Roots and Rings: Where the Stories of Our Past Becomes the Strength of Our Future

This week on Roots and Rings, we’re joined by Meg Hanna, Director of Urban and Community Forestry for Canada with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.Meg works with a national network of leaders to implement the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard, partnering with municipalities, Indigenous communities, NGOs, and industry to strengthen urban forest management across Canada. She also supports SFI’s Career Pathways Program, helping expand access to green careers and build the next generation of forestry professionals.Before joining SFI, Meg spent seven years as Living Collections Supervisor at the Montréal Botanical Garden, overseeing collections care, arboriculture, and decision-making in one of North America’s most visited public gardens.She holds a BA and MA from McGill University, a certificate in horticulture and green space management from Université Laval, and is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist with the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. She has also volunteered with ISA and its chapters for more than a decade.Meg’s mission is simple and powerful: to elevate urban forests — and the people who care for them.We’re excited to have her with us today.

This week on Roots and Rings, ISA Ontario is pleased to welcome Alexander Martin as our special guest.Alex began his career as a tree-climbing arborist before moving into the world of urban forestry research, bringing real-world experience into the academic arena. A Board Certified Master Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture, he holds degrees in Urban Forestry and Geography and is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Oxford.He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, presents regularly across North America, and has helped shape industry best practices and standards — including contributions to ANSI Z133.We were thrilled he made the trip across the pond to join us in London for ISAO’s 77th Educational Conference.