Emerald Ash Borer Two Decades Later
Fun fact: What happened on July 9, 2002? If you guessed a birthday for Rich Hauer, Tom Hanks or the late Nikola Tesla, congratulations. You win and score a point. If not, no worries. Perhaps you said it was the anniversary of Johnny Cash’s signing with Columbia Records in 1958, or the last Grateful Dead […]
What a Warming World Means for Plants and Arthropod Pests
Last year was the fifth hottest year in recorded history. This year followed suit, with June, July and August of 2023 being the hottest months ever recorded globally, according to the European Union Climate Change Service. Here at home in the United States, if you feel like your town was toastier than normal, you are […]
Dealing with Difficult Tree Removals
There is nothing more difficult and exhilarating than being challenged to remove a tree that doesn’t fit the norm. The biggest risk I see with this proposition would be not giving the situation the level of thought, creativity and focus it requires. Attempting to perform the task by doing things the way “they’ve always been […]
It’s Getting Hot in Here
Recent media headlines have highlighted the importance of heat waves on human health. Sadly, climatic modeling predicts that this trend is likely to continue throughout the 21st century. While the importance of planting trees with tolerance to de-icing salts, drought, soil compaction and waterlogging within urban landscapes is recognized, surprisingly limited information exists regarding the […]
Who Knew You Could Be Allergic to Agave Americana?
Until this summer, my only known allergy was to the Australian silk oak, Grevillea robusta, which I wrote about in the July 2020 issue of TCI Magazine (Safety Forum: “Beware the Australian Silk Oak.” Quite recently I suffered another, albeit less serious, case of contact dermatitis from direct exposure to the sap of an Agave […]