|
What is the International Society of Arboriculture
A look at the largest and most influential arboricultural
organization in the world.
ISA Past, Present, and Future
A Rich Heritage
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) has served the
tree care industry for over eighty years as a scientific and educational
organization. ISA was founded in 1924 when a group of forty individuals, each
engaged in a phase of tree work or research, were called together by the
Connecticut Tree Protection Examining Board to discuss shade tree problems and
their possible solutions. It was during this meeting that the group identified
a need for gathering tree care information and for providing a means for its
dissemination. The National Shade Tree Conference (NSTC) was founded soon
thereafter.
NSTC experienced gradual growth until 1929, when the economy in the
United States collapsed and membership in the young organization sank to
fourteen and continued to look bleak for several years, but in 1936, membership
grew from thirty-three the previous year to one hundred forty-seven. With few
exceptions, steady growth has been seen every year since.
Due to its influence and membership spreading beyond the borders of
the United States, the organization changed its name to the International Shade
Tree Conference (ISTC) in 1968. Only a few years later, in 1976, in order to
more accurately reflect its broadening scope, the name was again changed, this
time to the International Society of Arboriculture.
ISA continues to be a dynamic medium through which arborists around
the world share their experience and knowledge for the benefit of society. ISA,
aligned on many fronts with other green organizations, is working hard to
foster a better understanding of trees and tree care through research and the
education of professionals as well as global efforts to inform tree care
consumers.
To read more about the history of ISA please
click here.
Your Invitation
Today, over twenty thousand International Society of Arboriculture
members invite you to join them in
support of the organization dedicated to you, the tree care professional.
Please read on for an overview of some of the highlights of ISA. Then consider
what ISA membership could mean to you.
|