City Trees

"He has an art history background and wrote an essay about painful experiences of taking down healthy trees. He reflected on how he sees tree care trying to find its way forward as an industry while still contributing to the health of the planet." Both Eva and Hal won't soon forget their conver- sation with John Mahoney, who oversees Street Tree Revival, an urban wood recycling program founded by West Coast Arborists in California. "When he began chainsaw carving at the age of 22, John witnessed the emotional connec- tion people had to his wood art pieces that could have otherwise so easily become mulch or fire- wood," Eva says. "His work has changed the entire waste management of urban trees in California by putting as much wood as possible into high-end reuse, like musical instruments, furniture, and even the frames of the glasses he wears." At the end of every episode, The Plant a Trillion Trees Podcast guests are asked about their favorite tree. The one that's come up the most, by a long- shot? White oak (Quercus alba). Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is not far behind. One of the most unusual favorites was from author John Perlin, who cited the earliest known tree genus, Archaeopteris—an ancient, long-extinct precursor to gymnosperms that had fern-leaf leaves—as his favorite. Certified Arborist Brice Dorwart, a former guest on the podcast and a faithful listener, keeps the stats for the show, including a spreadsheet for the guests' favorite trees. SMA Board Member Julianne Schieffer has guested on The Plant a Trillion Trees Podcast, and around the time this issue of City Trees comes out, an episode featuring SMA Executive Director Leslie Berckes will be posted. Episode 84: Eliza Greenman is a tree crops specialist, horticultural historian, and agroforestry practitioner living in Northern Virginia. Her passion is uncovering the history of our nation's fruit and nut crop trees in order to identify, find, and save a diversity of endangered tree species and cultivars from disappearing. Greenman created HogTree, a farm business that works to offset livestock feed costs through diversified orchards and tree cropping systems. Episode 102: Chainsaw sculptor John Mahoney has witnessed the emotional connection between people and the wood that he carves from old trees. He oversees Street Tree Revival, an urban wood recycling program founded by West Coast Arborists, Inc. Mahoney's work has impacted the waste management of urban trees in California by modeling how to put as much wood as possible into high-end reuse, like musical instruments and furniture. 32 CityTREES "We often feel like we're taking a master class as we do these interviews."

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