President's Perspective - Fall 2026

By Julia Gowin on Thursday, October 1, 2026

I am excited to start my year as the WCISA president after about 10 years of Chapter involvement; first as the Chair for the Women in Arboriculture (WIA) where I helped reactivate the committee and organize women’s tree climbing workshops and later as Board Director. It is invigorating to work with such a passionate group of experts and tree lovers.

I grew up in a small town in hilly Northern Germany where I spent a lot of time outside, climbing trees and playing in the dirt. I was fortunate to live in an apartment building surrounded by forests. It seems like I spend all my waking hours, when I wasn’t at school, outside with the other neighborhood kids. We played in trees, streams, and leaf piles. We built forts with branches and acted out all sorts of life scenarios with the ample resources we had.

After graduating high school, I studied Horticulture at the University of Hannover, Germany during which I did a study abroad at Alabama A&M University. I decided to come back to the United States for my Master’s degree in Horticulture at Virginia Tech where I not only had the privilege to work with two of the most supportive, experienced, and overall wonderful people I have ever met (Susan Day and Roger Harris, who were the pivotal point in my personal and professional development), but I also learned about urban forestry and fell head over heels in love with it.  I struggled for a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and how I would fit my desire to make a difference, on the ground, to the environment, AND to people. And there it was. Right in front of me all these years. I switched over to the Department of Forestry and focused my PhD work with the wonderful Eric Wiseman on Urban Forestry.

Fast forward a few years and I am now in California, working for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). I get to supervise our activities in Northern California with a great team of Regional Urban Foresters, Foresty Technicians, Environmental Scientists, Research Data Specialists, and Analysts. It is fun and rewarding to work with a diverse group of folks, with very diverse backgrounds and skill sets, on making a difference to people’s lives and the environment.

One of the most rewarding things for me is looking beyond my horizon, learning from folks about issues I don’t know much about, and figuring out if, and how, I can support the initiative. There is so much amazing work happening and it may just be more efficient or effective with my or your assistance. One of those examples is the WIA committee back in 2015. Climbing was one of the things I always wanted to learn and after chatting with Rose Epperson and Rhonda Wood, it seemed that becoming the Chair of the WIA committee and organizing workshops was a good way to go. In 2016, we had our first Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop, followed by 2017, 2018, and 2019, then COVID hit but it’s coming back with new leadership (Sarah Santee) and a workshop is happening this fall.

Probably the biggest passion and success of my career is the CAL FIRE Green Schoolyards Initiative. It all started with a reoccurring observance of low tree cover and poor tree health at schools. Our kids are the next generation of leaders, and we must provide them with an environment that they can thrive in. They need tree shade and nature to explore and learn from and it’s our job to make it happen. My colleagues and I have been collaborating with several fantastic organizations in recent years like Green Schoolyards America as well as various state departments and agencies to help expand tree shade and nature on public school campuses. We have awarded a historic $150+ million in Green Schoolyards grants and continue to collaborate and work in all ways possible to make a difference.

I encourage you all to find something in urban forestry or arboriculture that you are interested in and are not already working in and figure out if you can support the effort. Maybe you want to join a WCISA Committee but don’t feel so confident about it. Maybe there is a topic or question you are interested in solving. Or a new partnership to build. A mentor to seek out. Do it! Go beyond your horizon and try something new. I bet great things will happen!

Julia Gowin, PhD.