The Southern Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture is a non-profit organization comprised of members in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Membership in the ISA Southern Chapter is open to individuals actively engaged in commercial, municipal, and utility arboriculture; to individuals who represent or are employed by governmental agencies, organizations or institutions whose principal duties are concerned with research, extension, and administration; and to other individuals actively interested in the planting, care, and preservation of trees. Each spring, the Southern Chapter holds a 3-day conference somewhere within the Chapter region. Educational programs at the conference are geared to be of interest and value to commercial, municipal, and utility arborists. In addition to educational sessions, the conference includes the trade show and a tree climbing championship. The winner of this tree climbing championship represents the Chapter in the International Tree Climbing Championship.