While in Brazil, I also had the opportunity to meet with several board members from the Associação Nacional de Paisagismo (ANP), which is the only landscape contractor’s organization in Brazil. We discussed their role in the growth of the Brazil Chapter and the translation of terms that will be used as a foundation for their certification study guide. They are also very excited about certification in Brazil. Not surprisingly, we too shared the common language of trees and landscapes, even noting that we shared the dress and tan of folks whose occupation frequently takes them outdoors.

Both organizations made me feel welcome, and it was an awesome feeling to be with colleagues from another country and to share so many common interests. When I think about the arborists I’ve met throughout my career, whether their style is Euc or Oak, and no matter what country they call home, we all speak the international language of trees.

I share this experience with you as ISA begins to play a larger role in the international arena. We know that diversity is critical to the future of ISA. While ISA’s board and staff learn what this means to the Society, we are also learning about the advantages of a diverse membership.

Our ISA has experienced a 20 percent growth in membership over the past three years, reaching 17,000 members in 2004. However, ISA membership is made up not only of arborists and landscapers, we are also scientists, architects, agronomists, PhD’s, business majors, landscape architects, pest control advisers, utility managers, teachers, college professors, public works supervisors, and, yes, even a few engineers. What a diverse talent pool! While we as members certainly benefit from this diverse network of professionals, it is the public who ultimately benefits from the increased knowledge and experience that working in a diverse environment brings. That being said, it will be an educated public that will demand an educated arborist to care for their trees.

Any way you look at it, trees are the pre-dominant feature in any landscape setting. Whether it’s turf on a golf course, a utility right-of-way, or an urban streetscape, everything interacts with the growth of a tree. And when you consider the environmental bene-fits of trees, you have a valuable asset.

Knowledge, combined with experience and ability, makes a complete arborist. To be competitive in today’s market, arborists must have a working knowledge of what trees reign over. In other words, they must be well educated and experienced in the diverse world of the tree to provide the service that clients are looking for.

Similar to the complete arborist, ISA is the complete organization when it comes to promoting the professional practice of arbori-culture, conducting educational outreach, and researching new technology. Arborists advance the ISA mission every day, whether we realize it or not. When we meet with clients or constituents, we are educating the public on the benefits of trees and proper tree care. And we are always researching a better way to do our job with a new technique or a new tool. Yes, we still like our toys!

ISA must be diverse to best serve the great and varying needs of its members. Only in this way can ISA pursue its mission in the worldwide arena—to promote the professional practice of arboriculture through research, education, and outreach.

Who better to lead ISA into the worldwide arena than our own diverse membership? This goal can be accomplished through com-mittee work, which is what drives ISA. And it is membership that drives ISA’s committee work. It doesn’t matter which chapter you are from, your field of expertise, or whether your style is Oak or Euc, you have a lot to offer. Just like your colleagues who benefit from what you bring to a committee, you can learn from their input, which, in due time, will increase your diversity as a professional. The wider our range of volunteers, the stronger our committees are and the richer ISA is as an organization. A diversified ISA is an ISA capable of utilizing a variety of resources to reach a worldwide audience, thereby chang-ing the world’s perspective of not only our profession and capabilities as arborists but also of the positive impact we have on the environment.