New Year's Resolution

[Guy Meilleur]

After seeing the news story below, and hearing that folks in big cities are concerned that too few potential customers even know what an arborist is, I'm making an early New Year's Resolution:

"In 2004, I will publicly promote, in as many ways and media as possible, the value of good tree care. I will spend less time chatting with the choir, and focus more on government officials, journalists and others who can influence the public's perception of trees and advance the profession of tree care. "

Now more than ever this has to be our purpose. Yeah it's frutrating, but just read this and tell me it's not worth trying:

Recently there was an incident on state-owned land where the tops of several thousand trees were cut off. What happens to trees when they're topped, whether for the holidays or to avoid power lines?

"Although they'll look funny, trees should survive the ordeal if topped correctly," said (a nameless state) forester. "The proper way to top a tree is to make the cut across the stem, or trunk, at a 45-degree angle to prevent water from pooling at the top of the tree. It's also important to leave plenty of stems on deciduous trees and needles on conifers on the part of the tree below the cut, and to leave at least half the crown. If you decide to top a tree, do it in late summer or fall to prevent air borne diseases from causing infections."

(This last cautionary note no doubt because this was written in an oak wilt state--very responsible advice, wasn't it?)

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
See how much progress they have made?
Yeah, they deserve my money.

Rocky how much progress have YOU made?
The point is not to dis the orgs by passing judgment on their progress in promoting OUR profession, but to look at what WE can do better.

It's not THEY or US, we're all in it together. Throwing bricks at the efforts of others will not build a better career for yourself.
Talking outside of AS just may make a difference.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
This guy reached hundreds if not thousands of people with his public statement. He just mis-informed more people in one day than I can educate in 10 years.

Well then best to just hunker down in your skwerl hole and seethe. You're right, let's just all give up, what's the use?.

That guy btw was a STATE forester in a northern state, not NC. The story was in a medium-sized city's newpaper so it's hard to say how many were misinformed. The point is, what do "we" want to do about it? Nothing?

It's been said before, ISA and NAA are only as effective as its members make them.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Rocky,

Have you heard the saying, "If it's to be, it's up to me"?

How much credibility would a comment from you, in Florida, have on someone in a northern state? Huge!!! It would show how powerful a word can be. If his message reached you, you could sure get a message back to him.

If information like this is hammered from all directions it will eventually go away. Is that the job of only the trade organizations? I don't think so. Is that an easy task? Of course not. I'll bet that even McPeak has a tiny ripple every time he puts on his spikes to top a tree.

One thing that has intrigued me with the arbo forums is the universiality of some conclusions. Topping is looked down upon all over the world. Don't you think that the fella who wrote that column would have pause in his life if he started to get responses from all over the world?

As Lord Horatio Nelson said, "Forget about maneuvers, go stratight at 'em!" It worked for him in Denmark, the Nile and Trafalgar, it's good advice for a lot of battles.

Tom

 

[monkeypuzzle]

Well guys I am lit Lots of family came home and good lord at the whiskey. I want last long.

Most of the folks walking around could give a rats arss about a tree. It's just not there thang. ''It's just a tree'' they say.

WE DO. And you can preach.


I bet there are a whole bunch of arborist around the country that would put a hoe across the back of a little harmless snakes head.

I try to preach to folks around my parts about why they should just let the little guy get to the other side of the road. They look at me like my eyes were turning red. They don't give one flyin poot about a snake. I'ts just not their thing. It 20 years I have seen a great decline in snakes, all the preaching or maybe all the cars.

Yes I am ramblin, so what. I still love all you tree dudes.


ok I'm really drunk. Merry X-mass everybody(is that two words or one?) :alien:

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yo Stevie, I like snakes too. I freak people out all the time picking them up, the harmless ones.

People that kill harmlees types of snakes don't know squat about all the good they do.

HEY TREES ROCK !!!!

 

[SilverBlue]

Didn’t everyone watch the Simpson’s save the tree episode? If America didn’t learn from that then it’s a lost cause. Trees rock? I thought they rolled. Or do rocks roll? Does that work? Tree&roll?MMMM eggnog…keep em coming honey…

 

[tophopper]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur

That guy btw was a STATE forester in a northern state, not NC.

Guy,
After replying to you in another thread regarding the comment made by our state sivilculturalist, then reading this thread it all comes together. It ok you can say it it was minnesota where this occurred, and yes what a tradegedy it was, some poor sap went thru and topped hundreds if not thousands of conifers unnoticed by officials on state land. Anyhow, obviously the official who responded to the incident didnt know his head from his arse. But this does in no way reflects on the level of arboricultural knowledge we have in our state.

Rocky- Im with Guy on this one, we've all heard youre opinion about these affiliations (ISA, NAA), Im not sure you realize what it takes to run these orginations, do you think they operate with no costs? These orginizations need the financial support of its members to simply operate, if they can operate as intended then they can do all that is possible to educate the public. It will not happen overnight. I second what guy said" what have you done"
Pony up the dough, join the affiliations,and become involved, these orginizations would love to have your help in anyway to help spread their message. If everyone had your viewpoint, there would be no members at all, and no orginizations to boot. would this be good for our industry, a group of individuals trying to earn prestigie(sp?) among the public but not a single affiliation tied to it?
ISA membership- 85 bucks a year, even Im not to cheap for that
NAA membership- ok a bit more costly, premiums based on revenue- cheapest membership around 200 bucks I think.

Your a tree guy right, have you ever made a contribution to ANY orgination? If you are a tree guy, I cant think of any better orginization to contribute to. Maybe the National Arbor Day Foundation is more up your alley- costs 15 bucks annuallly, and they'll send you 10 free trees with your membership, is that worth it to you? At least you see something material, rather than support a good cause right

 

[Stumper]

I printed up a new bid sheet. It contains several definitions and a caution against topping. It will at least educate a few people who have placed a degree of confidence in my expertise. The bid sheet is in the wrong format to post as an attachment but if I can figure out how to convert it I'll stick it up here.

 

[monkeypuzzle]

Won't -----want----waughnt-------yea, but who said so?


I here---hear---ya MB!

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[rwilk]

I'm in with get out and educate who you can. I lost a job the other day because I would not "top" a tree as he customer demanded. I explained the bad points and explained how crown reduction and thinning would be more appropriate. She said I don't know what I'm talking about because she had a tree topped 10 years ago and "it's fine". The tree was full of suckers, had fungus on the branches and the root ball was showing signs of decay.

As for the associations, get in. The arborculture arena is the same a the Paramedic field. Everybody complains about the pay is not as good as nurses, but that is all they do is complain. Nobody will get in the associations to help fight for us. Everybody put in just a little and it will be big over all.

just my thought

rwilk

 

[treeman82]

I wish I would have thought to take pictures of these 3 oaks a couple years ago. They had all been topped at no more than 25 feet off the ground. Each of the three were probably close to 30" DBH. HUGE suckers. Some of the larger ones that I saw had to be close to 12" in diameter where they started. The woman wanted the trees to come down, yeah right... like I am going to climb a tree and rig off of it when it is comprised almost completely of suckers.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by rwilk
I lost a job the other day because I would not "top" a tree as he customer demanded. I explained the bad points and explained how crown reduction and thinning would be more appropriate.

Putting a $.20 brochure into her hands might have helped a lot.
The ISA brochures are great for educating the public and selling work. You could have highlighted the parts about weak forks and rot etc. as you were explaining.

That may have made her less defensive; too often our words are initially resisted out of defensiveness. The authoritative reference can really open their ears after their eyes are opened. Well worth the investment.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i've handed out 'propaganda' for years from my ink jet; rallying for not painting cuts, not leaving stobs, not flush cutting, not over thinning, not topping etc. Every point made , addressing education as well as personal technique/value; passion to know, share. Gives a customer an understanding what the finished product will be and how to appreciate it? And if a year later some one says "well my treeman paints every cut"; client can offer 'defence' of what they have, and perhaps more....

Ways i been thinking that i could improve that, would be to sell the value of not using spurs to trim in that mix. To educate to that, the extra care, effort (passion), and give it extra value; and not cuz i just made it up yesterday ma''am, a form and written function for years that i have learned from the best! 15/40 0r so printed at a time, even a dummy like me can get most sighted errors, fine tuning/adding, pretty adjusted by the 10th 'printing'............. (lotsa free help, people tell ya about every miss-take!) as to be 'legible'; if only as a test run before committing to proffe$$ional printing i think.

Being here and TBuzz has increased my awareness of how much i don't know, even less then that customers then do in the trickle.

i lost one recently cuz i just didn't want to top and chop the dang thang! There was a secondary job, at the guy's house, but seems even walking away from the top job, he still wanted me at his own house. Wish i could say, see playing it straight, ya still win..... He wanted his neighbor's tree butchered, so his tree could fill in. i say butchered, cuz it would be without moderation or concern for anything else but 'his'. And really badly, not even willing to see 'his' picture perfect setting, only how he should rule, kinda even sensed neighborly war (definite red light!). So i had to walk from that one too!

 

[coffeecraver]

Guy is on the money with the .20 phamplets. The ISA has alot of
great information for your clients.

Take it a step further and get in touch with the Landscape & Grounds Management Associations in your state.
They could be usefull in promoting good tree care.

Refuse to do the job wrong! It's not just about the money
It is about your credibility.

Happy Holidays