The Municipal Arborist

This special episode features a few of my favorite friends and colleagues including Village Forester Kevin Sorby from Wilmette, Illinois and Streets Superintendent Tony Dati from Niles, Illinois. ________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] you to our sponsors:Davey Resource GroupArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Michael Collins has been Riverside's Village Forester for 19 years. Prior to his arrival there, he worked at Cantigny Gardens as a Grounds Arborist and at the Morton Arboretum  as a Research Assistant. Mr. Collins received his bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison in Forest Science and a masters degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Natural Resources. He has been a Certified Arborist for over 25 years. He has also received his Municipal Arborist Specialist certification and is Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ). Michael serves on the Illinois Arborist Association's Board of Directors as the Municipal Director and also serves as the Co-Chair for the Tree Stewardship & Planting Workgroup with the Chicago Region Tree Initiative (CRTI).________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] you to our sponsors:Davey Resource GroupArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Kellie Schmidt is the Statewide Director of Development for the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, maintaining an office in Springfield, IL. She is responsible for advocacy, member outreach, and program development in the regions outside of the Chicagoland area. She also serves as a liaison to ILCA member nurseries. Before joining the ILCA, Kellie served as Executive Director of the Illinois Green Industry Association for five years. She brings two decades of marketing and sales experience to her work and is passionate about representing the hard-working people that work in all segments of the green industry. In her spare time, she serves at-risk youth and families through Christ-centered, equine assisted programs at Refuge Ranch in Rochester, IL.Huge thanks to ILCA for providing a place to record at their iLandscape Conference!_________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] you to our sponsors:Davey Resource GroupArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Following in the footsteps of notable black plant researchers and scientists like George Washington Carver and Percy Julian is no easy task, but Derek Haynes is more than up to the challenge. With a background in plant biology, and working in vaccine and therapeutics development using non-traditional plant-based technologies, Derek certainly practices what he preaches. Plants offer so much more than home decor, and Derek wants to show you how. He understands that the ancient and the modern don’t need to compete, but rather can work together in harmony, offering viable solutions to pressing questions like food insecurity and mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.Merging together education, his signature wit and humour, and his keen love for plants and science, Derek’s mission is to pull the traditional knowledge of our ancestors into the mainstream. Known affectionately as The Chocolate Botanist on Instagram, Derek has built a community of over 10K like-minded people, who have come to respect both his incredible depth of knowledge and the palpable joy he cultivates with the subject matter.His earnest passion has landed him features in The Guardian, Lifehacker, and has been a guest on renowned podcasts like Black in the Garden and In Defense of Plants. He has also worked with the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in developing educational workshops on botany and plant science. Through his dedicated commitment to fostering community and providing the necessary tools to expand knowledge, Derek is solidifying his place in the plant world—continuing to pave a new and sustainable path for the next generation of young, Black botanists. Derek's Website & Derek's Instagram Huge thanks to ILCA for providing a place to record at their iLandscape Conference!_________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] you to our sponsors:Davey Resource GroupArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Aaron Schulz is the Plant Health Care Director & Consulting Arborist at Oak Bros Tree Care & Removal. He has a B.S. in  Agricultural Science with a  minor in Urban Forestry from Western Illinois University and is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist. He has served as the Past President for the Illinois Arborist Association (IAA) and currently  serves the organization as the Advanced Training Co-Chair, Advanced Training Instructor in Pest & Diagnosis Management, is an ISA Certification Workshop instructor, the Legislative Committee Chair and is the ISA Certification Liaison._________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] Resource GroupArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

This lighthearted introduction to 2024 features my two kids!_________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] Resource GroupArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Leslie Berckes is the Executive Director of the Urban and Community Forestry Society (formerly the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA). The UCFS is the professional membership home for people who make daily tree planting and care decisions in communities across the world. She brings over a decade of experience in urban forestry to the organization, having served as the Director of Programs for Trees Forever, a Midwest-based non-profit serving Iowa and Illinois. Leslie is an ISA Certified Arborist and holds a master’s degree in Public Policy with an Environmental Policy emphasis from the University of Northern Iowa in addition to a bachelor’s degree in Marketing._________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] more about PlanIT Geo’s tree canopy data subscriptionsCheck out PlanIT Geo’s urban forest resource libraryArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Jason Cutler developed a love for trees at an early age. As a freshman in high school, he was invited to be a part of a Forestry Career Development Event team through the Future Farmers of America (FFA), and has been pursuing his love of trees ever since. He spent nine years as a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, teaching over a thousand students various agriculture topics. Jason has been actively involved in helping many students and teachers learn the basics of forestry. The 2011 Joplin Tornado and subsequent recovery efforts led him to a local community forestry group, and a Certified Arborist prep course. Jason has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 2012, TRAQ qualified since 2019, is a 2022 American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA) Consulting Academy graduate, and a Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) since 2022. He left the classroom in 2019 to pursue an opportunity of working with some awesome arborists at All About Trees in Springfield, Missouri. Jason was the Plant Health Care Manager, as well as a member of various-sized tree crews. He has competed or judged multiple tree climbing competitions since 2019. As a teacher of a Certified Arborist prep course, he has helped arborists prepare for the ISA Certified Arborist exam. In 2022, Jason started Arbor Cutler LLC, a consulting and tree care company._________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] more about PlanIT Geo’s tree canopy data subscriptionsCheck out PlanIT Geo’s urban forest resource libraryArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Miguel Reyes is an ISA Certified Arborist and TRAQ qualified & has also completed the Illinois Arborist Association (IAA)  Advanced Training Domain. Miguel has worked with the City of Des Plaines for the last 12 years. He worked his way up from Maintenance Operator to his current title of Streets Crew Leader. As the city arborist, he oversees the health and care of over 22,000 trees in all public right-of-ways. He proudly partakes in the yearly tree planting program and Arbor Day activities across the local school district. The knowledge he acquires through the IAA workshops, allows him to educate the community on proper tree maintenance. Additionally, his company Migarey Tree Corp., supports his goal to enhance urban canopy and build a stronger urban forest._________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] more about PlanIT Geo’s tree canopy data subscriptionsCheck out PlanIT Geo’s urban forest resource libraryArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care

Melissa Custic manages operations for the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI)—a collaboration of regional partners working together to improve the health, diversity, and equity of trees in the seven-county Chicago region. Melissa works closely with colleagues of partner institutions to increase canopy cover, reduce the impacts of invasive species, and increase the preservation of oak ecosystems in the Chicago region. She has developed several resources and training programs aimed at improving tree selection, planting, and care, as well as targeting invasive woody removal and replacement. She serves as Vice President on the Illinois Invasive Species Council and as lead on the Chicago Wilderness Urban Tree Canopy Sub-Committee. Her professional interests include urban forestry, urban ecology, environmental justice, invasive species, climate change, and soil ecology._________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://patreon.com/TheMunicipalArboristInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_municipal_arborist/Questions or [email protected] more about PlanIT Geo’s tree canopy data subscriptionsCheck out PlanIT Geo’s urban forest resource libraryArbsessionWinkler Tree & Lawn Care