For more than 30 years, Arbor Age magazine has been covering new and innovative products, services, technology and research vital to tree care companies, municipal arborists and utility right-of-way maintenance companies
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EPG Media and Specialty Information 10405 Sixth Avenue North, Suite 210 Plymouth, MN 55441 www.arborage.com Group Publisher David Voll dvoll@epgmediallc.com EDITORIAL STAFF Associate Publisher, Editor John Kmitta (763) 383-4405; fax (763) 383-4499; jkmitta@epgmediallc.com PRODUCTION TEAM Art Director Jean Blackmer Production Manager Karen Kalinyak DIRECT MAIL LIST SALES MeritDirect, Jim Scova, (914) 368-1012; e-mail jscova@MeritDirect.com REPRINT SERVICE Robin Cooper, e-mail: rcooper@epgmediallc.com CIRCULATION For subscription inquiries and customer service questions, please call (847) 763-9565, or fax (847) 763-9569 business hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST. ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES: EAST Chris Pelikan Senior Account Manager Phone: (954) 964-8676 cpelikan@epgmediallc.com MIDWEST Peggy Tupper Senior Account Manager Phone: (763) 383-4429 ptupper@epgmediallc.com WEST Leslie Palmer Senior Account Manager Phone: (248) 731-7596 lpalmer@epgmediallc.com Publisher's Notice: We assume no responsibility for the validity of advertising claims in connection with items appearing in Landscape and Irrigation. Commercial product names are used for the convenience of the reader. Mention of a commercial product does not imply endorsement by Arbor Age or EPG Media & Specialty Information, or preference over similar products not mentioned. FROM THE EDITOR www.arborage.com ARBOR AGE FALL 2015 5 Editor John Kmitta jkmitta@epgmediallc.com A Good Sign My colleague and fellow editor, Steve Noe, was wandering around his hometown of Naperville, Ill., one weekend not long ago, and noticed something interesting on the municipal trees that lined the sidewalks. It wasn't a tree pest or symptom of disease, but rather a sign of each tree's benefits — literally. The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Ill., had placed signs around the trees to highlight the value each tree provides the community on an annual basis. As shown in the photo here, the signs identify the tree species, the annual monetary benefit each tree will provide, total gallons of stormwater runoff reduction, total pounds of carbon reduction, total kWh of electrical energy savings, and total property value increase. "In an urban forest, trees can't survive without human intervention," The Morton Arboretum stated. "Meanwhile, people, quite literally, cannot live without trees. So, the Arboretum's arborists, horticulturists, researchers and teams of volunteers work diligently to protect and conserve the trees that make our cities so beautiful." The signs are just one of the many efforts of The Morton Arboretum to promote the importance of trees to our communities. From Arbor Day celebrations to planting guides to workshops and events, the Arboretum is constantly serving as a champion of trees. Chicago and its seven surrounding counties have more than 150 million trees. The Morton Arboretum recently conducted a "Talking Trees" survey that revealed how much Chicago-area residents care about trees and the future of the urban forest. Key findings include: Two-thirds of those surveyed place top importance on trees when deciding where they want to live, saying they would "never live in a neighborhood without trees." Sixty percent of Chicago-area residents say they are concerned with the loss of trees in their city, while nearly half are specifically aware of the emerald ash borer. Eight of 10 Chicagoans believe that the trees need human help to thrive, which is especially true in our populated cities. Yet, while 65% agree that the trees where they live need to be checked regularly for pests and diseases, only 41% know that the area's trees need help getting enough water. Most Chicagoans know that trees clean our air (86%), and "make me healthier" (66%). But only about half know that they have an impact on flooding (49%), and only slightly more know that trees increase a home's value (56%), and protect against climate change (57%). The best defense against future tree pests is to plant a wide variety of trees — and nearly three-fourths of those surveyed agree. "Now more than ever, every tree needs a champion, especially those that live in urban areas," The Morton Arboretum stated. "Facing compacted soils, artificial surfaces, summer heat, and physical damage to limbs and roots, our urban trees need human intervention to live." It is great to see The Morton Arboretum drawing attention to the positive benefits of trees. It obviously caught our attention, and hopefully will inspire arborists and community leaders in other cities. For more information, visit www.mortonarb.org. PHOTO BY STEVE NOE