国际树木协会 International Society of Arboriculture – 全球性树木养护专业组织

国际树木协会(International Society of Arboriculture,简称 ISA)成立于 1924 年,是一个总部位于美国佐治亚州亚特兰大市的全球性树木养护专业组织,其前身为 1924 年由康涅狄格州树木保护审查委员会 40 名个人共同发起的非营利行业联盟。ISA 致力于在全世界范围内推动树木栽培(arboriculture)行业的专业化发展,通过认证体系、教育培训、出版物和公众科普,服务树木养护行业的研究与教育已超过 100 年。协会总部位于 270 Peachtree Street NW Suite 1900, Atlanta, GA 30303,通信地址为 PO Box 191, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701。

协会沿革与组织架构

ISA 自 1924 年成立以来,已发展为覆盖全球 60 多个国家与地区、拥有数万名认证会员的国际性行业组织。董事会由全球各地推选的代表组成,下设认证委员会、教育委员会、出版委员会、会员服务委员会等多个常设机构,负责制定树木栽培行业的国际标准与最佳实践。协会每年举办年度国际大会(Annual International Conference),2026 年的大会已于 8 月 10-12 日在美国密歇根州底特律市举行,会议汇集全球树木养护从业者、研究学者与产业代表,发布最新行业标准与研究成果。协会的治理与会员服务依托 Wild Apricot 协会管理平台运行,会员可在 Members Only 区域查看完整理事会议记录、活动相册与电子简报归档。

认证体系与培训资源

ISA 的核心业务之一是面向树木养护从业者提供专业认证(ISA Credential),主要包括注册 arborist(ISA Certified Arborist®)、注册 arborist 专家(Board Certified Master Arborist®)、注册市政 arborist(ISA Certified Municipal Specialist®)以及注册树木工人攀登专家(ISA Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist®)等类别。认证考试每年在全球授权考点举行,持证人员需通过持续教育学分(continuing education units, CEU)维持认证有效性。ISA 在线学习中心提供数十门培训课程,涵盖园艺培训系列、城市林业在线、树木解剖学、树木生理学、非生物疾病、病虫害识别与一般诊断等专题,会员可在线完成学习并获取 CEU 学分。协会同时维护一个在线树木专家数据库,公众可通过邮编查询所在地区的注册 arborist 专家。

出版物与公众教育平台

ISA 出版多种专业刊物与公众教育资料,核心刊物包括面向会员的双月刊《Arborist News》、学术季刊《Journal of Arboriculture & Urban Forestry》(原《Journal of Arboriculture》,已并入《Arboriculture & Urban Forestry》)以及《Today’s ISA》行业通讯。协会还发布四个系列播客节目,持续更新树木养护行业的前沿动态。面向公众的子网站 TreesAreGood.org(网址:http://www.treesaregood.org/)由 ISA 运营,向公众提供树木相关的教育信息,内容涵盖树木的生态价值、选择适宜树种的原则、不同年龄段树木的养护要点、如何妥善照顾城市环境中的树木等,资源来自国际树木栽培学会并经其他行业组织核实,为家庭园艺爱好者与社区居民提供可靠的树木护理信息。

子网站与国际攀岩锦标赛

除 TreesAreGood.org 之外,ISA 体系还包括国际树木攀岩锦标赛(International Tree Climbing Championship,简称 ITCC)子网站(网址:http://www.itcc-isa.com/)。ITCC 是 ISA 主办的国际性树木攀岩竞技赛事,参赛 arborist 仅以绳索和安全装备进行徒手树木攀登,完成工作攀登(work climb)、空中救助(aerial rescue)、投掷线(throwline)等预设科目的速度与技巧比拼,旨在推动树木作业安全标准的国际交流。ITCC 每年举办一届,2026 年的相关赛事已在美国多个州以及英国、加拿大、中国台湾、新西兰等地陆续展开,包括 NYSA、British Columbia、Puget Sound、Michigan、Ontario、Indiana、Texas 等区域性锦标赛,以及欧洲锦标赛与 ISA 国际锦标赛。

官网：https://www.isa-arbor.com/

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), founded in 1924, is a globally recognised professional organisation for the tree care industry, headquartered at 270 Peachtree Street NW Suite 1900, Atlanta, GA 30303, with a mailing address at PO Box 191, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. Originally established by 40 members of the Connecticut Tree Protection Examining Board, ISA has served the tree care industry for more than a century through research, education, credentialing, and public outreach programs that promote the professional practice of arboriculture across more than 60 countries and regions worldwide.

History and Governance

Since its founding in 1924, ISA has grown into an international organisation with tens of thousands of credentialed members across six continents. The board of directors comprises elected representatives from around the world, supported by standing committees on credentialing, education, publications, and member services that shape the international standards and best practices of the arboriculture profession. The association hosts an Annual International Conference each year — the 2026 conference was held August 10-12 in Detroit, Michigan, USA — bringing together practitioners, researchers, and industry leaders to share the latest research, technology, and best practices. Governance and member services run on the Wild Apricot association management platform, with members accessing board minutes, event photo galleries, and newsletter archives through the Members Only portal.

Credentialing and Education Programs

A core mission of ISA is the credentialing of working arborists through globally recognised certification programs, including the ISA Certified Arborist®, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®, ISA Certified Municipal Specialist®, and ISA Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist® designations. Examinations are administered annually at authorised testing centres worldwide, and credential holders must earn continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain active status. The ISA Online Learning Center delivers dozens of self-paced courses spanning arboriculture training series, urban forestry, tree anatomy and physiology, abiotic disorders, pest and disease diagnosis, and general tree diagnostics, allowing members to earn CEUs while advancing their professional knowledge. The association also maintains a public Find an Arborist online database that helps homeowners and property managers locate credentialed tree care professionals by ZIP code.

Publications and Public Education

ISA publishes a portfolio of professional and public-facing materials, including the bimonthly Arborist News magazine for members, the peer-reviewed scientific journal Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (formerly the Journal of Arboriculture), and the Today’s ISA industry newsletter. The association also produces four ongoing podcast series that explore current topics in tree care research and practice. The TreesAreGood.org public education website (http://www.treesaregood.org/), operated by ISA, delivers consumer-facing resources on the benefits of trees, proper tree selection, age-appropriate tree care, and best practices for caring for trees in the urban environment, drawing on materials from the International Society of Arboriculture and other vetted industry organisations to serve homeowners, community groups, and municipal planners.

Affiliated Sub-Sites and the International Tree Climbing Championship

In addition to TreesAreGood.org, the ISA family of websites includes the International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC) portal (http://www.itcc-isa.com/). The ITCC is an ISA-sanctioned competitive event in which credentialed arborists ascend trees using only ropes and safety equipment, completing timed events in work climb, aerial rescue, throwline, and ascent challenges that showcase both the safety standards and the technical skill of the working arborist. The championship is held annually, with the 2026 calendar spanning regional events across the United States — including New York State, British Columbia, Puget Sound, Michigan, Ontario, Indiana, Georgia, and Texas — alongside the European Tree Climbing Championship and the ISA International Tree Climbing Championship, advancing the international exchange of tree work safety standards and climbing technique.

Official Site: https://www.isa-arbor.com/