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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/128847
ing a point that information presented from a "credible source" may not always be true. Years later, human nature has not changed. However ludicrous the message, the audience will believe it if the presenter has their trust or respect. As municipal arborists we are constantly fighting misconceptions such as the tap root, curing oak wilt with a foliar spray or lava sand, or the belief that adventitious roots will keep a tree alive under a foot of fill. Some erroneous beliefs are left over from outdated practices, while others are propagated by those selling a product or book. Those hardest to dispel are beliefs presented as fact by well meaning professionals who think observation is the equivalent of years of research. Whether we are teaching students, volunteers, peers, or interest groups, our position gives us instant credibility, so we have a responsibility to check our facts. When we present an opinion unsupported by scientific study or information based on personal observation and hypothesis, we should acknowledge it as such. When designing a presentation, we should use trustworthy reference material, and try to acquire the most recent addition. An example would be Harris, Clark, and Matheny's text, Arboriculture. They do an excellent job of citing studies, including those that are contradictory. You may also check USDA Forest Service publications or your local Forest Service. ANSI standards or the supporting BMPs are excellent source material. — Melinda Adams, City Forester, City of Fort Worth, Texas With my primary background being landscape architecture, I have long understood the general lack of tree knowledge of those whose job it is to design with trees and other plant material. So, I was intrigued by the prospect, a while back, of serving as an adjunct professor in the College of Design at Louisiana State University. Thinking I might just be able to inject a bit of insight into the curriculum, I approached my director, who approved the two-day-per-week class schedule. Because I held a full time-city position as urban forestry and landscape manager, I was forced to adopt a flex schedule to accommodate the teaching gig while maintaining my requisite 40-hour week. This meant that I had to make up the teaching hours by starting work (very) early and leaving late on the days I did not teach. On balance, I found the experience rewarding. It was great working with the students who were eager to learn and have become, I humbly believe, better landscape architects because of their wider-than-average viewpoint. On the other hand, the pay as an adjunct hardly made up for the extra hours and difficulty of being away from the office for several hours a week. Having originally thought the job would be similar to preparing presentations and public speaking, I soon found out otherwise. Preparation was critical, and even then the limitless range of students' questions was often confounding. I will say that I did learn much from the experience myself, including better management skills, a refreshed and reinvigorated creative mind, and an appreciation for teachers in general. Since 2010 I have become an active member of the teaching cadre for the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI). Having been an original cadre member in 2005, when the MFI was created, but prevented from participation by Hurricane Katrina, I was eager to actually experience the full week-long institute. I always knew the idea was great, but what a teaching experience! Steve Shurtz brings both landscape architecture and urban forestry perspectives to bear on his MFI teaching. 30 MFI is a highly intense and comprehensive series of lectures and exercises designed to teach municipal and urban forestry professionals all of the non-tree-related things those folks need to be effective in their jobs. The teaching experience, while similar in some ways to college teaching, differs greatly in that the class is comprised of people already embarked upon their careers, but they are being forced out of their comfort zones and City Trees