Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund

ABOUT TREE FUND Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) is shaping the future of trees and the arboriculture profession. Science-based tree care enhances the beauty, safety and livability of our communities, and helps to protect the people who care for our urban forest. TREE Fund awards research grants, education grants, and scholarships to advance the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry. With increased knowledge, arborists and citizens are better equipped to properly care for trees, ensuring that healthy, mature trees will remain an integral part of our communities of the future. TREE Fund’s research priority areas are: - Root and Soil Management–Many urban tree problems originate below ground. Promoting root development, protecting roots from injury and conflicts with infrastructure are issues that arborists encounter regularly. Managing roots includes soil management. - Planting and Establishment–Tree survival and vigorous growth after planting are of concern to arborists and the entire green industry. Arborists are increasingly dealing with problems that originate in, or could be avoided by, the planting process. - Plant Health Care–Healthy plants have more effective defense systems and are better able to resist pests. Complete understanding of plant health may lead to new pest control strategies. - Risk Assessment and Worker Safety–Safety is a major concern. It can be a life-or-death issue to tree workers and the public. Detection of defects and knowing how they develop are important. Improved equipment and work practices are needed. - Urban Forestry–Urban forestry is the careful care and management of urban forests, i.e., tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. - Technology Transfer TREE Fund research shapes industry best practices, improves workforce safety and contributes to the long-term sustainability of our communities in the following crucial ways: - Improving the quality of nursery grown trees and overall tree survival through the development of hardier, drought- and disease-resistant species. - Stopping diseases and pests while reducing pesticide use with the evolution of integrated pest management programs. - Enhancing public and workforce safety with advanced tree risk assessment techniques and greater knowledge about why and how trees fail. - Quantifying the benefits of trees which makes it easier for governments and businesses to project their return on tree care investment. - Revolutionizing global best practices for growing strong, healthy landscape trees. - Connecting youth with nature to promote environmental stewardship in the next generation and inspire them to consider careers in green industries. OUR HISTORY Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) was established via a merger of the Research Trust of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the National Arborist Foundation of the National Arborist Association, now the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). Organized as a charitable trust in the state of Illinois on July 20, 2002, the roots of TREE Fund go deep into the arboriculture profession and industry. TREE Fund’s mission is to identify and fund programs that support the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in arboriculture and urban forestry. In addition to funding scientific research related to tree care and urban forestry, TREE Fund also supports student scholarship in this area and environmental educational programs for children and adults.