Urban And Community Forestry Society

What Urban And Community Forestry Society does

The Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS) is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1964 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that serves an international community of 2,000+ urban and community forestry professionals. Its mission is to build the confidence, competence, and camaraderie of the people who manage trees and forests in cities, delivering this through a portfolio that includes the ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional certification support program, the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) leadership development program, an Accreditation Program for municipal forestry departments, the City Trees publication, a Mentoring Program, an Arborist Exchange Program, and a Learning Series of sponsored webinars. The core technology underlying these offerings is non-technical — the organization's primary assets are its content library, certification/accreditation standards, and convening power through its annual conference and tradeshow.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: recurring membership dues (subscription model), one-time conference and tradeshow registration fees, fees for educational webinars and certification study groups (e.g., $65 for members / $100 for non-members for the ISA study group), and tuition-style fees for the application-based Municipal Forestry Institute. The annual conference rotates across U.S. cities, with the 2026 event scheduled in St. Louis, Missouri. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with distribution through the ucfsociety.org website, direct member enrollment, email newsletters, LinkedIn, YouTube-hosted recorded content, and regional member meet-ups in cities such as Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Corporate sponsorship is a material revenue lever, with Bartlett Tree Experts serving as Exclusive Learning Series Partner, Dudek sponsoring the Wildfire and the Urban Forest series, and Davey Resource Group supporting the Career Compass Series.

The organization is governed by an elected member board (currently recruiting two At-Large Executive Board Seats for service beginning January 1, 2027) and operates with a very small staff of 1-10 employees, suggesting a lean operating model reliant heavily on volunteer leadership and partner-sponsored content production. There is no evidence of external ownership, private equity backing, or institutional investment; financial control rests with the membership through board governance. Strategic partnerships extend the organization's reach into adjacent areas such as urban wood reclamation (Urban Wood Network, Rocktown Urban Wood) and wildfire resilience education, indicating an intent to broaden topical coverage while remaining anchored to its professional-society core.

Name

Urban And Community Forestry Society

Legal name

Urban and Community Forestry Society

Website

https://www.ucfsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1964 that provides education, certification support, professional development, and networking for an international community of 2,000+ urban and community forestry professionals managing trees in cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)

Keywords

• Urban forestry education
• Professional certification
• Membership association
• Arboriculture training
• Municipal forestry

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that provide access to professional development resources, networking opportunities, certification support, and member-only content. The organization states it has over 2,000 members from across the world.
2. Annual Conference and Tradeshow: Registration fees for the annual conference event featuring educational sessions, tradeshow, networking opportunities, and pre-conference tours. The conference is held in various U.S. cities annually.
3. Educational Programs and Webinars: Fees for specialized learning series webinars and certification study groups, including the ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional study groups at $65 for members and $100 for non-members.
4. Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI): Intensive leadership training program for urban forestry professionals with application-based admission process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS) is a nonprofit membership organization providing education, professional development, certification support, leadership training, publications, and networking opportunities for urban forestry professionals. Core offerings include the annual Conference and Tradeshow, the Municipal Forestry Institute leadership program, the ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional certification, the City Trees publication, the Accreditation Program for municipal forestry programs, and ongoing webinar-based Learning Series.

Product overview

Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS) is a membership-based professional organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs, education, certifications, publications, and events for urban and community forestry professionals. The organization's offerings include the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) for leadership development, ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional certification support, an Accreditation Program for municipal forestry programs, the City Trees publication, and the annual Conference and Tradeshow. UCFS also provides ongoing professional development through its Learning Series webinars and Career Compass series, specialized programs including Mentoring, Arborist Exchange, and a three-part Wildfire and the Urban Forest series. Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the field. The society connects over 2,000 members internationally who manage trees and forests in cities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UCFS Membership Annual membership providing access to professional development resources, networking opportunities, certification support, and member-only content for urban forestry professionals worldwide.
• UCFS Annual Conference and Tradeshow An annual conference and tradeshow bringing together members and non-members to network, learn, and share knowledge, featuring educational sessions, a tradeshow, networking opportunities, and pre-conference tours.
• Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) A leadership development program offering intensive training and skill-building for urban forestry professionals in management roles.
• ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional Certification Support A professional certification program for urban foresters, providing credentials that demonstrate expertise and commitment to professional excellence, supported by UCFS study groups.
• City Trees Publication A premier publication featuring expert and peer insights on managing trees in communities, providing ongoing educational content to members and subscribers.
• UCFS Accreditation Program A program that accredits municipal forestry programs based on standards covering program administration, planning, field operations, and community engagement.
• Mentoring Program A support program connecting urban forestry professionals for peer guidance and career development, particularly for those who have hit career road bumps.
• Arborist Exchange Program A program allowing professionals to swap positions with others in the field to gain new perspectives and share techniques.
• Career Compass Series A three-part career development webinar series supporting professionals through key stages of career growth, from landing jobs to leadership development.
• Wildfire and the Urban Forest Series A three-part webinar series covering wildfire risk assessment, planning resources, and urban forest management strategies.
• UCFS Learning Series An ongoing webinar-based educational series covering topics such as urban forest management, wildfire resilience, tree inventory data, habitat management, community engagement, and professional certifications.
• Annual Awards Program Recognition program that honors outstanding contributions to urban and community forestry, including the Award of Merit, Award of Achievement, Young or Emerging Professional Award, Legacy Project of the Year Award, and i-Tree Innovation Award.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Urban Wood Network (UWN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026UCFS partners with the Urban Wood Network to host educational events about municipal urban wood programs. The partnership focuses on promoting urban wood reclamation, waste reduction, and supporting local economies through salvaged wood products.
• Bartlett Tree ExpertscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBartlett Tree Experts serves as the Exclusive Learning Series Partner for UCFS, sponsoring the educational webinar series that covers topics such as tree inventory data, habitat management, urban forest ordinances, community engagement, and professional certifications. This partnership provides ongoing educational content for members and supports workforce development in urban forestry.
• DudekcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDudek sponsors the Wildfire and the Urban Forest three-part webinar series, supporting educational content on wildfire resilience for urban forestry professionals. The series includes sessions on fire behavior, planning resources, and application of wildfire science in urban forest management.
• Davey Resource GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDavey Resource Group supports the Career Compass Series, providing sponsorship for professional development webinars focused on career growth and leadership development for urban forestry professionals.
• Rocktown Urban WoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Harrisonburg Urban Wood Partnership, Rocktown Urban Wood transforms salvaged urban wood into usable products including furniture, lumber, and custom pieces, supporting local craftsmanship and small-scale manufacturing.
• Great Rivers GreenwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest speaker organization for the 2026 UCFS Pre-Conference Tour in St. Louis, sharing insights on organizational collaboration and green infrastructure vision connecting neighborhoods and expanding access to greenspace.
• Forest ReLeafminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest speaker organization for the 2026 UCFS Pre-Conference Tour in St. Louis, contributing to discussions on urban forest restoration and community-driven initiatives.
• City of St. Louis ForestryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest speaker organization for the 2026 UCFS Pre-Conference Tour, providing insider perspectives on municipal forestry operations and tornado response and recovery efforts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3Sd0vHTec_7AwZ8fZ2iNIQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-municipal-arborists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban And Community Forestry Society