April Texas TreEmail
Extra Extra - In the Shade Newsletter
All things trees in Texas

The Texas Chapter continues it's 40th anniversary celebration in the latest newsletter. Get an overview of the Hurricane Harvey Arborist Workday in Rockport, the Cranes and Trees Workshop in Fort Worth and the San Antonio Bilingual Tree Care Workshop. Find out the new name for oak wilt, read a legal case study on sudden branch drop from Greg David, BCMA and get advice from Guy Leblanc, our climbing guru on ascent ergonomics.


Tree Climbing and Work Positioning for SRS Course With Phillip Kelley and Carlos Rodriquez 
May 17, 2018
Per-climbing championship workshop
Taught in English and Spanish!
Register Today!!!

A one day workshop that will make you safer  and maybe even save your life? Learn from the best - Phillip Kelley and Carlos Rodriquez will be your instructor.

This course will provide participants with training in the use of specialized equipment and techniques employed in Stationary Rope Systems (SRS). Safe work procedures for popular technical work at height systems are demonstrated and practiced. Attendees will gain an understanding of the advantages and limitations of SRS while maintaining and following safe work practices and legislation pertaining to fall protection. Participants will be educated in applicable forces on anchor points, redirects and tie off methods for tree climbing systems. This coursemeets the requirements of ANSI Z133, Z359, CSA Z259 and is in compliance with ANSI Z490 -Accepted Practices in Safety, Health and Environmental Training.


Texas Tree Climbing Championship
May 18-19, 2018
Waxahatchie

Get ready to attend this years contest and pre-climb workshop. The winner of this year's competition will represent the Texas Chapter in the International Tree Climbing Contest.  This is the best event of the year for a working climber to attend if you want to improve your skills.

If you would like to volunteer or participate, contact Markus Smith at 512.467.8733 or markus@justtrees.com 

 
Click here to be a sponsor or exhibitor

Free Admission for you and your family

Texas Tree Climbing Championship and Tree Fair
 
Come see the best in Texas climb, attend a workshop, visit with your peers, enjoy meeting with equipment vendors and relax at the Tree Fair and Equipment Expo
 
May 18-19, 2018
Getzendaner Park, Waxahachie, Texas
4 Easy Steps to Control Your Cash Flow
Your businesses lifeblood

Do you want to really have a  great handle on your cash flow ? Do you want to minimize surprises in your business and reduce stress in your life? Then you need  ways to improve your cash flow  and create a forecast for your small business. That's what the smartest business people do; they are always looking ahead, and you should be too.


Arbor Day/Earth Day Update: 5 Times People Used Trees to Change the World  
You can too

Think you can't make a difference? These folks did. A teenager who has planted more than 14 billions trees; A man who planted a forest bigger than Central Park; The man who bought cherry trees to Washington, DC; Folks who risk there lives to bring you Christmas trees; and a man who wants to transform London into a big park.


SMART WOOD: BIO-ENGINEERING TREES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES  
No lignin? Is that like boneless chickens?

A new systems biology model that mimics the process of wood formation allows scientists to predict the effects of switching on and off 21 pathway genes involved in producing lignin, a primary component of wood. The model, built on more than three decades of research led by  Vincent Chiang  of the Forest Biotechnology Group at North Carolina State University, will speed the process of engineering trees for specific needs in timber, biofuel, pulp, paper and green chemistry applications.

Lignin, which forms in the plant cell wall, is an essential component for tree growth that imparts strength and density to timber. But lignin must be removed from wood during biofuel, paper and pulp production through costly treatments that require high heat and harsh chemicals.


Effect of Development on Trees Can Now Be Mapped 
Big tree data comes to Austin

The Austin City Arborist Program has just released a new, interactive tool where everyone has online  access to all active tree permits at any given time.

Not all trees are being tracked on this dashboard. The city arborist only reviews and protects trees that have heritage or protected status, which is only 5 percent of the total urban forest. In response to years of complaints associated with the time it takes to file permits for tree removal and impact, City Arborist Keith Mars felt that the conversations at his office had become less about trees and more about bureaucratic logistics. So he made it his mission to change the conversation back to the trees.

