The International Society for Plant Pathology (ISPP) provides an important forum to promote the interests of forest pathologists working at institutions in its 100 member countries. The catalyst of this forum is the ISPP Forest Pathology Subject Matter Committee, chaired by FABI Professor Irene Barnes.  One of the various goals of the committee is to ensure that a forest pathology field trip is organized at the International Congress of Plant Pathology, which is held every five years.  The goal of these field trips is to promote easy interactions between forest pathologist from many different countries as well as to provide them with deep insights into research on the tree health problems experienced by the ICPP host country. Following this norm, a superb forest pathology field trip was organized alongside the recent ICPP held in Lyon, France. Numerous FABI team members joined participated in this field trip including Prof. Bernard Slippers, Prof. Irene Barnes, Prof. Mike Wingfield, Dr Trudy Paap and Ms Kira Lynn. The team had an opportunity to observe many different disease problems, perhaps most shockingly Ash die-back that is ravaging ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) throughout Europe.  While the day in the forests was long and occurred during an unprecedented heat wave, new friendships were forged and opportunities for future research collaboration established.