Thank you to the speakers who volunteered their time & expertise to share their knowledge through the Urban Forestry Institute (UFI). Their willingness to teach and engage with various professions helps raise the bar in our industry.
Thank you to the 2026 sponsors for their support, including Chen Moore & Associates, Earth Advisors, Natural Resource Planning Services, and the Florida Forest Service. The commitment from sponsors helps make events like the UFI possible.
Thank you to the many volunteers, committee members, and Florida Urban Forestry Council (FUFC) Board members who dedicated time throughout the year to advance the FUFC mission. The UFI is the result of many hours behind the scenes.
Thank you to the participants for investing time in the continued growth of urban forestry in Florida and beyond. The UFI has become one of the most important gatherings of professionals & tree advocates who care about, and work with, the trees within our communities. Each year, we come together to share ideas, research, and practical experiences that help us work better.
Urban forestry is not a static profession. The challenges we face continue to evolve from extreme weather events, climate stress, development pressures, changing politics, and new technologies. The work of managing and protecting our urban forests has never been more complex or more important. This is exactly why UFI matters.
Together, municipalities, state agencies, universities, and private industries shared insights on resilience, tree policy, nursery stock quality, urban forestry management strategies, and emerging technologies that are bringing change to our professions, including AI tools, LiDAR integration, improved ordinance language, and new approaches to assessing tree risks and tree conditions.
The conversations are not simply academic. The ideas heard at the UFI help inform real decisions made by community planners, arborists, and policy makers across Florida. This lies directly with the mission of the FUFC – to promote the value, enhancement, and sound management of urban forestry through leadership, collaboration, guidance, and education.
The goal is simple: making it easier for professionals and communities across Florida to access the information needed to manage trees well. The strength of the FUFC is found in the professionals and tree advocates committed to learning, sharing, and improving how urban forestry is practiced across the state.
Thank you for the work you do and for being part of the FUFC community. Strong urban forests don’t happen by accident. They happen because industry professionals decide that urban forestry matters.
– John Snow, FUFC Board President
UFI Conference Agenda
The 2026 FUFC Urban Forestry Institute (UFI) virtual conference was held on March 12-13. The conference agenda included:
“Welcome & Awards Presentation”
By Jamielyn Daugherty – UFI Chair
“Rooting for Resiliency – NYC’s Tree Planting Overview”
By Nave Strauss – Director of Tree Planting NYC Parks
“The Importance of Stating Current Terminology in Tree Ordinance”
By John Snow – Tree CheckUp, LLC and John Harris – Earth Advisors, Inc
“The Florida Forest Service & Communities; How We Can Help You”
By Todd Little – FFS Urban Forestry Coordinator; Cathy Hardin – FFS County Forester; Clark Ryals – FFS County Forester; and Dana Sussman – FFS County Forester
“Addressing Increasing Heat & Flood Risks in Urban Forestry”
By Jane Gilbert – Chief Heat Ambassador – Climate Resilience Cntr
“Beyond the Clipboard: Empowering Arborist with AL and LiDAR Integration”
By Ian Hanou – PlanIT GEO
“Trees & The Law; Part 2 of Tree Risk Assessment and FS163.045 – Codes CAN be Enforced”
By John Harris – Earth Advisors, Inc; and John Snow – Tree, CheckUp, LLC
“Tree Condition Rating Methodology”
By John Snow – Tree CheckUp, LLC
“Urban Forestry Resilience for Climate in Goals, Programs, and Projects of Member Organizations”
By FUFC Committee members
“PLT – Urban Forestry Focused Activities with Youth”
By Emily Blum – FL Project Learning Tree
“From Planting Through Maturity: How Best Management Practices Can Impact the Success of Urban Trees”
By Ryan Klien – University of FL
“Engaging Volunteers at Tree Planting Events”
By Ralph Ariza – Executive Director – Citizens for a Better South Florida
“Outdoor Advertising (ODA) & The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)”
By Darryl Richard – Landscape Architect, FDOT
“Assessing Risk Factors for hurricane – Induced Tree Failure in the Naples Urban Forest Using Advanced GIS and Machine Learning”
By Coralie Paschal – Environmental Science in the Dept of Ecology & Env Studies (M.S. Student)
“Assessing Nursery Stock Quality and Early Tree Care of Live Oak in Florida”
By Taylor Sherer – (M.S. Student) UF Arboriculture Lab
“With a Little Help From Our Friends”
By Stephanie Cadaval – UF Urban Forestry Extension Council Coordinator
Q&A Sessions throughout
Adjourned
