Script for contacting tree owners for verification of old records

[John Paul Sanborn]

This weekend I got Pckage of nomination forms from Ian at the DNR to verify and remeasure several old trees.

Some are on public land, but most are in yards or on church grounds.

I did internet searches on for owners of ther properties, but the homes are all unlisted. I got numbers for the churches though.

Here is what I plan on saying when I call;

My name is John Sanborn, and I'm a volunteer Big Tree Inspector for the state DNR. I own a tree service that operates in the MKE metro area.

A tree that is, or was, on your property is on the big tree list for it's species.

I only need access to the tree, to verify that it still stands, make some measurments and evaluate it's current condition.

Do you agree to allow access to the tree?

Do you agree to allow the nomination of this tree as a state big tree as it was in the past?

May I have oyur name (and position if not a private property?)

If you have any questions you can contact the WI-DNR. My contact with them is Ian Brown, 608-264-8852.

​

Comments anyone?

I might mail something simmilar to people who have unlisted numbers if i cannot get to the tree. Some of them have been on the list long enough that there may have been 2 owners since last measured.

 

[Gopher]

Big Tree contact

JPS,

I believe there has been a heightened awareness of trees with stature and size; your letter would be an appropriate way to "break-the-ice" in attempting to initiate communication and tree verification.

It will take concerted efforts from someone like yourself to allow the masses to gain access to seeing these big trees, even if from a distance.

Keep us posted on the acceptance of the letters.

 

[Paul J.]

introductions

John,

If it isn't too inconvenient, I usually try to do a face to face introduction for access. People often don't return phone messages, screen out unknown caller ID's of incoming phone calls, or fail to answer mail messages because it takes additional effort or they don't care enough. Most of the time, a face to face introduction is all it takes. I'd resort to other means only if no one is home on the first attempt or if the travel distance is long. If you do send letters, then be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the reurn reply.

Also, there is scientific merit to measuring big trees. Locations of large trees, especially native trees, can be important for future propagation after attacks of invasive organisms, like the emerald ash borer. For some time, a university in Michigan has been storing ash seeds from native populations to return ash to their range after the existing trees are eliminated. Similarly, hemlocks are being planted outside their range to protect them from hemlock woolly adelgids. If we know the locations of the largest of their species, then we have candidate trees whose genetics are worth preserving.

This is among the other obvious reasons for gaining access to large trees and another reason for people to be proud of their trees.

Regards,

Paul J.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I too believe that face to face is best, I've found that my sales closing rate triples if I can meet wih the prospective client on site.

Even contacting people to set up a job can be a problem when phoning. My favorite story is a lady in Mequon for whom I did an estimate. I wanted the job, felt good about the contact I had prior to leaving the proposal. She never returned my calls, but I would call once or twice a month for 14 months before getting anything but the machine. To cut the story short, she wanted the work, agreed to a small increese due to the time laps...

The top Sycamore maple is on a church rectory property and the American beech is in the stand at Seminary Woods in St. Francis on the grounds of the seminary/old priests home. This is the largest natural stand of F. grandifolia left in the US. I've read that the logging of the species is the real reason for the loss of the passenger pigion, beech nut being their primary migration food source.

A humorous one is the Eastern Wahoo in Jackson Park on 35th st by bridge. I wonder if the county did a reduction prune on it?

But I digress from the subject...

 

[ibrown]

John,
When I headed out to verify trees in the fall, I wrote up a door hanger to leave if someone wasn't home. It read:

Dear Homeowner,
The DNR Champion Tree records indicate that there is a tree on your property that has previously been nominated for the program. I stopped by the measure the tree, but did not get an answer at the door. If you would like your tree measurements to be updated and remain in the database, please contact me and I will be happy to stop by again. If the tree is gone or if you would like the tree to be taken out of the database, please let me know that also. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Ian Brown
Champion Tree Program Coordinator
(608) 264-8852
[email protected]

I recieved responses from almost all the houses I left a note and all of them gave permission. I will go back to visit those properties again in the spring.

I understand that the ownership and/or locations of some trees will be difficult to track down. The tree records that I sent out I had already filtered as locations that were the most likely large trees to find. It is quite possible that some trees from the past will be lost just because the location descriptions are too vague to find them again. That is also an area that I am leaning heavily on the tree inspectors or land owners. They provide local on-the-ground knowlege of the area. They might know the exact location of a specific tree even with a listed location description that is only identified down to the 40.

I'm sure there will be some growing pains as we get the program rolling again, but I am confident that with complete records and feedback from inspectors such as yourself, we can lay the foundation for a program that will continue for years.
Ian