Rescuing Wildlife Is Good for Them and Us
I received a call in mid-September 2020 from Audubon Florida’s EagleWatch program. While studying an eagle’s nest on Marco Island, just off of Naples, Florida, someone noticed a cast netting – used by those fishing for shrimp or baitfish – entangled within the nest site. Entangled birds cannot defend themselves against predators, cannot feed themselves […]
Sharing Experience in the Wake of the 2020 Midwest Derecho
About a week-and-a-half after the August 10, 2020, derecho that moved through and devastated a large swath of the upper Midwest, I made a trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, perhaps one of the hardest-hit urban areas in its path. The shear devastation was unlike anything I have ever seen before. Straight-line winds of up to […]
Using Arboriculture to Help New Parents
By Meg Smolinski As the outreach coordinator for the University of Maryland’s Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, I have the pleasure of interacting with students, faculty and staff on our beautiful campus. As a horticulturist and Certified Arborist, I lead service projects across campus, and last year, these outreach efforts expanded to include a new program, […]
Beware the Australian Silk Oak
I am writing to report on an unusual accident that happened to me on the job here in Arizona. I own/operate a tree and landscape service I founded in 2015 and am a professional tree climber. On June 4, 2020, I removed an Australian silk oak tree (Grevillea robusta) from a residential backyard in Oro […]
Better Than a Stick in the Eye
One day in the summer of 2018, I was working in the Bay Area of Northern California. I was the only ground guy working with three climbers who were spread out throughout a large apartment complex. Between bathroom and eating breaks at the chip truck and tarping the brush they were all dropping, I was […]