TREE Fund Board Welcomes Doug Anderson: Winter 2012
Return to Table of Contents – Winter 2012 TREE Fund Report
Sometimes it just comes down to timing. Doug Anderson has championed the TREE Fund and its mission for years, as a cyclist/fundraiser in seven Tours des Trees and as TREE Fund Liaison to ISA’s Western Chapter (WCISA) from 2003-2008. He also is a driving force at WCISA, having recently completed a term as Chapter President and continuing to serve as Certification Committee Chair, 2012 Conference Program Chair and President of the Chapter’s non-profit Britton Fund.
Recently, with the Chapter leadership and the TREE Fund Liaison position in the hands of other capable Chapter members, Anderson decided that the timing was right to accept an oft-repeated invitation to join the TREE Fund Board. He sees it as the logical next step in a life spent in homage and service to the outdoors, the trees and the people who love them.
“Since my first Tour des Trees in 2003 I’ve felt connected to the TREE Fund and the people associated with it,” he said recently. “That cliché about the Tour ‘changing your life’ held true for me. The people I met on that ride drew me to theTREE Fund. Their passion invigorated me, and I continue to be inspired by the people associated with the organization.”
As the founding and current president of the Britton Fund, Anderson has made significant contributions to the advancement of arboriculture research and education within the Western Chapter. But he admits to an unrestrainedenthusiasm for the “education” aspect of the TREE Fund’s mission, and is looking forward to helping to create opportunities to introduce kids to nature and get them interested in the environment.
“The chance to make a positive impact on a global scale first attracted me to the TREE Fund, and has kept me connected to the organization,” Anderson said. “But I also see opportunities at the local level. I’ll continue to champion the TREE Fund to the Chapter membership and our West Coast researchers, and I hope to magnify the TREE Fund’s presence and opportunities at WCISA. I’d love to play a role in getting kids out of the building and connected with nature. We need to hook them early, as I was. Richard Louv (“Last Child in the Woods”) got it right: ‘It’s a good thing to learn more about nature in order to share this knowledge with children; it’s even better if the adult and child learn about nature together. And it’s a lot more fun.’”
Anderson is looking forward to reconnecting with his “tree family” during the 2012 STIHL Tour des Trees this August. “I missed their passion when I didn’t ride, and I’ve missed my involvement with the TREE Fund since I completed my term as Liaison. I’m glad to be back; the timing finally felt right.”