Environmental professionals, planners, land managers, researchers and local authorities are joining leading experts at the Arboricultural Association Conference 2026 in Lancaster this September.
Professionals working across environmental management, ecology, planning, landscape design, forestry, green infrastructure, academia and local government are being encouraged to attend the event taking place at Lancaster University from 7-9 September.
Bringing together 24 expert speakers alongside interactive workshops, practical demonstrations and an exhibition, the Conference will examine how trees and urban forests can be protected and managed amid rising temperatures, drought, emerging pests and diseases, development pressures and increasing demand for greener, healthier communities.
While the event sits at the heart of the UK tree care profession, many of the challenges being addressed extend far beyond arboriculture. Trees play an increasingly important role in climate adaptation, biodiversity recovery, sustainable development, public health, flood management and the creation of liveable towns and cities.
Ensuring that they survive and deliver their full benefits requires collaboration between arborists, planners, ecologists, landscape professionals, researchers, landowners, local authorities and many others.
This Conference is an opportunity to bring those perspectives together, share the latest research and consider how evidence can be turned into better decisions and practical action.
Among the international contributors is ecologist Manuel Esperon, whose research examines how urban trees respond to extreme heat and drought. His presentation will explore the characteristics associated with greater climate resilience and how this evidence could inform future species selection in towns and cities.
Carla Padilla Salas of the University of Stirling will examine tree equity, ecosystem services and maintenance practices. Her research asks whether communities with fewer resources also receive less proactive tree care, potentially creating a cycle in which trees are less able to thrive and residents receive fewer environmental benefits.
Tree health and biosecurity will also feature prominently. Laura Kelly, Research Leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, will explain how evolutionary and genomic approaches can help predict future pest and disease risks, while Forest Research scientist Nick Porter will present work assessing threats to England’s urban forest and the potential consequences for climate regulation, air quality, biodiversity and human wellbeing.
Other sessions will explore how infrastructure and development funding could support the long-term management of ancient and veteran trees; the creation of new bat roosting habitat within trees; urban ecosystems in extreme climates; tree and woodland protection; and the role of soil health in supporting mature trees.
Technology will form part of the discussion too. Aleksandra Zienkiewicz will lead a workshop demonstrating how satellite imagery, LiDAR, aerial data and machine learning can be converted into practical evidence for urban forestry, biodiversity assessment and climate adaptation planning. Further workshops will examine tree preservation order applications, soil regeneration and new approaches to creating accessible digital resources for studying trees and fungi.
The accompanying exhibition will give delegates opportunities to meet organisations working across tree establishment, nurseries, environmental technology, surveying and reporting software, soil stabilisation, ground protection and professional forestry.
Three-day delegates can also join a field trip to the National Trust’s Sizergh estate on Wednesday 9 September. The visit will include an exploration of the estate’s trees and the SOIL exhibition, a collaboration between artists, farmers and Lancaster University academics celebrating and investigating the world beneath our feet.
It is hoped that the Conference will encourage new conversations across professions and help trees become a more fully integrated part of environmental planning and decision-making.
Day tickets and full Conference packages are available, with bookings including on-demand access to recordings from the speaker sessions taking place on the day or days booked. Early-bird rates are available until 31 July, while delegate booking closes on 24 August.
