From the Board - February 2026

At the Meeting of Members (MoM) during the 11^th Triennial Conference in Oaxaca this past October, we welcomed four new members to the Board of Directors (Adam Black, Michael Eason, Elizabeth Thomas, and Elif Deniz Ülker). There were additional changes to the Board. Secretary Dan Kostka has stepped down after two terms on the Board, and we thank him for all of his work while on the Board. Dirk Giseburt has left his role as Treasurer after two terms but will remain on the Board. The Treasurer role is a lot of work and Dirk’s commitment to making sure the IOS stays in sound financial and legal condition should be applauded. Roderick Cameron has taken over as Secretary and Phil Douglas has agreed to serve this term as Treasurer. A huge thanks go out to both Dan and Dirk for the leadership and time they have given to the IOS over the years, as well as Roderick and Phil for stepping into critical roles for the IOS.

By all accounts, the Conference in Oaxaca was a resounding success. A full account of the Conference Tours and Presentations will be found in the next issue of International Oaks. A special thank you goes out to the Conference Committee for all of their hard work organizing this event.

As we are all aware, everything is getting more costly. The expenses for IOS activities and publications have risen as well. It has been 10 years since the IOS last raised membership fees in 2015, and we have worked hard for the last several years to keep dues level even as other like organizations increased. However, it has become clear that to stay financially stable, the IOS must increase membership dues. The new membership dues were discussed and approved, as follows: 

• Standard ($50 to $100/year; discounts for 2-3 year terms) 

• Electronic ($25 to $50/year) 

• Student ($12.5 to $25/year) 

• Institutional ($500 to 750/year; discounts for 3-year terms) 

• Life ($1,500). 

Standard Membership is available at four levels; these have the same membership benefits but different levels of support for the Society’s mission and goals. Standard Memberships are available for 2-year terms ($5 total discount) and 3-year terms ($10 total discount): 

• Insignis (with optional recognition in International Oaks): $100

• Glauca: $80, 

• Rubra: $60, 

• Cerris: $50. 

Electronic Memberships are priced at 50% of the Standard fee, also at four levels, but they are only available for 1-year terms. 

Student Memberships (1-year term only): 

• Standard: $25; 

• Electronic: $12.50; 

Institutional Memberships: 

• Standard: $500 (1 year) or $1,250 (3 years); 

• Supporting: $750 (1 year) or $2,000 (3 years); 

Life Membership: $1,500.

Bear in mind that 10% of your membership dues will be allocated as a contribution to the Oak Conservation and Research Fund.

Membership has risen steadily since 2021, and as of October, 2025, we have our highest membership levels yet with nearly 800 members worldwide. Our Supporting Membership levels have increased to twelve overall. Our Electronic Membership is the newest option and has been met with open arms by many as a cheaper option to stay current with IOS activities and publications. 

Thanks to the hard work by former IOS President Charles Snyers, the IOS’s Oak Names Database has received a much-needed overhaul. The old system was very tedious and slow to edit. Often, new updates would crash the site for hours or days, and it had very limited storage for photos. Our new site can be found here: https://www.oaknames.org/ or can be located under the “Resources” tab on the IOS website. This new web-based platform allows for easier editing capabilities and extra photo storage. 

The Oak Conservation and Research (OC&R) Fund awarded 18 grants in 2025. Thanks to Tim Boland for leading this committee, and a huge thanks to everyone who supports this work. This is made possible through donations from the membership, so you have a vital role to play for oak conservation throughout the world. The fundraising campaign for 2025-26 is currently underway. Please take a minute and visit the IOS website or use the OC&R donation link: https://bit.ly/IOSAppeal2025 

The IOS Tour Committee is hard at work again this year and has a few exciting opportunities to view oaks across the globe. This coming May, we will have back-to-back OODs at two UK oak collections: White House Farm and Arboretum and Wynkcoombe Arboretum. In September, new Board Member Dr. Elif Deniz Ülker and colleagues will lead attendees on a 7-day journey across Türkiye’s diverse ecoregions with over a dozen species. Then in October, the Tour of Southeast USA will take place. This Tour will focus primarily on Georgia and Alabama, with a few stops in South Carolina and northern Florida. Please check out the IOS website for more details or use this link: https://bit.ly/OAKEvents 

Ryan Russell 
President
International Oak Society