Growing the Future of Forestry with the TREE Fund

“Blessed are those who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.”

This popular idiom praises people who do altruistic acts to benefit future generations, even though they themselves will never benefit from it. It’s also a great way to describe the spirit of the TREE Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing research, education, and scholarships for the next generation of arborists.

What Is the TREE Fund?

The Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund, or the TREE Fund, was founded in 2002 as a research collaboration between the International Society of Arboriculture and the group that would eventually become the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA).

While the forestry industry has grown and changed in the intervening years, the TREE Fund’s mission has stayed the same.

“Our focus has always been on tree research — whether it’s how to care for trees, how to plant them, proper soil management, or arborist safety,” Communications and Engagement Manager Jonathan Cain says. “It’s all about keeping the arborist safe and keeping the community safe.”

 How the TREE Fund's Research Becomes Industry Best Practice

To that end, the TREE Fund sponsors grants for researchers pursuing advances in arboriculture and forestry safety practices. The research that they fund often goes on to become industry best practices. As Cain says, “Some of the research we funded 20 years ago is literally 101-level training now.”

In addition to funding research, the TREE Fund is dedicated to making that information available to people who need it.

“Once the research is completed most of the researchers come back and we set up a free webinar with them,” Cain said. These free webinars usually draw around 1,000 participants, including people from Asia and Europe.

 How the TREE Fund Scholarships Support Urban Forestry Students

Another way the TREE Fund keeps their eye on the future of its industry is by providing six scholarships to students studying arboriculture. Cain says these scholarships help students graduate with a higher skill set and enter the arboriculture workforce as more valuable employees.

Reese Mahoney of Tifton, Georgia is getting started on his career as an arborist with a little help from a scholarship from the TREE Fund and a new pair of HAIX Black Eagle Athletic Coyote boots.

Mahoney, a senior at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, works part time with the city of Tifton helping with the upkeep of their forestry projects.

“We prune trees, water trees, mulch trees — pretty much anything that has to deal with the city’s trees,” he says.

Why HAIX® Black Eagle Athletic Coyote Boots are Great for Urban Forestry Work

Mahoney said his Coyote boots have become a major ally as he tackles projects around the city. “Since they’re more of an athletic boot, they do work pretty well in the urban environment,” he said. “The waterproof liner is really good because we water trees a lot, and I don’t have to worry about my feet getting wet.”

He also praised the athletic feel and cushioning of the boot. “With my background in the military, they felt really similar to the tactical boots we had to wear,” Mahoney said.

“They are really comfortable, but the biggest benefit was they’re a little bit more flexible than other boots I’ve worn.”

 Community Outreach and Tree Advocacy at Tour des Trees

Up next for the TREE Fund is one of their most popular events of the year—the Tour des Trees. This five-day bike ride is part fundraiser and part outreach event to the local community. This year’s tour will stretch through the Blue Ridge Mountains and take bike riding participants through North and South Carolina.

“As we ride through different communities, we stop and talk about why tree research is important and why trees are important,” Jonathan Cain says. “We’re hoping to get 100 riders this year.”

Cain says this event speaks not only to the receptiveness of the crowds who show up for the events along the path, but also the passion of the presenters: “The more you’re around tree people, the more you discover they really like to talk about what they do.”

For more information on the TREE Fund, its scholarships, or the Tour des Trees, visit their website at https://treefund.org/.