Seval Çevik joined ISA in August 2022 and became ISA’s first professional member in Turkey, a title she is very proud of. Her interest in ISA stems from her desire to connect to other professionals in the field of arboriculture. As Seval strives to take professional steps toward popularizing the concept of urban forestry in her own country and creating new business areas for her forestry graduate colleagues, she believes ISA is the conduit that will put her ideas in motion. “I believe that such a global network will contribute to me and my young colleagues in terms of knowledge and experience.”

Although Seval is from Ankara, Turkey, she studied abroad at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, not far from the ISA headquarters in Atlanta, satisfying her biggest dream of studying in the United States! In total Seval holds two bachelor’s degrees and two master’s degrees from Turkish universities and continues learning as much as she can about urban heat islands and heat waves. She explores nature-based solutions, especially in inner cities. Additionally, Seval works to identify green places to create nature base solutions in micro-watersheds resulting in cooler streets, rainwater harvesting, flood management by rain gardens, and increasing carbon sequestration.

As Seval looks into the future of urban forestry in Turkey, she also reflects on urban forestry globally. “I believe that urban forestry will have a great impact on the global economy in the very near future. Its place in the carbon exchange will be different because I believe it has privileged features with its indirect effects on reducing carbon emissions, as well as its long-lasting carbon sequestration capacity. It will become more valuable as people learn about the benefits of trees in cities.”

We welcome Seval to the ISA community and look forward to supporting her in the important work she does in the field of urban forestry in Turkey.