Dear IUFRO Division 2 Officeholders: Please take a good look at the attached “1st Announcement and call of abstracts for the FIRST IUFRO-FORNESSA REGIONAL CONGRESS” and “the Congress poster” that will be held in Nairobi, Kenya (25 – 30, JUNE 2012). I strongly feel that this meeting could offer Division 2 a platform to show our latest research ideas as well as an opportunity to interact on a personal level and discuss/plan Division 2’s future directions. It is also important to note that the IUFRO Board will also be meeting during this time, so this will provide a rare chance to interact with the Board and share our ideas. Santiago Gonzalez-Martinez and I will act as the contact people for organizing Division 2 session. So, please send this e-mail to your mailing list and encourage members participation. Kenya is a fantastic place to visit and we rarely get the chance to go to Africa. Please let Santiago and I of your plans and if you intend to attend and contribute an oral or a poster presentation to this meeting. At this stage, we will not restrict ourselves to a particular theme and will endeavour to make it complementary to the Congress theme. I look forward to hearing from you all and I can’t say how excited I am about this rare opportunity. Take care, Yousry El-Kassaby Division 2 Coordinator