write the magazine's Tree of Merit column for a year,
covering swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii),
copper beech (Fagus sylvatica Atropurpurea Group),
redbud (Cercis canadensis), concolor fir (Abies
concolor), and Higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella
'Autumnalis'). Once a writer, always a writer. Now,
in addition to penning reviews for NPR Books and
The New York Times Book Review, I got the chance
to combine urban forestry and writing. There was no
need to choose between vocation and avocation.
Writing about trees when you work among them
every day might seem a tad redundant. But I believe
every arborist can reap benefits by reaching out
to the public. An article for City Trees, for example,
gets your voice out there to SMA members, and
it's a cool thing to send to your friends, family, and
even your boss. In the last job I had at a tree ser-
vices company, the chief executive wrote me glowing
emails about my articles. That was nice, but nicer
still was discovering that writing could be a way to
extend myself and increase my knowledge base. Solid
writing was practical magic, too, enabling me to win
contracts for my company in response to RFPs.
I am back in the five boroughs now, again working
for New York City, making sure that trees on con-
struction sites receive adequate protection. I co-chair
the New York State ReLeaf committee for Region 3,
and I sit on the board of the New York State Urban
Forestry Council. At the same time I am at work on
a book about forests and conservation, which I'm
calling Heartwood. I keep my writing chops fresh with
a daily blog (at jeanzimmerman.com) that focuses on
trees, history, and New York City. I also help people
who are not by nature writers to craft proposals or
articles, and I work with municipalities as a consul-
tant. (You can contact me at jcz@ix.netcom.com or
on LinkedIn.) Inhabiting the twin roles of arborist and
writer—what could be a better combination?
MFI Class of 2020. Photo by Paul Ries
Now, in addition to penning reviews
for NPR Books and The New York
Times Book Review, I got the chance
to combine urban forestry and writing.
28 CityTREES
