City Trees

I spoke to Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Community Forestry Coordinator Mateo Fennell on August 15, 2023, when the temperature was 83°F (28.3°C) with 81% humidity and a heat index of 91°F (32.8°C). Plenty hot—but the day before had seen 91 degrees F (32.8°C) and a heat index of 110°F (43.3°C). On that day prior to our conversation, Fennell's home AC had failed, so the unrelenting heat—always on his mind when it comes to his crew—was looming large for his family as well. Themes that emerged with Fennell were often repeated as I spoke to more urban foresters in Georgia (thank you to Georgia Forestry Commission Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator Seth Hawkins for the leads), and to folks in Louisiana and Texas, two states experiencing the nation's worst heat at the time. In the Athens-Clarke County unified government, com- munity forestry falls under the Landscape Management Division, with working hours from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. KŶƵůƚƌĂͲŚŽƚĚĂLJƐůŝŬĞƵŐƵƐƚϭϰǦǚ͕ƚŚĞĐƌĞǁƐƚĂƌƚƐ outdoor work right at 7 a.m. and holds safety meet- ings and does indoor work for the afternoon hours. Like crews everywhere, Fennel's crews takes 10-gallon coolers out on city trucks, with water and Gatorade. Fennel says, "We have a freezer full of ice pops; it's pretty delightful seeing grown men eating ice pops when they're back on lunch break; they are very popular. We also have a big ice machine here at the shop. Our admin- istration is looking into getting misting fans to give away." Fennell has his own experience contending with the heat. "I grew up in Saudi Arabia and everyone there wears long sleeves—generally linen, a breath- able fabric," Fennell says. "Wearing long sleeves to most people here seems like a bad idea, but it does help keep the sun off your skin." Fennell says that when he was working as a field arborist, he had three main strategies for keeping cool. First, sun hoodies, which are long-sleeve shirts made of moisture-wicking, lightweight-material and have an attached hood. "They're phenom- enal, and I still wear those," Fennell says. Second, he'd use a water reservoir on his back—like the bladders that bicyclists use—that he would fill with ice; it would perform like a cooling vest. Third, he per- fected his water game. "I'd freeze a gallon jug half full of water the night before, then in the morning I would fill to the top with water," he says. "That ratio would keep the water cold all day and melting at just the right rate." (Freezing the whole jug of water meant it would remain too solid to be useful throughout the day.) >> In response to feedback from UCFS Members about their top concerns, this story is the first of an ongoing series on the practice of urban forestry within a dramat- ically changing climate. Here, we examine ways that urban forestry managers work to keep their staff safe during dangerous heat events. ICING out the Heat Strategies for Urban Forestry Crews By Michelle Sutton, Editor, City Trees ucfsociety.org 35

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