City Trees

6 CityTREES As the Louisiana Governor announced that our state would be enact- ing a three-week Stay at Home order—which would later be extended an additional four weeks—I watched as my calendar literally cleared. Meetings, events, projects, and people that two weeks prior to then had seemed very important suddenly became expendable. As I pondered what I would do sitting at home for the next few months I received an email from one of our City officials stating that all essential functions were to continue as normal. My initial reaction was that services like garbage collection, fire protection, police, utilities, and traffic would be deemed essential and the rest of us would go home. During a discussion with my Director I was told in no uncertain terms that I was defi- nitely essential. We can't just stop maintaining our city assets because there is a pandemic, and the urban forest is one of those assets. I not sure what surprised me most, the fact that a non-tree person had both recognized and asserted that value of caring for the trees or the fact that I didn't. We are constantly told that public safety and utilities are more important than trees but in reality it's not a question of either/or, but both. Trees play an important role in society and pro- vide critical ecological benefits that are even more important in times like these. People are spending a lot more time outside in passive parks as of late and they don't need to be worrying about get- ting injured by a falling limb or tree. Lower utility costs resulting from strategically placed trees are exactly the type of services that are needed now. If you find yourself being asked if what you do is essential, don't hesitate to say YES. Sometimes it takes a crisis for us to realize what is really important. And along came a pandemic. The reality is that this isn't going to end overnight, and we will most likely have to continue to adjust the way we operate in our daily work and personal lives. Conference calls have become Zoom meetings, and in-person learning events like confer- ences and workshops are being rescheduled (despite an uncertain future) or moved to online learning. I love President Green's message about municipal arbor- ists being essential. Fortunately, his city recognized it and I hope yours did, too. It hinges on educating others about the importance of a city's tree program. If you are not yet feeling supported in that effort, let SMA help. We are nothing if not an organization with decades of extensive experience in cities large and small around the globe. While pandemics may not be something a lot of municipal arborists have dealt with, many of you have experience with creating your own "essential- ism" in your community. You have built relationships, forged partnerships, taught workshops, trained volun- teers, and any other number of things to get folks to understand that trees are more than an afterthought. Like most natural disasters, acts of war, or whatev- er the politicians are calling this pandemic, it is easi- er to win if you are prepared in advance. But if you're not as prepared as you wish you were, you are just a click away from your fellow SMA members who are happy to share their experiences and wisdom. In times like these, it is important to remember we are not in this alone. We have a strong network that you can eas- ily tap into. Post a question or just share a thought of two on the Listserve. Look in the SMA Member Directory for someone in your area or in the same size city, and con- nect with them directly. Join the SMA Facebook page and post a video telling us how you're dealing with the issues raised by COVID-19. And if you know someone in a neigh- boring community who isn't part of the SMA community yet, encourage them to join. The louder and more diverse our collective voice, the more essential we become. President's Message Darren Green Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie

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