2019 Call for Presentation/Workshops
Submission Deadline:  April 5^th, 2019

The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) will hold its 55^th Annual International Urban Forestry Conference and Trade Show on November 18-19^th, 2019 in Cleveland, OH. Pre-conference workshops will be held on Monday, November 18th, 2019 in the afternoon. SMA invites potential speakers to submit presentation/workshop proposals to the SMA Conference Committee. 

Municipal Forestry is a unique profession that encompasses many disciplines, skills, sciences, theories and philosophies. Municipal forestry is more than taking care of trees; it builds community, enhances healthy lifestyles, and promotes a healthy environment. A robust municipal forestry program must be inter-departmental, inter-agency, include private partnerships and be all-inclusive.

This years’ conference seeks presentations that address successful interdisciplinary partnerships resulting in sustainably managed community forests for this and future generations. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Practical applications of urban forestry in the community
• Collaborations across municipal departments, non-profits, or agencies that integrate trees into the planning, management, and rebuilding of infrastructure
• Impact of a changing climate on management practices
• Preparing the next generation of urban foresters.
• Latest research on environmental and public health benefits of urban forests
• Use of urban forest inventory analysis to guide management and engage the public
• Creative solutions to fund the urban forest
• Latest research on the newest pruning standards - training young trees.

Proposal Details

Proposal Form: Submit the online form on the SMA website. Include all pertinent information about yourself and any co-presenter(s). Be sure to fill out all the spaces on the form. Only electronic submissions through the SMA on-line submission page will be accepted.

Learning Objective: All submissions must include a learning objective that conveys the presenter’s intent of what the attendees should learn from the presentation. When writing learning objectives use active verbs such as implement, evaluate, prepare, solve, identify demonstrate, discuss. Avoid verbs such as know, understand, or learn.

Session Format: Although PowerPoint presentations are common, other presentation formats are encouraged. Indicate the format of your presentation and any equipment needs.

Session Length: Presentation length should be 30 to 45 minutes with up to an hour for panel sessions. Workshops can be up to 4 hours in length. Length of sessions may need to be adapted to fit overall program.

Proposals are due no later than 5:00 pm EDT on April 5^th, 2019. Presenters accepted for the program will be notified by May 6^th. The conference program will be finalized in May.

Please direct questions about the call for presentations/workshops to Dorothy Abeyta at [email protected].

SMA Speaker Policy: It has long been a tradition at SMA that speakers are not paid an honorarium, reimbursed for travel, or given reduced registration rates. Most speakers have been from the field of urban and community forestry and have presented at the Annual SMA International Urban Forestry Conference as a way to give back to their professional association, share their knowledge, and interact with peer colleagues. As a non-profit association, SMA has been able to keep conference attendance costs down for our members due to the dedication and generosity of our speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors.