City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/36513
The two beautiful Torino travel books and WONDERFUL gourmet Italian chocolate that Gianmichele gave me upon his arrival in Milwaukee prepared me for the old world charm, architecture, and natural beauty that awaited me in Torino. However, his stateside description of their urban forestry operations could not possibly pre- pare me for the excellent urban forestry program I would observe during my visit. Classic Italian lunch in the home of Dr. Gianmichele Cirulli and Stefania Camisassa Upon arrival at the Turin airport, I learned that Gianmichele had scheduled some rest time for my body to recoup the “lost day” experienced by crossing multiple time zones. While some tout the benefits of melatonin for jetlag, I can attest that hyper levels of adrenaline combined with a miniature cup of Italian espresso left this traveler feeling no jetlag or interest in a nap! Gianmichele and Stefania did a masterful job of integrat- ing a very full itinerary observing forestry operations and program demonstrations with visits to local attractions. My mid-afternoon Friday arrival began with a relaxed tour of several pedestrian “squares” in the city center that surrounded former 17th and 18th century royal palaces (palazzi) that are now public museums. The opulence and majesty of the royal palaces, castles (castellos), and his- toric churches in Torino featuring sculptured facades, Italian High Renaissance frescoes (painted ceilings), and marble and gilded statues and walls created an unbelievable sense of awe at every turn. Mature Celtis australis trees are dwarfed by the Mole Antonelliana, the major landmark of Turin, 167 meters (548 feet) tall. On Saturday morning, Gianmichele, Stefania and I headed out for a full day excursion to visit several villages, an old military fortress, and several Olympic venues in the Alps, where every turn of the head was absolutely breathtaking and filled with quintessential Italian charm. The quaint 17th century villages, each with picturesque mountain chalets and a classic steeple church, hand painted murals, and nar- row winding cobble-stone streets tucked amid the valleys and hillsides of the snow capped Alps was an indescribable scene that I knew could not fully be captured through the lens of my camera. Sunday was a day of rest and light tour- ing that began with a worship service (in Italian!), followed by a wonderful lunch, the first of many delicious authentic home-cooked Italian meals I would share with Gianmichele and Stefania in their comfortable home. Cedrus atlantica in City Park, Città di Varese 34 Torino’s tree heritage dates back to 1917, when boulevards designed during the Napoleonic era (1799-1815) were first planted with trees. However, as modern arboricultural meth- ods have only been practiced in Torino for the past 15 years or so, thousands of mature trees in the city still show the scars (poor structure, crown imbalance, and extensive decay) caused by decades of improper pruning (severe heading cuts). Trees in similar condition in most American cities would have long since been removed and replaced in the interest of public safety and liability. Yet Torino, which recognizes the importance of its boulevard tree heritage to its past and its future, places a very high emphasis and extraordinary alloca- tion of resources towards corrective crown restoration prac- tices supported by advanced scientific visual tree assessment methods to minimize public safety risks. City Trees