’s forestry department, with most participants spending at least one full work week at the exchange site. Participants must be able to show proof of insurance. Each participant will be required to write an article about what they learned and experienced for use in UCFS’s City Trees publications and possible other organizational publications.
How selections work
Two-way exchange pairings will be made by our selection committee on a best match basis. The number of participants will depend on available funding. Participants in local exchange programs may come from different-sized communities and/or different fields to foster exchange of information between local peers working under differing circumstances. Long-distance exchange participants will attempt to be matched with peers coming from similar-sized communities. Ideally, each forestry program will have or do something that the other can learn from – a unique or exemplary program, site condition, problem, etc. The selection committee will consider if an applicant wishes to have an exchange with someone from a preferred city, country, or region. One-way exchange selections will be based on the applicant’s programmatic needs and the potential for a viable learning experience. Cross-organizational exchanges are encouraged.
Monday, November 16 from 1:00-4:00pm
To join us, add the tour with your registration!
Before conference sessions begin, join fellow urban and community forestry professionals for a guided tour of St. Louis that explores the city’s urban forest through the lens of history, resilience, equity, and community investment. From iconic parks to neighborhoods experiencing both environmental challenges and revitalization, you’ll discover how planning decisions, natural disaster recovery, and community partnerships are shaping a healthier, more equitable future.
Our journey begins at Brickline Greenway near Energizer Park, where an ambitious green infrastructure vision is reconnecting neighborhoods and expanding access to greenspace. From there, we’ll travel through the iconic Forest Park to explore the legacy of one of America’s great urban parks and the stewardship practices that continue to make it a model for urban forestry and public space.
As we travel through St. Louis neighborhoods, we’ll view the city’s history through its trees. We will see firsthand how communities are restoring and reimagining their urban forests through community-driven initiatives that are reversing damage from recent devastating tornado and the legacy of historic redlining and its influence on tree canopy distribution.
Along the way, we’ll stop at O’Fallon Park to explore ongoing restoration and neighborhood revitalization efforts before concluding at Kiener Plaza Park, where thoughtful landscape design and thriving urban greenspace showcase the power of trees to create welcoming, resilient downtown environments.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see examples of these critical urban forestry practices:
More than a sightseeing tour, this is an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, exchange ideas, and connect with colleagues who share a passion for building stronger urban forests. Come see St. Louis through a new lens and leave inspired with innovative ideas and practical insights.
Special Guests:
We’ll be joined on the tour by guest speakers from the City of St. Louis Forestry, Great Rivers Greenway, and Forest ReLeaf who will share insider perspectives on organizational collaboration.
