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/171276
Cooperation, information training, and cross training works so well in central Missouri because several communities have urban foresters, arborists, and volunteers interested in increasing their knowledge and contributing to urban forestry issues while being fairly isolated in their respective communities and jobs. However, by getting these folks together and pooling resources, we are a pretty significant bunch! Central Missouri urban foresters and arborists have worked together over the last few years to bring in nationally renowned tree climbing trainers, organize state urban forestry conferences and the Midwest ISA chapter conference, offer several preparatory classes for the ISA Certified Arborist test, and offer training on subjects such as Thousand Cankers of Walnut and Emerald Ash Borer. The take-home message: by pooling university, city, and private arborists and urban foresters, nurserymen, and volunteers, a somewhat rural area of the state can be a leader in urban forestry." SW Region/Cindy Garner. "I work in one of the most beautiful areas of the state of Missouri, the Ozarks. My job covers nine counties and part of three other counties. The topography covers everything from the flat area of the Springfield Plateau to the rolling mountains of the White River. This area includes many bodies of water, from Table Rock Lake in Taney County (home to the famous Branson) to Stockton Lake in Cedar and Polk County, with many rivers in between. Because of the diversity of the landscape, this area has experienced a huge population explosion in the thirteen years that I have been with the MDC. At one point I worked with the top four fastest growing population counties in the state. I serve five Tree City communities, which vary in population from 160,000 to 1,400. I also serve two Tree Line USA utilities and one Tree Campus USA university. I try to attend the tree board meetings for all of my communities. The Southwest Missouri Community Forestry Council (MCFC) is a valuable resource for me. Projects include tree inventories, teaching small tree pruning, and instructing classes to become a Certified Arborist of the International Society of Arboriculture. On any given day I can be found talking on the phone with the general public answering their tree questions. During insect and disease season this is a very busy place, but networking with the active Master Gardeners and the MCFC group has helped with our local insect and disease diagnosis, keeping us all updated on problems. Each year my workload includes tree care workshops for the general public, tree pest clinics, lawn and garden show booths, Master Gardener training, serving on the Ozark Empire Fair committee, working on TRIM grants, and my favorite, Arbor Month. During the month of April I will participate in over 25 Arbor Day events."