"Generally speaking, our tree data is a good proxy for where development is occurring," explained Mars. According to his data, 185 tree permits were requested in District 10, and 130 were requested in District 3, where anyone driving down the street sees continual construction.


Ants or Termites?  
How can you tell?

Both termites and ants are able to swarm and may have wings during part of their lives. Since these insects are close to the same size, people often misidentify flying ants as termites. Since flying ants do not attack wooden structures like termites, it is helpful to be able to tell the difference.

Fortunately, there are several differences that can easily distinguish the two. For example, ants have a thin waist; the waist of a termite is thick. Also, ants' antennae are elbowed, while termites' are curved. Thirdly, termites have two pairs of wings that are of equal length. Ants also have two pairs of wings, but theirs are of unequal length. 



Forest Bathing  
Doing nothing in the woods

OK, this one is from the left coast.  There's a revolutionary new way to walk through the forest. V-e-r-y slowly. Take a few steps. That's far enough. Now sit down and talk it over with the person next to you, for a long time.

It's a New Age thing in Sonoma County. Walking very slowly through the forest - while thinking about walking very slowly through the forest - is a full-blown movement. It could be a paradigm. The people who do this call it "forest bathing." It doesn't involve actual bathing, the kind with water. It's figurative bathing. You soak in the wonders of the forest. Take your time, a whole lot of it. And bring a cushion.


TREE Fund Webinars 
Next Up: Utility Arborist Research Fund Update

The Texas Chapter ISA is a Gold Sponsor of the TREE Fund. Watch your contribution with TREE Fund webinars that bring you the latest in tree research directly from the scientists themselves. These one-hour programs are free and offer 1 CEU credit from ISA. Pre-registration is highly recommended ; in doing so, you'll receive a reminder email the day before the program.

Put these on your calendar today!


Dr. David Nowak Study Confirms: Trees Are Good
New study says 5.5 billion urban trees provide $18 Billion in benefits in US

Published in the  Journal of Forestry , the paper-entitled "US Urban Forest Statistics, Values, and Projections"-reveals that that projected increase in urban land use amounts to an area larger than the entire state of Montana. As urban land usage increases-and with it, the number of households crammed into that space-the paper argues, so too will the toll cities take on both their residents and the environment.

But urban forest space, the paper argues, can help. According to the study, U.S. urban forests currently encompass roughly 5.5 billion trees and contribute more than $18 billion in societal benefits to the areas that contain them. "A healthy and well-managed urban forest can help reduce some of the environmental issues associated with urbanization such as increased air temperatures and energy use, reduced air and water quality, and increased human stress, and ultimately help people living within and around urban areas," said David Nowak of the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, the lead author on the paper.


2018 Texas Tree Conference
September 26-28, 2018
Waco Convention Center

Mark your calendar now for the biggest and best Texas Tree Conference, Academy, Trade Show and Tree School yet! 

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we anticipate over 1,000 attendees and will have Texas, national and international speakers. There will be tracks for Commercial, Municipal and Utility arborists with plenty of time to socialize and visit the exhibitors at the packed trade show.



To donate to the auction, contact April Rose at apriltrose@gmail.com

International Tree Conference and Tree Climbing Championship 
August 3-5, 2018 Climbing
August 5-8, 2018 Conference
Columbus, Ohio

Mark your calendars now! The ISA Annual International Conference and Trade Show provides a forum for the exchange of information and opportunities to network with others in the arboricultural profession. The event provides a lineup of educational sessions led by industry leaders from around the globe, sharing their thoughts and views about the newest trends in equipment, practice, technology and research in arboriculture and urban forestry. It is the world's premier gathering of arboricultural professionals, where practicing arborists and urban foresters come together with top researchers and educators.
Features of the conference include:
  • Educational Sessions
  • Trade Show
  • Tree Academy Workshops
  • Climbers' Corner on the Trade Show Floor
Consider attending as a way to build your business network, meet the industry's leaders, and learn from the best in the profession


2018 Calendar of Events

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