World Forum on Urban Forests to Convene Global Leaders For Five-Day Conference

LINCOLN, Nebraska (September 28, 2023) – The world’s most influential urban forestry leaders are set to descend on Washington D.C. in mid-October for the World Forum on Urban Forests. It’s the first time the international gathering has been held in the United States.

“The World Forum on Urban Forests is a global call to action for tree champions working to amplify the impact of forests in their cities. With unparalleled access to experts and resources, industry leaders will be able to generate forward-thinking ideas vital to growing urban forests right now,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The Arbor Day Foundation is proud to collaborate with the United Nations and several other organizations to host the Forum. We’re hopeful attendees will return home feeling empowered to put their newfound knowledge to work.”

More than 800 urban forestry experts from more than 60 different countries will be in attendance. The conference held Oct. 16-20, will feature workshops and seminars intended to foster discussion on the development of healthy, inclusive and resilient cities. Programming focuses on a range of topics including addressing urban heat, equitable distribution of tree canopy, climate change adaptation and establishing biodiversity in urban forests. Participants will also be able to participate in offsite field tours at locations like the U.S. Capitol grounds and the Smithsonian Gardens.

All conference events will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Downtown D.C. unless otherwise noted. A full schedule of events and information about keynote speakers can be found online.

The Forum is co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Arbor Day Foundation, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, International Society of Arboriculture, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation Urban Forestry Division, Smithsonian Gardens and USDA Forest Service.

The World Forum on Urban Forests comes soon after the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act’s historic $1.6 billion investment in urban forestry. The U.S. legislation is in step with similar initiatives from Mexico, Canada and Europe, all aimed at rapidly growing urban forests to help address climate change.  

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. Together with our partners, we have helped plant more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival. Through our members, partners and programs, the Arbor Day Foundation inspires people across the globe to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.?

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