Tours & Events Update - August 2026

Our program of in-person events got off to a good start with Oak Open Days in the UK on May 16 and 17. There was around a score of participants on each day, who enjoyed entertaining and educational visits to White House Farm and Wynkcoombe Arboretum. Our thanks to our kind hosts, Maurice and Clare Foster and Nicholas Smith.

We are looking forward to two upcoming Tours in September and October. In Türkiye, Elif Deniz Ülker will lead us on an oak-themed itinerary from Istanbul to Antalya on the southern coast. In the southeastern USA, Ron Lance and Patrick Thompson will guide us through the most oak-diverse region of the country, focusing on Georgia and Alabama, with excursions into South Carolina and Florida. You can find more information on the Upcoming Events page of our website. Registration for both events is open until August 31.

For 2027, we are considering two Oak Open Days events, in northwestern France and in the UK. The OODs in France will be led by Béatrice Chassé and Jean-Baptiste Bellili and have been tentatively scheduled for June 15–18. Further details will be announced in due course via our website. In the Northern Hemisphere autumn, we are considering Tours to Korea and Sicily, as well as one in Missouri, USA. We hope to confirm dates and itineraries soon.

Our quarterly webinars continue to attract excellent presenters and good attendance. We recently decided to open these events to the public, rather than limiting them to members, in keeping with our mission “to disseminate knowledge about oaks and their habitat to the public.” This also provides an effective way to raise the profile of the Society and its activities, while reaching potential new members.

Remember, you can always contact the Tours and Events Committee to suggest ideas for events or provide feedback. Write to tours@internationaloaksociety.org.

Roderick Cameron
Chair, Tours & Events Committee