Joe recently joined the OpenTreeMap team in a business development and marketing role. He is a Venture for America fellow, a former small business owner, and an aspiring tree fanatic. Below, he reflects on his first few weeks as a newly minted OpenTreeMapper.
First, a small confession: before joining OpenTreeMap, I never thought of myself as a “tree person.” It’s not that I didn’t care for trees, but they were always just background to me—the nostalgic white noise at the edges of a childhood spent running around the woods. Creaking pines and fragrant Redcedars surrounded my childhood home for miles in all directions, but I can’t say I took time to ponder them. Consequently, I have been frantically trying to acquaint myself with the “arboreal arts”[1] since joining OpenTreeMap. I recently took the first step toward becoming a bona fide “tree person” by signing up for a volunteer training program at the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS). I entered the program as a total novice and emerged a certified “Tree Tender” (a credential that I’m proud to say comes with an official card). And while I’m still unsure of basic topiary topics like the difference between shaggy and exfoliating bark, I think it’s worth reflecting on the experience and the lessons I learned (many of which extend beyond trees).
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Fifty total strangers sat at regular intervals around the room, meekly nibbling at their pizza and trying to make small talk. “Let’s each introduce ourselves and say what neighborhood we live in,” suggested Mindy Maslin, Project Manager of the Philadelphia Horticultural Society’s “Tree Tenders” Program. “We’ll start at the front.”
One by one, the strangers obliged—“South Kensington,” “Francisville,” “East Passyunk.” “Cedar Park,” “Society Hill.” Listening to people rattle off neighborhoods was shocking; as I mentally shaded in a map of Philadelphia, I remember pondering the statistical absurdity that so many disparate areas of the city were represented in the room. The din of conversation subsided as each successive volunteer proclaimed their neighborhood with escalating pride. By the time it was my turn to introduce myself, I half-expected trumpets to sound before I bawled, “Old City!”
And with that, we were off. In a whirlwind first day we covered the benefits of trees, their biology, and how to spot signs of stress; we even had local arborists take us outside and apply the concepts we had just learned to the street trees along the side of the building. In that way, the program is simple but effective: over the course of a few weeks, volunteers receive training on an ambitious range of topics and meet experts in many tree-related fields, from agricultural extension to forest pathology. A certified Tree Tender should be able to spot a buried root flare from a block away, prune a stem showing signs of dieback to the closest lateral branch, and enumerate the many benefits of Philadelphia’s urban forest…simultaneously. If you’re reading this and wondering what highfalutin terms like “root flare” and “dieback” mean, then you’re probably a perfect candidate for the program.
Topics vary, as do guest speakers, but the principle is always the same: community forestry begins with community, not forestry. The volunteers who come to be trained at Tree Tenders events often share little in common; they are ministers, landscapers, high school students, young professionals, and retirees. But for such a diverse group, there is one thing that garners absolute consensus: Tree Tender class is a good time. During the nine hours of training I spent learning to plant and care for trees, I think I spent eight of them smiling from ear to ear. Mindy and the team at the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) are candid, hilarious, and flat-out happy to be there. That kind of positivity is infectious. And truthfully, it’s hard not to have fun when you’re swinging a pickaxe (conspicuously balanced on end in the accompanying picture).
If I had to pick the greatest lesson I have learned as a fledgling Tree Tender, I’d say this: tree people are good people. They’re behind the camera when the tree gets ceremoniously planted, and the only ones who return to (unceremoniously) water it each week. They are patient, humble, and concerned about the future. I’m excited to work on a project like OpenTreeMap that supports groups like PHS across the country in their efforts to improve the quality of life in their cities and neighborhoods. Because when it comes to community forestry, it’s about the people as much as the trees.
[1] Trademark pending
Read these related posts:
- “Trees in Trouble” highlights what we can do to mitigate the effects of EAB
- Transplanting Large Caliper Trees in Goderich, Ontario
- Community Engagement in Action: A conversation with Greening of Detroit
- Uncovering the actionable insights in your tree inventory
- After Five Years We Completely Changed Our Pricing—Here’s Why.
