City Trees

6 CityTREES We have all heard the term "pay it forward." We've paid for the police officer's meal, we've bought coffee for the car behind us, or we have spent extra effort on a children's project. Whatever our meth- ods, we took the time and ener- gy to "pay it forward." I would like to suggest that we as municipal arborists start a new campaign, "Plant It Forward," to skillful- ly plant and maintain our cities' tree canopies. I want to tell an abbreviated story of a gentleman who "planted it forward" in the 1940s. Before, during, and just after World War II, there was a tiny nursery in the Carolinas owned by an older couple and worked by two sons. The nursery did not ultimately survive the turmoil resulting from the war and family members moving on to new chapters in their lives, but much of the plant material from the nursery does survive. One of the sons, Willie Caudle, as many nurserymen did at that time, loaded his truck every week and struck out for a week on the roads of the Carolinas. He loaded his truck with what was popular now and then, including China firs (Cunninghamia lanceolata), deodar cedars (Cedrus deoda- ra), southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora), and many other superior trees and shrubs hardy in Zone 7. Willie sold and installed trees and shrubs all over the Carolinas. Twenty-five years after his death, Willie's children are putting the pieces of their dad's story together. They are recognizing his very specific tree and shrub palette in plantings across North and South Carolina, in small towns and along old roads. Their pride has swelled to see the impact that their father and family made in the history of city and town canopies all across these two states. I don't think this story would easily be repeated today, but we can build our own stories. We can work to build and maintain canopies for current and future generations. I would like to challenge each one of us to "plant it forward," using our many skills, arbori- cultural science, and our concern for the future of our urban forests and the people who inhabit them. It's hard to believe it's nearly the end of 2018 already. It seems like only yesterday when SMA President Sarah Morris, only the Society's second female pres- ident, was elected. Her knowl- edge and experience, tempered by her Southern charm and quiet leadership skills, have served this association well. I will miss talking with her every week almost as much as I will miss hearing her accent. Vice President Keith Cline is ready to step into the presidency, and I am sure he will continue to build upon the progress Sarah and the SMA Board made this year. This organi- zation is blessed with very capable leaders. It is truly a pleasure to work with them in shaping the future of SMA. Of course, the Board is one small part of the bigger SMA picture. With the help of her editorial review committee, our very talented City Trees editor, Michelle Sutton, con- tinues to produce one of the best urban forestry publi- cations around. Sarah Gugercin, our City Trees designer, has not only continued right where Chris Deis left off, she has brought her own style to the magazine, along with designing materials for our conference, MFI, and other programs. SMA Web Manager Roe Estand has come back to Atlanta, where we first met him years ago when he worked for our web hosting company, MemberClicks. He not only keeps our website up to date, he provides invalu- able guidance on any number of tech issues. These folks work independently and make my job infinitely easier. But like many associations, the members who volunteer on committees, who take on tasks that make our con- ference run smoothly, teach at MFI, and so many other things that go on behind the scenes—you are the ones without whom this organization would have no purpose and would not accomplish a fraction of what it does. You are the reason we spend countless hours in meetings, strategizing, surveying, planning, and evaluating. You are what make our jobs so challenging and so fun. If you haven't yet found a way to be involved in the SMA fami- ly, please let us know. Join us in taking SMA into 2019! President's Message Sarah Morris Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie

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