International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF)

Yale's student chapter of the International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF) was first organized in 1989, as part of a network of natural resource professionals concerned with tropical resource management. ISTF provides a forum for students with interests and experiences in linking natural resource conservation and management with economic development.

Members participate in a range of social, educational, and professional activities that promote the sharing of experiences and knowledge related to resource management in developing countries. In addition to organizing field trips to the New York Botanical Garden, hosting discussion events and career talks (“Dinner with a Tropical Forester”), ISTF also organizes a two-day conference on an emerging topic in the tropics – the largest student-organized conference at FES. Conferences in recent years have brought together representatives of governments, universities, and environmental and development organizations to discuss:

• Innovations in Tropical Forest Management
• Tropical Forests and Climate Change
• Conflict and Cooperation
• Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation
• Payment for Environmental Services
• Illegal Logging and Certification
• People in Parks
• Himalayan conservation and development

Leaders