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Training and Credentials
Within the profession and practice of urban forestry, training and credentials are often a prerequisite to proper and efficient management. Skills within urban forestry may consist of community-based tree stewardship, restoration of neglected spaces, urban canopy monitoring and maintenance, and building social cohesion in urban neighborhoods. Higher education, field experience, and credentials are used to effectively develop and verify these goals. Achievement of the above training can provide prospects for commercial or governmental career opportunities such as a Certified Arborist, Certified Forester, Urban Forester, Professional Consulting Forester, Forestry Technician, and many more.

Higher education in urban forestry is a method of training for aspiring urban foresters. Careers in urban forestry often require higher education that concentrates in urban forestry, arboriculture, forestry, horticulture, natural resource management, urban planning, and environmental science. These interdisciplinary educational disciplines provide crucial knowledge for urban foresters including collecting attribute data of the urban forest and the implementation of best management practices. Precise data on the urban forest is often scarce and not up-to-date due to the difficulty of traditional sampling approaches. Higher education provides insight to modernized technologies that analyze the urban forest, such as remote sensing, and generates accurate data with more precise details on urban tree canopy, individual tree metrics, species, and age structures. The aforementioned educational training creates a path to becoming a credible urban forester.

While in-classroom education is one method of training, experiential learning is highly recommended in order to hone the more technical aspects of the field, such as tree inventory, planting, and pest management. This field work also extends to training social skills. Community and client-based relationships often require a certain social expertise to resolve conflict. Through field training and client interaction, skills in conflict management are acquired. This may include, but not limited to effective listening, participatory planning, and leadership. Social engagement is increasingly necessary when working with marginalized communities, formatting budget plans, managing aesthetics, and other urban forestry responsibilities. Through internships, job experience, and field training opportunities, many skills are developed that are crucial for professions in urban forestry.

Earning credentials and certifications through professional organizations, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), are often specific qualifications for becoming an urban forester. The ISA, for example, is a global organization that offers an array of certifications and qualifications, including ISA Certified Arborist. According to a 2020 survey, urban forestry employers desired most employees who possessed the ISA Certified Arborist credential, followed by a commercial pesticide applicator license, and a commercial driver’s license. It should be recognized that such credentials require a minimum time period of on-the-job training followed by a written and/or practical exam. To accomplish certifications such as these, online course material and tangible study guides can be purchased, such as through the ISA’s website. After thorough review, computer-based and paper exams can be taken to officially earn a certain credential. As urban forestry focuses on the extensive management of trees, it’s important to note that these organizations are geared to credentialing arborists, or those who manage trees intensively. The TCIA is another professional organization that sets standards for tree firms and provides education and information through publications, conferences, and workshops. While the TCIA is designed to provide tree care firms with training and certification, certain programs, such as the Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP), may benefit those in urban forestry. An urban forester who directly manages street trees, for example, may find the EHAP useful, for their management decisions because street trees are often affected by overhead and/or underground utilities.

Higher education, field work, and credentials are all methods of training that provide experiences for someone pursuing a career in urban forestry. This training is crucial to establishing trust among urban forest stakeholders and withholding professionalism in the urban forest industry.