IDL offers Two Scholarships to Community Foresters for 2022 Municipal Foresters Institute

Friday May 27, 2022

Boise, ID - The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Community Forestry Program is offering up to two scholarships to municipal arborist staff to attend the national 2022 Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI), which is a week-long, intensive, high-level leadership and education training program.

Two applicants will be chosen from Idaho municipal forestry programs (city community forestry program or equivalent) for the IDL scholarship to MFI. Community foresters may also be eligible for a Diversity Scholarship sponsored by the Society of Municipal Arborists. The society provides these scholarships for historically underserved populations, including all ethnicities.

The institute is an intensive high-level professional growth program of the Society of Municipal Arborists. This week-long training provides personal and professional development opportunities for key urban forestry decision makers who want to become effective leaders and managers. Now in its 17th year, the cadre of dedicated urban forestry instructors have taught more than 800 MFI leaders since 2005.

“IDL is pleased to offer this professional training and other learning opportunities for city foresters and growing leaders to help them manage and continue to expand urban forests,” said IDL’s Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager Matthew Perkins. “The experience gained at MFI 2017 was some of the most useful and valuable guidance I have received. The challenges that Urban Foresters face in the programs they oversee are diverse and the exercises that participants are lead through at this training are designed specifically to address those challenges.”

The scholarships will cover registration fees, course materials, and meals (Sunday dinner through Friday lunch) and five nights lodging, with a total value of $2,399. Recipients will be responsible for their travel and any other incidental costs. This year's Municipal Foresters Institute will be held at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH from September 25 to 30, 2022.

For more information about the institute visit the Society of Municipal Arborists website.

The deadline for submitting scholarship applications is June 24, 2022.