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/677172
6 City Trees Congratulations on another suc- cessful Arbor Day! A great band once sang that we all get by with a little help from our friends and chances are that if your Arbor Day was successful, you had a little help from friends. We all need friends and the SMA is an incred- ible place to find them. Heck, it's in our mission statement! For me, this is especially important when it can feel like no matter what decisions are made, half of the people will be pleased and the other half angry. A network of allied professionals and colleagues can give us all the little help that we need. I have had the pleasure of working alongside several allied professions throughout my burgeoning career. First the team of landscape architects, professional engineers, architects, and project managers at the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation Capital Design and Construction Division and now planners in the San Diego Planning Department. I've joked that I prefer to make a living working "behind enemy lines," but in all honesty, working with other professionals has been a rewarding experience that has helped me learn to become a better urban forester. I have yet to meet the infamous engineer that despises trees, or the landscape architect that intentionally disposes of trees. I've met many professionals that didn't have good information or a clear understanding of trees but were open to working with an arborist to address these areas. I benefitted, too: it was working with other professionals that helped me learn the difference between a specification and a detail, an asset and an amenity, and how to leverage the community planning process to grow a stronger urban forest. When we work with allied professionals, we become better professionals and our whole profession is elevated. Through partnerships like the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition, the SMA fosters connections and relationships with dozens of other professional organizations. Connecting and engaging allied professions is essential to our growth and relevance. If you are not involved with local chapters of these organizations, I encourage you to reach out—chances are you will find some friends that you can help and that can help you. Be sure to let them know the SMA sent ya and that we look forward to any opportunities for future collaboration. Probably the best part of being associated with SMA is the number of people you get to meet, learn from, and watch develop as lead- ers in the urban forestry profession. Sometimes we take for granted that we always have them around to guide and inspire us. Unfortunately that just isn't the way life is and it has weighed heavily upon us this past year as we have lost some of those we wish could have stayed with us forever. I was in Australia the year Colin Bashford was installed as President of ISA and got to know him over several years' time at various industry events. He seemed larger than life and when I read a tribute to him, I learned that he was honored by Queen Elizabeth for his work with trees. The year we launched the livecast of our SMA Conference, Dave Johnson stepped up to help us moderate the day. He was a utility arborist who had over 30 years' experience with urban and community forestry programs and was someone who understood the need to build bridges in order to build better communities. I knew state coordinator Paul Revell for many years; he was a person who built not only Virginia's tree programs but advocated for better tree programs everywhere. There have been many well written tributes to each of these men, but the loss we feel now that they have left us still lingers. I'm sure you know other people you've met through SMA who have touched your life in some way. Maybe you were just amazed by the amount of knowledge and wisdom they exhibited. Maybe it was the courage they showed to speak up and rock the boat just a bit. Or perhaps it was the gentle manner they had to be able to bring folks together and move things forward. We are all a little richer for the relationships we have in life. I am reminded every day that I am so very fortunate to walk among the giants in our industry, to hear them give a presen- tation, to kick back together over drinks and dinner, to work alongside them in committees and boards as we all strive to advance the mission of SMA. Thank you, Colin, Dave, and Paul for the inspiration you have given us to all be better leaders in urban forestry. President's Message Jeremy Barrick Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie