Tree Service Canada #7 Fall 2008

Volume 2 Issue 2 Fall 2008 $5.00

Publications Mail Agreement #40050172 Customer Agreement #4956370RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO4623 William Head Rd. Victoria BC V9C 3Y7 email: [email protected]

Continued on page 4

See page 22 for details

B Y J E F F R E Y C A R T E R

certification program for British Columbia arborists is likely to become a reality in 2009, according to a member of the indus-

try-led, volunteer steering committee.Pat Perry, who’s also a regional safety man-

ager with Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada, expects a proposal outlining required skills will be submitted to BC’s Industry Training Author-ity (ITA) before year’s end. With their approval, final details concerning the program will be ironed out.

“We hope to qualify people who are already in the trade by the end of 2009—and that’s a reasonable expectation, I think . . . We do need

B Y S H I R L E Y B Y E R S

n Saskatoon, boom town in a province that’s morphed from “have not” to “have got” in less time than it takes to down a prairie poplar,

stately old trees on city property are in danger of being damaged or destroyed as properties in established neighbourhoods are leveled to make way for new development.

Enter Ian Birse, Saskatoon’s superintendent of urban forestry. His department is putting up notices on trees in danger zones outlining exactly how much those trees are worth.

Building permits typically require listing of any trees in the area. City arborists have access to that information and can go to the building site and

do a valuation of the trees. These valuations are in accordance with International Society of Arbori-culture standards and are posted on the trees.

Will knowing that destroying just one tree could cost upwards of $40,000 cause developers to tread carefully around it?

Perhaps.In Calgary, Birse’s counterpart, urban forestry

coordinator, Russell Friesen tells of one case in which a homeowner wanted to re-landscape his front yard and in the process cut the roots of two American elms and build a retaining wall around them.

“We told him the trees were valued at $33,000 and $35,000 each, and that if he wanted to pro-

ARBORIST CERT IF ICAT ION

BC one step closer to standards programProvincial certification will require Industry Training Authority approval

Under the proposed BC certification plan, the first step will be to issue a TQ—Trade Qualification—to existing arborists. This will involve a skills assess-ment, taking into account such factors as previous training and practical experience. It’s not known at this point what cost—if any—to be attached to securing a TQ.

Continued on page 4

A

I

Continued on page 4

D IVERS IF ICAT ION

Adding snow removal service to your businessExtra work helps retain staff in the off-seasonB Y J E F F R E Y C A R T E R

ohnny Swanson of Swan-Tel Landscaping is into the snow removal in a

big way but says tree industry professionals should think twice before adding the service to their business.

It’s little better than a breakeven proposition, the Ottawa landscape contractor says.

“If you think it is great driv-ing around with a plow in the middle of the night in a snowstorm, have fun,” Swanson says.

The owner of SwanTel Landscaping, however, is in the business of shifting snow for good reasons.

The biggest consideration may be his employees. They want year-round work and snow removal helps to provide it. Snow removal also keeps pickups and other equipment busy in the winter when they might otherwise be idle.

Swanson started into the snow removal business in a small way in the 1990s, doing much of the work himself. He says anyone serious

Anyone serious about snowploughing will need a one-ton die-sel pickup with an eight-foot blade, a sanding attachment and a couple shovels.

J

Saskatoon, Calgary threaten heavy penalties in attempt to save urban trees

FINES COULD BE AS MUCH AS $35,000 PER TREE

A couple of trucks with three or four men might handle 200 resi-

dential laneways. At $300 per contract, that

adds up to $60,000.

3986 Silky Ear position Ad.indd 1 2/20/08 2:49:51 PM

HELP WANTED?HELP FOUND!

Tree Service Canada Help Wanted ads get noticed. Call 250.478-3975.

Page 2 TREE SERVICE CANADA FALL 2008

Gyro-Trac’s fixed-tooth planar head design represents the next generation in mulching technology! Instead of hammering away at trees like other fixed-

tooth machines, our patented spiral-design fixed-tooth cutter heads literally cut through trees like a chainsaw,

i n c r e a s i n g the machine’s productivity and leaving finer, more attractive mulch—in fact, much of the tree is literally pulverized into dust. Operators can bring down even the largest

and toughest trees with the increased power of the fixed-tooth system, which leaves surfaces cut more smoothly and reduces vibration. The GT-13xp and GT-25xp models both come equipped with the planar-head technology.

866-800-3900

TSC_0806.indd 1 5/15/2008 10:48:38 AM

TAKE A NEW TACK TO THE TOP

TACHYONTM

TachyonTM is not only lighter than the rest, it improves grip and reduces hand fatigue with its patent-pending FlexifirmTM Core Technology.

Leave bunching and bagging behind with a firm, round shape that improves friction hitch performance. With three high-visibility colors, your safe, light route to the top is TachyonTM.

EN1891 TYPE A

NEW ENGLAND ROPES, Corp. , 848 Ai rport Road, Fa l l R iver, MA 02720, T +1 508-678-8200, www.neropes.com

DA

VID

W. G

RA

HA

M

Page 3TREE SERVICE CANADA FALL 2008

FOLLOW UP

Beware spring trees!Crane upended by heavier-than-estimated poplar

in the newsletters

Ont. accident investigators have concluded that the crane operator underestimated the weight of water-heavy spring trees.

In early May of 2008 a heavy crane lifting a poplar in a backyard in Beaverton, Ont, tipped with the overload and in the process of going over damaged a home. The operator and ground workers were uninjured. The investigation following the close call is complete and it has been determined that no charges will be laid. According to sources, the load chart being used to determine tree weights did not account for water uptake by poplar trees in the springtime, which can cause this species to weigh much more than indicated on the tree table.

Michael Ter-Mikaelian, of the Ontario Forest

Research Institute, says, “Trees are like sponges. You can’t tell their weight by looking. Wet or dry a sponge looks the same. Green weights are never precise because trees work like hydrants in wet weather and their dry weight can be 50% lower.”

Fraser Cocks of the BC Crane Safety Assoc. said, “We can accurately know the weight of steel by its dimensions. But a tree is variable.”

Look for more on this subject in the next issue of Tree Service Canada.

~PK

“Trees are like sponges. You can’t tell their weight by looking. Wet or dry a sponge looks the same.”

~ Michael Ter-Mikaelian, Ontario Forest Research Institute

A plea for HAP (halt acronyms please!)Would you please consider calling a moratorium on acronyms! It is very frustrating to read an article full of acronyms and have to guess at what you’re talking about. At the very least have the proper name spelled out in full followed by the acronym. Your magazine is supposed to be a source of info not frustration.

Rab RawlinsManager, Parks & Recreation

Town of Sundre, Alta.

More info on wildlife treesRegarding “wildlife and chicots trees” (pg.3), BC also has very comprehensive Wildlife Trees Assessments course that is applied to Forests, Urban Areas and Parks. It is essentially a happy com-promise between the concerns of Biologists and the concerns of WorkSafeBC (Wildlife Tree Committee of BC [http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/values/wildlife/WLT/index.htm].

Also Univ. of Northern BC offers a two day course called “Wildlife /Danger Tree Assessor’s Course” [http://www.mala.ca/forestex/wldtbrochures.pdf ] which certifies workers in this field (including myself!). The Lone Pine Book “Wildlife and Trees in BC”, written by the people who developed the course, provides a ton of great photos and information on the subject includ-ing a great section on the wildlife that relies on dead or dying trees. For example it discusses in detail which birds are primary cavity users (excavate the hole) and which are secondary cavity users (uses holes already built).

Harry WilliamsBiologist, Victoria, BC

B Y PAT K E R R

anadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has decided not to quaran-tine for the banded elm bark beetle

discovered in Medicine Hat, Alta, in 2006 for several reasons including it is just too late. The cattle, so to speak, are on the road and there is no point closing the gate at this time.

Scolytus schevyrewi was discovered in the US in 2003. Surveys now indicated it is in over 21 states throughout the central region. It also shown up in some bug collections demonstrat-ing it was likely on the continent for some time. The extensiveness of surveys in Canada varies by province but there are finds are in Medicine Hat (not in 2007), Saskatoon, Manitoba and Toronto. Bark beetle traps are never as successful as those for gypsy moth but they are significantly better then traps set for the emerald ash borer.

Native to China, there is little Canadian data on Scolytus at this time. It is considered another vector for Dutch elm disease but there is no field work available yet. Aside from DED it “might” kill trees already stressed by drought. Other minor hosts include Russian olive, willow, prunus, caragana and almond. We do know it is a little more cold hardy then the European elm bark beetle and about the same as our native elm bark beetle (both are also vectors for DED.)

The research to date is American. There are no pheromones for control. There are biological con-trols in its home land. There are studies on both contact and injectable insecticides ongoing but according to Canada’s PMRA (Pest Management

Reg. Agency), there are no “pest control products registered for control of the banded elm bark beetle. Pest control products registered for control of native elm bark beetle cannot be used to control the band-ed elm bark beetle.

There are two pest control products, Dragnet FT Emulsifiable Concentrate Insecticide (Registration Number 24175) and Prelude 240 Synthetic Pyre-throid Insecticide (Registration Number 26509), both containing the active ingredient permethrin, which are registered for use against bark beetles. These products are registered to prevent borer infes-tation of trees and woody ornamentals by spraying the bark. These products could be used to prevent bark beetle infestation according to the use direc-tions on the labels of these products.

Scolytus is 3.6 mm long, reddish brown with a black head. Indications of infestation include brown boring dust on trunk and occasional sap flow at gal-lery entrance. Holes are 1.6 to 2mm in diameter. It is a weak flier and transportation is (as is often the case) on wood products. Control measures, for the moment, are to promote healthy trees and sanita-tion.

Managing the Banded Elm Bark Beetle Quarantine no use at this point as it appears to be widespread

P E S T U P D AT E

The extensiveness of surveys for the banded bark beetle in Canada varies by province but there are finds are in Medi-cine Hat (in 2006 but not in 2007), Saskatoon, Manitoba and Toronto.Photo: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University


n the United States three to four arborists die from work related causes every week. As an occupation arboriculture is more danger-ous than fire fighting or police work.While stats in Canada are harder to pin down it is believed they are

similar to those in the US says Laurie Newsham of Olds College, who attended a recent lecture by Dr John Ball on industry safety. Dr Ball, from South Dakota University, has been doing research on accidents in the tree service industry and he presented his findings at the recent ISA conference.

As well as talking about his research Dr. Ball related some real life experiences. He spoke of an arborist killed in August when he tripped over his gas can while trying to access his escape route and was unable to get out of the way before the tree toppled onto him.

Dr Ball also stated that the turnover rate of a company is directly correlated to its accident rate. If you have a high turnover rate, then your accident rate will be higher as well.

Training is a key issue when it comes to safety. It is believed that less than 20 per cent of all arborists in North America have been trained.

While many larger companies have their own in-house trainer and smaller companies often use their manager or one of the key arborists in that capacity it’s been shown that bringing in an outside profession-al to train workers actually improves a tree service company’s accident rate.

“We’re getting more attention from occupational heath and safety organizations because of our accident rate and we’ll have to deal with that or we’re going to get some really repressive rules and regulations,” Newsham said.

There’s a big wide open space there that needs to be addressed as far as training in North America.

I don’t want to step on the guys and gals out there who are trying to survive and trying to make a buck . Most people have some pretty good intentions. But if you can just buy a ladder and a chain saw and throw it in the back of your pickup and call yourself an arborist then that’s kind of scary.”

Turnover, training linked to tree service accident ratesUS researcher cites studies and real life experiences

CI


in the news

www.treeservicecanada.ca

EDITOR Tom Henry Tel: 1-866-260-7985 [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR James Lewis

DISPLAY ADVERTISINGLesley Ann Manning, 250.478.3975 Fax. 250-478-3979 email: [email protected]

Jeremy Thain, Tel. 250-474-3982, Fax. 250-478-3979 Email: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Debbi Moyen Toll free 1-866-260-7985 or (250)-474-3935, Fax (250)-478-3979 Email: [email protected]

CIRCULATION Violaine Susan Mitchell

PUBLISHERS Peter Chettleburgh, Violaine Susan Mitchell

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES 4623 William Head Rd., Victoria, BC V9C 3Y7 Toll free 1-866-260-7985 Email: [email protected]

Your privacy is important to us. Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services might be of interest to our readers. If you would prefer to have your name removed from this list, please call 1-866-260-7985, fax: 250-478-3979 or write us at Tree Service Canada, 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC V9C 3Y7 or email us at [email protected].

Tree Service Canada is published four times a year by Southern Tip Publishing Inc. Subscription rate for one year: $19.95 (GST included). Single copy price: $5.00. Contents copyrighted by Southern Tip Publishing Inc. and may be reprinted only with permission.

PRINTED IN CANADA Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050172Postage paid at Vancouver, BC Postmaster: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Tree Service Canada, 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC V9C 3Y7

Contents copyright 2007 by Southern Tip Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1710 4955

ITA approval to move ahead,” Perry says.The plan is to first issue a TQ—Trade Quali-

fication—to existing arborists. This will involve a skills assessment, taking into account such factors as previous training and practical experience. It’s not known at this point what cost—if any—to be attached to securing a TQ, Perry says.

The step is necessary in order to provide TQ-equipped arborists who can then take on apprentices under the program. It will likely be another two or three years until the first apprentices earn their cer-tification in arboriculture.

While certification or securing a TQ is not proposed to be mandatory at this point, Perry says there’s nothing barring that step being introduced in the future by a government regulator.

Arborists currently working in BC who are interested in securing their TQ may already possess the required skills and training. Some, however, may require upgrades in certain areas.

Perry says a modular approach is being consid-ered. For instance, some arborists may only require upgrades in one or two aspects of their profession in order to gain their TQ designation.

The move to bring more structure to the arbori-culture industry in British Columbia began because of a decision by WorkSafeBC, Perry says. The gov-ernment agency decided that anyone working with

trees for commercial purposes in the province should have their “faller certification.”

The designation was originally developed for the forestry industry.

In response to the decision, members of BC’s arboriculture industry decided to look at the ques-tion of certification in a broader context, Perry says. Along with a training equivalent to what’s required for certified fallers, other aspects of the trade are to be addressed.

HortEducationBC, an organization funded by the ITA, has become involved with the process. A meeting of 52 industry representatives, including employees, employee and municipal representatives, was held last year.

According to a HortEducationBC release, “It was evident from that meeting . . . that there was both interest and need for trained and qualified . . . arborists in BC.”

The volunteer steering committee on which Perry sits also includes: Paul Buikema owner of Process Landscaping, Thor Clausen Arbortech Tree Services, Rupert Evans of The Butchart Gardens, Clifford Hoegler of BC Plant Health Care, Kerin Matthews with District of North Vancouver, Jason Timmis owner of Cedar Ridge Tree Care, Noah Violini of Barlett Tree Experts and Bill Wilde of the City of New Westminster.

ceed with this work he’d have to cut us a cheque for nearly $70,000 and he changed his plans.”

If necessary both cities are prepared to use stringent measures to protect their trees. Saskatoon is in the process of seeking damages for a tree killed when holes were bored into its trunk and herbicide poured into it.

Calgary has a tree protection bylaw that allows fines of up to $10,000 for damage done to city trees including cutting, remov-ing or pruning; penetrating the bark, attaching an object or sign or spraying trees with any substance except water. And, as Friesen pointed out, it’s unique in that it also applies to utility companies, who are usually exempted.

Persons who have damaged or destroyed a city owned tree in Calgary would also be taken to court and sued for damages.

But the goal of both cities is to encourage people to protect the trees and see them as an asset. They offer information to develop-ers on how to keep trees from damage during construction.

Calgary collects about $300,000 a year for tree damage or loss and that money is spent on planting trees in communities from which trees were removed through a volunteer stewardship pro-gram—NeighbourWoods.

People who wish to participate are provided with a tree. City workers dig a hole and the volunteer plants the tree and commits to buy a gator bag, put it around the tree and water it for a five year period. Volunteers are also taught how to plant, and about com-mon insect pests and biological controls.

“We’re hoping we can develop tree champions within the neighbourhood that can help us care for the urban forest,” Friesen said, “but also that they can take an interest in their neighbours’ trees and help their neighbours care for the urban forest.“

BC one step closer to standards continued from cover

heavy penalties continued from cover

“We told him the trees were valued at $33,000

and $35,000 each, and that if he wanted to pro-

ceed with this work he’d have to cut us a cheque

for nearly $70,000 and he changed his plans.”

~Calgary urban forestry coordinator, Russell Friesen

about the venture will need a one-ton diesel pick-up with an eight-foot blade, a sanding attach-ment and a couple shovels, Swanson says.

They should also expect to have challenges in the area of customer relations. Heavy snowfalls and blocked laneways are not things that have many people smiling—especially if you happen to be last on the list for plowing.

With quick calculations, Swanson says a cou-ple of trucks with three or four men might handle 200 residential laneways. At $300 per contract, that adds up to $60,000.

Less labour, fuel, material costs and equip-ment wear and tear, there won’t be much left over. The price of salt, Swanson notes, has increased

five times since he started into the business.With about $3 million in snow removal

equipment, SwanTel focuses on government, condominium and commercial contracts. The company no long offers residential contracts but will serve homeowners on a call basis with billing through Visa or Mastercard.

For its contract work, SwanTel suggests that written tenders include site specifications, clearly defined snow removal areas, snow handling speci-fications, whether or not sanding or salting are needed and other details.

SwanTel representatives offer proof of liability insurance and an updated certificate of WSIB insurance to its contract customers.

snow removal continued from cover


t the ISA conference in St Louis this year an entire morning was devoted to the subject of women in arboriculture. With more women

entering the profession this was appreciated said conference attendee Laurie Newsham, instructor in Arboriculture at Olds College.

Kay Sicheneder, field operations supervisor-forestry with the city of Arbor, Michigan was one of the women presenting in the Women In Arboricul-ture Session. In the program handed out to attend-ees Kay’s talk was introduced with this paragraph:

Men and women are different. Although everyone deals with this fact in their daily lives, working with men in a “man’s world” magnifies these differences. Can one be prepared to deal with oversized equip-ment, communication gaps, and prejudices? Perhaps, but a woman’s success in the tree care industry involves a thorough understanding of human nature, thick skin, experience, and a sense of humour.

On the podium Sicheneder had this advice to offer:

“Don’t expect a man to act like a woman.”“A woman needs to work like a man without

acting like a man.”“A woman is thought incompetent until proven

otherwise- deal with it!”Clothing manufacturer Sarah Calhoun, owner

of Red Ant Pants, addressed the issue of improp-

erly fitting work wear. She makes work clothing for women at her company in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, the first ever company dedicated to man-ufacturing workwear for women.

Newsham described her presentation as funny and forthright. “I will be ordering pants for my wife and three girls from her,” he said.

Summing up the morning Newsham said that this subject was of specific interest for him—some professional, some personal. “ I have three daugh-ters. I’m very keen that they find their way in the world.”

“Our work place is still male dominated and male oriented. We need to change some of that because the whole of society is missing out by not having opportunities for women.

Change is coming though. At Olds College, for example, horticulture classes are getting closer to half men, half women.

It’s important to understand that each gender has its strengths and its limitations. Typically most women are not as strong physically as men but that doesn’t mean they can’t do it.

“I do a lot of training,” he said. “It’s nice see a woman who doesn’t have all the strength that a man does but still gets the job done safely, efficiently and in a way that everyone goes home safe and there’s money in everybody’s pocket.”

You go, girl!The evolving roll of women in arboriculture

Workforce rules for womenThree rules women in the workforce must face, according to Kay Sicheneder, field operations supervisor-forestry with the city of Arbor, Michi-gan, a presenter on the topic of Women In Arbo-riculture 1. Don’t expect a man to act like a woman.2. A woman needs to work like a man without

acting like a man.3. A woman is thought incompetent until proven

otherwise- deal with it!

A


news

B Y PAT K E R R

s natural as maple syrup, as environmentally safe as compost, baculoviruses

control defoliators. Baculoviruses have always controlled insect infestations and forestry has used them for one hundred years. Fif-teen year ago Nick Payne of Nat-ural Resources Canada did a field study that proved baculoviruses are as effective as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) in the first year and they work even better if a laundry

brightener is added to the formu-lation. Plus a Nova Scotia project in 2007 couldn’t be completed because a baculovirus that was sprayed in 1998 caused the insect population to crash, again, nine years later! Baculoviruses are one hundred percent natural, environ-mentally friendly and everywhere. There is one little problem that until researchers haven’t been able to solve. Dollars. The cost of refining, researching, register-ing and storing baculovirus for an infestation has outweighed what the market would pay. But that is changing on both sides of the border (and not because consum-ers want to pay more.) Sylvar Technologies Inc. of New Brunswick now has the rights to both formulations of the gypsy moth baculovirus. They

did a field test in Simcoe, Ont in May 2008 using the US formula-tion (Gypchek). If this study is successful and if the registration process goes smoothly Sylvar could formulate and store one formulation for both countries. (They already have a US deal.) This would increase their market potential and decrease their stor-age/manufacturing costs. Gypchek is the same bacu-lovirus as in the Canadian regis-tered Dispar. The researchers on both sides of the border worked

together to isolate it and deter-mine its safety and effectiveness. However, the two countries each developed their own formula-tion method so presently there are two registrations for the same baculovirus. (Double the manu-facture cost.) One formulation is the consistency of white sugar the other is more like talcum powder. Stefan Richard, General Man-ager of Sylvar Tech says, “Our goal is to get more products out there.” They are also producing formulations of the balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) (This baculovirus – Abietive was used to stem the 2006 outbreak in Newfoundland and Labrador) and white tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma) baculovirus and they

Baculoviruses in Canada? Environmental treatment may be the solution to insect infestations

Northland Chipper Sales Ltd, #104 - 20551 Langley Bypass, Langley,

British Columbia, V3A 3E8, Fax 604-532-6001Visit our website and watch it run:

The

Simply the Best Way to Process Firewood!

The simplest, lowest cost, self-contained firewood processor available. Patented process feeds the log, shears to length and splits. If you have logs you want

to process into firewood, get a chomper

Call today for More Information:

1-800-665-2447 604-532-6000

It’s Sheer

Magic

Continued on next page

A Forest Protection Limited’s Air Tractor 802 ready for loading with Gypchchek (a Baculovirus for the control of Gypsy Moth) in Brantford, Ont.

A Sylvar employee collecting insect samples

A


newsare researching the baculovirus for the western (Choristomeu-ra occidentalis) and the eastern spruce bud worm (Choristoneura fumiferana). Insects, like rab-bits, have population boom/bust cycles. In the case of Lepi-doptera (moths) and Diprionidae (sawflies) the cause of the bust is baculoviruses. Each species has a unique baculovirus that attacks it in its normal cycle. One hundred years ago it was learned if you collect dead larvae in the wild and spread them in an infested area you could stop the infestation. Sylvar, using this principal collects the baculovirus and

puts it into a format for spraying. Because each baculovirus is host specific there is no danger to any other species including mon-archs, pollinators, or to children, pets, birds or the rest of us. The gypsy moth test in Ontario includ-ed two provincial parks. Advertising was done in advance and campers continued in the parks during the spraying. There were no complaints. The spray was so fine that even if a camper was directly under the plane they would only have felt a fine mist lighter then morning dew. Baculoviruses

are on all our leafy green vegetables and we consume them on a regular basis. They can’t be absorbed in to the human digestion because like all mammals our digestion is far too acidic.

Each baculovirus is a unique species and they all function a little different and each attacks only one species of insect. However they all infect the larvae stage of the insect (never the egg or adult). The lar-vae eat the baculovirus on a leaf and it is absorbed in to their system. In the case of the gypsy moth it mul-tiplies in the gut, liquefies

the innards and destroys the exoskeleton. The larvae are driven high into the tree where the larvae’s body will open and the virus will be spread waiting for the next gypsy moth caterpillar to eat it. When a bird or another type of larvae consumes the gypsy moth baculovirus nothing happens. It is excreted from their digestion unchanged. If Sylvar is successful in their new ven-ture insect infestation management will be a lot safer for all of us.

1

High Angle Tree Removal Tree Climbing, Fall Protection & Work Positioning Tree Dynamics & Integrated Risk Assessment Technical Tree Falling & Cutting Hazard & Danger Tree Cutting & Falling Aerial Lift Emergency Evacuation & Extrication

Chainsaw Safety & Cutting Techniques Spar Pole Rigging Tree Pruning Rope Access Emergency readiness & High Angle Rescue Arborist Technical Rigging

The first 10 people who register for a fall 2009 course anywhere in Canada and mention they saw this ad in the Tree Service Canada publication will receive $75 off of their course registration cost!!

Go to www.ArborCanada.com to see full fall training schedule. (not to be combined with other discounts available)

Until now, the cost of refining, researching, registering and storing baculovirus for an infestation has outweighed what the market would pay.

Dr. Renee Lapointe (Sylvar’s Research Director) working with White Marked Tussock Moth larvae.

Franchises are for sale in all areas of Canada. Contact George at

604-885-8131 for more information.

www.jimstrees.biz 604.885.8131

*Conditions apply

Your future is hereDue to extraordinary demand, Jim's Trees is inviting inquiries from persons with a strong commitment to customer service and a desire to establish a successful and profitable business

Work agreement guaranteed*


feature


here’s nothing quite like person to person learning. That’s why the Society of Muni-cipal Arborists MA Exchange Program

was created, said Providence RI arborist, Doug Still, chair of the program.

“The program was created by SMA mem-bers themselves, originally,” he explained. “We felt that we wanted a way to spend additional time with fellow city arborists, to see in person what our colleagues were doing and how their operations worked.”

Since 2003 twenty-one urban arborists, including four Canadians, have taken part in the exchange. Tami Sadonoja of Hamilton, Ont, visited Charlotte, NC, in 2004. Bill Ste-phen, Vancouver, visited Washington DC in 2005; John McNeil, Oakville Ont. visited Santa Monica CA in 2005 and Aurelio Maggazeni of Welland, Ont. travelled to Bottrop, Germany in 2007.

The program provides an opportunity for municipal arborists to spend a week working with their counterparts in another city. Most exchanges are reciprocal—two arborists take turns visiting and hosting each other—but if a city has someone who is willing to host but doesn’t want to travel a one-way exchange can happen.

The exchange is often international but exchanges closer to home can be beneficial too, Still explained. Last year an arborist from New York City visited Los Angeles to learn about new techniques for creating sidewalks around trees and managing tree/side-walk conflicts. “Another past participant only went over the border to visit a host in the next state, which doesn’t sound like much, but it was an opportunity to step outside his normal routine and learn other ways to run an urban forestry pro-gram,” he said.

Participants are chosen through an annual application process. The exchange selection com-mittee awards exchanges to applicants on a best match basis—arborists or cities that have particular strengths that might help specific needs of other applicants, similar city sizes, similar climates, etc.

If two arborists apply together to propose a specific exchange their application will receive extra consideration.

If the applicant is accepted SMA will pay for his/her round-trip airline ticket and cover much of the basic travel expenses for one week. SMA will connect the two appli-cants and help them plan and organize their trips.

“Salaries remain the same,” Still said, “ as if the arborists were working at home or attending a conference for professional development.”

The program requires that participants spend at least one work week with their host, but it could be longer if agreed upon by both parties. Usually, the participant stays in their host’s own home. Each participant writes an article for the SMA journal “City Trees” about their experience so that the greater SMA membership can learn from it as well. The articles, and more information, can be found online. Go to http://www.urban-forestry.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=19385 and click on Arborist Exchange.

“We hope that our participants learn directly from others about how arboriculture problems are solved and how things work operationally,” said Still. “Participants take what they learn and use new-found techniques back in their own city. Professional and personal friendships are formed which have lasted after the exchange has officially com-pleted. In fact, some of our participants have revisited each other on several occasions on their own. Not only have participants learned a great deal from their hosts, but it offers an opportunity to reflect on one’s own program. We often do not take adequate time to reflect on what works and what doesn’t, to think of better ways of doing things. The arborist exchange is a perfect time to do just that, and that is what it is all about.

PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT

Society of Municipal Arborists exchange deadline approaching.Why not look into it? Program encourages out-of-office education

Providence RI arborist, Doug Still, chairs the Society of Municipal Arborists MA Exchange Program.

The program provides an opportunity for

municipal arborists to spend a week working

with their counter-parts in another city.

T


Before beginning a job, a tree risk assessor has to make several important decisions

such as: which trees to assess, when, with what level of detail, and how often. Some of these fac-tors are driven by budgets, which influence the amount of time and money available to undertake assessments. Others rely on the discretion of the assessor. In order to undertake a reasonable assess-ment, the assessor should consider the following.

Which trees to assess?

The trees to be assessed first occupy areas where the potential target gets a high rating. Busy streets, valuable property, and areas where there are always lots of people, are usually rated as high target areas. At the other end of that spectrum, rural roads, property of very low value, and

areas infrequently used by people rate a low target rating. In be-tween these is the moderate target rating. There are no hard and fast rules to define those target ratings.

In municipal areas, it is com-mon to see roads and people use areas rated by how many people might be there.1 Valuable property might include hospitals, municipal infrastructure, and key power lines. On private land, tar-get rating is also assigned ratings by use and value. For example, golf courses would typically rate the car park, clubhouse, tees, and greens (people occupy the space for relatively long periods of time) higher than fairways (people pass by any one point relatively fast).

As long as the approach used is explicit and understood, it should be reasonable from a legal viewpoint. Crucially, it is impor-

tant to understand that it may not be feasible to assess every tree in every zone, all the time.

When should the trees be assessed?

Without foliage, it is much easier to assess the structure of deciduous trees, since the scaffold limbs, branches and attachments can be clearly seen. With foliage, these aspects may be much harder to see from the ground, but the overall health and vigour of the tree can be seen. Aspects such as crown dieback, foliage colour, and amount of new growth, can be seen and interpreted. In all but special cases, it would be unusual to assess each tree in both seasons.

In high target areas, it is com-mon to see drive by assessments undertaken right after storms to identify any extreme risk trees right away. Later on, once these extreme risk trees have been dealt with, the assessor can then revisit the most important sites and un-dertake a more detailed review of the remaining trees.

How much detail should the assessment include?

This is dictated by several factors. A drive by or “windshield” survey can only ever see one side of the tree, and is designed to identify really obvious, extreme risk trees; they are about to fall down and cause big problems. It is entirely possible that such trees might be missed in this level of survey. Ground surveys would typically assess trees within strik-ing distance of the target, possibly one and a half tree heights in some cases. 2 That becomes a lot more time consuming. Each tree needs to be viewed at a distance, close up, and all the way round its trunk. Of course trees with mas-sive defects, such as dead branches in the crown; or those that have fallen away and are now hung up over roads; scaffold limbs that are cracked and partly failed; or trees that have uprooted and seem likely to fall down soon, should all be obvious to a skilled and well trained assessor.

Sometimes, the really skilled assessor will see aspects of the tree that raise doubts, but require additional testing to determine if there is or is not a problem. These include probing the tree with sci-entific instruments to see if there is decay present; getting into the crown of the tree with a bucket

truck, or by climbing up; locating and testing structural roots. All of these aspects require additional time and money.

How often should trees be assessed?

That depends entirely on the amount of risk that is acceptable, and the funds available. For a large city it might be impossible to look at every tree, or treed area more than once every five to ten years. Typically, the high target ar-eas might be assessed every two to three years, and sometimes annu-ally. The exception would be very valuable trees, usually ones that are older, larger, and potentially less able to withstand storms. These might be considered as

“retain and monitor” trees where much more frequent assessment may be justified.

Finally, the assessor and the general public need to understand that risk assessment is subjective, and involves a large amount of skill and interpretation. Some risk issues are readily identified by a layperson. Most risk issues are quite subtle and require specific assessment skills. It is impossible to achieve a Standard of Perfec-tion where all trees never pose any risk to people or property. To expect that is to deny reality. And, reality is that the risk of being killed by a falling tree is very, very low compared to the many other risks humanity faces.

Trees & the LawB Y J U L I A N D U N S T E R

B

Risk Assessment ConceptsUnless risk assessors have access to unlimited budget and time (and who does?), they have to use their knowledge of trees and their location to arrive at logical decisions

ArborSoftWorxComputing Solutions That Work

®

www.ArborSoftWorx.com

Affinity PartnerMember

Bottom Line. You Demand Results. ArborSoftWorx Delivers.

Serving our clients throughout the

U.S.A., Canada, and Europe since 1983.

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

Comprehensive Tree and Asset Inventories for City, Township, Park, Campus, HOA, Estates

GPS and GIS Support

Full Inspection and Survey History

Hazard Assessment and

Generate Work Orders, Maintain Complete Service History

Perform Job Costing and Budgets

i-Tree, ACRT and other Data Conversions

Valuations

Efficient Scheduling and Tracking

Integrate Digital Photographs

Property Owner Info and Calls

Flexible Reporting with Powerful Queries

Urban Forestry

Inventory Management Software

Complete Customer and

Business Management Software

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

Comprehensive Customer Relationship Management for Commercial Arborists, Consulting Arborists,

Plant Health Care Specialists, Landscapers, and turf Management Professionals

Create Proposals & Work Orders using ANSI A300 Standards

Mobile Field Office is 100% Secure and Accurate allowing you to control what information leaves the

office. Generate Proposals in the field, real-time or with “DataSync”

Include Comprehensive Driving Directions, GPS, Maps, Incorporate Your Digital Photographs

E-mail Proposals, Invoices and other Documents

Translate to French or Spanish for crews or Customers

Maintain Accurate Asset Management for Equipment, Maintenance and Inspections

Manage vital record keeping to fulfill TCIA Accreditation

And much more...

detailed , Exchange information with QuickBooksDetailedPerform Job Costing

1-800-49-ARBOR

1 This is fraught with difficulty and becomes a very subjective designation.2 Within striking distance is a reasonable minimum. There are cases where trees set back from the edge of a road have failed and killed people passing by.

A drive by or “windshield” survey can only ever see one side of the tree, and is designed to identify really obvious, extreme risk trees; they are about to fall down and cause big problems. It is entirely possible that such trees might be missed in this level of survey. Ground surveys would typically assess trees within striking distance of the target, possibly one and a half tree heights in some cases. That becomes a lot more time consuming.


news

GOGOGO HYBRIDHYBRIDHYBRID

NOWNOWNOW

From the world leader in hybrid utility trucks. ALTEC has the Diesel Hybrid Electric vehicles you need. Work ready packages are available and IN PRODUCTION NOW. Aerial Devices mounted on efficient Medium Duty Diesel Hybrid Electric trucks for your applications.

Winnipeg, Manitoba 57 Durand Rd. Ph: 204-663-8362

Surrey, BC 12352 84th Ave. Ph: 604-597-0355

www.altec.com 1-877-GO-ALTEC

The design and engineering is done.

Milton, Ontario 831 Nipissing Rd. Ph: 905-875-2000

Ask us about our HYBRID RENTAL Programs

The Green Industry Show The Green Industry Show & Conference& Conference

Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Alberta Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Alberta

Western Canada’s Premier Event Western Canada’s Premier Event Western Canada’s Premier Event for the Landscape, Tree for the Landscape, Tree for the Landscape, Tree

and Nursery Industry and Nursery Industry and Nursery Industry

Isn’t it time you came to the show!

Over 160 Exhibitors... Arborist supplies, Equipment, Plant growers & more!

November 20 November 20 –– 21, 2008 21, 2008

Toll Free: 1Toll Free: 1--800800--378378--31983198

info@[email protected]

www.greenindustryshow.comwww.greenindustryshow.comwww.greenindustryshow.com

The Green Industry Show is produced by: Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association


he purchase of a tree service company in Duncan, on Vancouver Island, is just a small part of the expansion plans for Bartlett Tree Experts in BC.

Bartlett’s Victoria-based division manager says his company hopes to finalize a deal to buy a much larger company in the province by October 1.

“We’ve been expanding up Vancouver Island and Duncan was the next move to make. Tops Tree Service has been in the business for 10 to 15 years,” Noah Violini says.

Tops, owned by Rene Valinski, had a relatively large client list, a focus on such basic services as pruning and tree removal and a handful of employees, Violini says. The acquisition by Bartlett will bring a full lineup of tree services to the Duncan area including diagnostics.

Violini, responsible for Bartlett’s Western Canada division, didn’t want to talk about the coming acquisition until the deal is finalized.

Bartlett was founded by Francis A. Bartlett, a graduate of Massachusetts Agricultural Col-lege, in 1907. Ahead of his time, he used the slogan, “America’s trees are worth saving” and set about learning all he could about the physi-ology and care of trees.

That tradition continues to this day.Bartlett maintains a 350-acre research

property at Charlotte, North Carolina where a laboratory and team of diagnostic experts are stationed. According to Ken Karp, vice-president of marketing and public relations, Bartlett works closely with public institu-tions to move the tree service industry forward.

“At this point we are now in 26 US states and in Canada, England and Ireland. We celebrated our 100th anniversary last year and we have almost 100 locations,” Karp says.

“What distinguishes us is, everything we do is based on science and our competi-tive advantage is that we have a dedicated research lab.”

Karp says Bartlett is accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association. There are now more than 1,000 employees and 200 “selling arborists.” The company is the larg-est, privately-owned company specializing in residential and commercial tree care.

In Canada, Bartlett has three offices in British Columbia and two in Ontario.The company is led by CEO Robert Bartlett Jr., the grandson of the company’s

founder. The corporate headquarters are located at Stamford, Connecticut.

Bartlett extends reachBuys BC tree service firm, plans further expansion

The acquisition by Bartlett will bring a

full lineup of tree services to the

Duncan, BC, area including diagnostics.

t may seem hard to believe, but it is true, firewood can be deadly. Just one piece of firewood in the back of

your truck could cause the death of an entire forest or of certain tree species in a community.

“Transportation of firewood is a common way for invasive species to spread,” says Janet Feddes-Calpas, coordinator of Alberta’s chapter of the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED). “Hidden under the bark where you can’t see them, the insect pests that spread diseases can be moved across Canada. There are a number of destructive pests such as the native and European elm bark beetles, emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, and the mountain pine beetle which threaten natural forests and urban trees.

“Storing elm wood is also a con-cern since this is a perfect breeding site for the native and European elm bark beetles, the insects that carry the deadly Dutch elm disease (DED) fungus. Albertans who have stored elm wood

are asked to please dispose of it imme-diately by burning or burying.”

The Dutch elm disease pathogens, smaller European elm bark beetle, and the native elm bark beetle are named pests under the Alberta Agricultural Pests Act (APA). All municipalities, counties and MD’s in the province of Alberta have the responsibility and authority to prevent and control DED under the APA. Under this act it is illegal to transport or store elm wood at any time of the year and it is also illegal to prune elm trees between April 1 and Septem-ber 30.

“When travelling and camping, please leave firewood at home and pick it up locally,” says Feddes-Calpas. “If everyone takes care of the forests, we will be able to enjoy them for years to come.” Source: Agri-News http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/newslett.nsf/homemain/agnw

Firewood can be deadly!Invasive species hitchhike to new territory on cords

T

I



ob Hill may not be the quickest up a tree these days but he carries more personal

experience to the heights than just about anyone else in the industry.

A legend of sorts among those who know him, Hill began climbing trees in 1960. Nearly 50

years later, he’s still going strong. “It’s about all I know . . . trees just seem to be the natural thing for me and I’m still climbing them,” Hill says. “I’m not quite as acrobatic as I used to be . . . (but) I just can’t lay around. If I retired, I’m afraid I might seize up.”

Admittedly, Hill prefers to head to the comfort of his home in Kirkfield, Ont, near Lindsay

by late afternoon these days. And the business he founded in the spring of 1964—RG. Hill Tree Service—

is down to just a crew of three.Hill’s two employees are a

couple of young fellows. They are in their early 50s. He has a listing of about 300 customers.

“Most of our work is repeat business or word of mouth—something I’m proud of. We don’t advertise except for a number in the telephone book.”

As many as 16 workers were employed by Hill in the past when he focused on the Greater Toronto Area. He also has had a good working relationship with Weller Tree Service, serving as both a subcontractor and employ-ee over the years.

Hill’s story in the tree service industry, however, began when he little more than a boy, returning to Ontario from Western Canada.

“I hitchhiked out west in December with a friend to make my fortune. We were both about 19 years old,” Hill remembers. “I got homesick and when I came back a friend asked if I wanted to go to work for Davey Tree Expert Company.”

Hill remembers starting at a dollar an hour and moving up to $1.25 when after earning his junior field man’s certification. After two years with Davey and before starting his own business, he worked for the old Metropoli-tan Toronto Parks Department where he earned $2 an hour.

Times have changed and usu-

ally for the best, Hill says.When he started, the stan-

dard, tree-climbing practice involved scaling a tree with a three-section ladder to a height of about 30 feet and using a rope and saddle. After scaling the lad-der, climbers were on their own to shinny trees to a higher point as necessary and tie in.

“When I look back it today, I

say, ‘How did we do it?’”Chainsaws of the day were

heavier and had to be tied in separately. They also tended to be finicky, compared to the Stihl and Husqvarna models Hill favours

today.While Hill says safe climbing

techniques were always a consid-eration, the equipment and tech-niques used today are superior in many respects.

“Today, you’re not supposed to be more than four feet off the ground without being tied into the tree.” Hill says he has always been careful, even as a young

man. Still, accidents do happen.For Hill that fateful day

occurred back when hemp and sisal ropes were still being used. At a height of 35 feet, Hill thought he was securely tied in. “I leaned back to make a cut and I just kept on going.”

The rope, which been stored on the floorboards of a three-ton truck, gave way. Beneath the floorboards was a battery from which fumes rose to rot the rope.

A cedar hedge broke his fall. Hill counts himself lucky, despite breaking his arm, and reminds today’s climbers to always check their equipment before making an ascent.

Today’s climbing ropes, Hill notes, are rated for up to 18,000 pounds. Natural fibre ropes of the past were expected to hold about 600 pounds.

Hill’s wife, Lori, when she’s not working at her own business, helps her husband with the office duties.

Hill has three daughters, two of which have tree service experi-ence.

profile

KARL KUEMMERLINGEXCELLENT SERVICE & PRODUCTS SINCE 1945 INC.

WINTER SUPPLIESwith the BEST tools, clothing,

and safety equipment.

CALL OUR ORDER LINE

1.330.477.3457 or Fax 1.330.477-8528

[email protected]

WWW.KARLKUEMMERLING.COM

129 EDGEWATER AVE. N.W.

MASSILLON, OH

44646-3396

Be PreparedHusqvarna Chain Saws, TimberWolf Log Splitters, John Bean Sprayers and Mitts & Merrill Brush Chippers

REQUEST A CATALOG TODAY

Certified Arborist on Staff: Robert A Romeril (403) 607-6276 cell

ARBORIST SUPPLY CO. INC.

1-888-240-3993* Complete Arborist Equipment *

Spray and Fertilizer unitsLog Splitters and Chippers

Personal Safety GearTraining Workshops Available

Operating in Calgary since 1992www.arboristsupply.com

Save on:Laser Saw Chain

Guide Bars

Sprockets & Rims

Safety wear

Log Handling Tools

www.cutterschoice.com 1 • 888 • 288 • 8371

Woodcutting Supplies atDISCOUNT Prices!!!

Bob Hill: nearly 50 years in the business— and still climbing!He remembers an era when sisal ropes, long ladders and heavy chainsaws were part of a climber’s gear.

Years ago the standard, tree-climbing practice involved scaling a tree with a three-section ladder to a height of about 30 feet and using a rope and saddle. After scaling the ladder, climbers were on their own to shinny trees to a higher point as necessary and tie in. Says Hill: “When I look back it today, I say, ‘How did we do it?’”

Although he has lost some agility, Hill still dons his climbing gear and ascends a tree with the ease of a much younger man. He says that modern climbing ropes are a great improvement from hemp and sisal, which he started with years ago. Chainsaws are lighter and more reliable, too.

As many as 16 workers were employed by Bob Hill in the past when he focused on the Greater Toronto Area.

B


profile


t Racine Tree Service in Manitoba, cold-weather wisdom has come through experience.

Family members for three or more generations have been working outdoors through wind, rain, sleet and snow. For the past 40, they’ve worked in the tree service industry.

Today’s owner, Brad Racine, says when it comes cold his first consideration is for his workers. “If you’re working out there, no matter if it’s minus 20 degrees Celsius, you’re working sweat if you’re working hard . . . You’ve got to pace yourself.”

Once the pace slows, chances of becoming chilled increase, Racine says. Chilled workers often become sick work-ers and that not a good thing for either the people or the business.

A good practice is to carry extra cloth-ing to a job when temperatures fall and change into them to avoid chills, Racine says.

It’s also important to consider wind speed on cold days.

On a still day, workers may be comfort-able at minus 20 degrees Celsius but it the wind picks up, the operation may need to be shut down.

Wind and cold are also a big threat to equipment. In cold weather, Racine says engines and equipment should be run flat out without a load for 60 to 90 minutes before starting a job. That way circulating oil is warmed.

“At minus 20, at minus 30; the equip-ment begins to take a lot of abuse . . . If anything is weak it tends to show up when it’s cold and that costs you money.”

Racine Tree Service, headquartered at Turtle Mountain in the Southwestern corner of Man., near the US border, was started by Brad’s father, Allan, and his uncle, Ed, in 1968.

Allan continues in the industry, provid-ing tree service to cottagers from his own business at Delcarus, Sask. Seven of Allan’s

eight brothers, have worked or are working in tree service.

Prior to their involvement in the indus-try, the Racine family operated a sawmill and logging operation. In the early days, family members would harvest timber in the winter for posts and peddle these to farmers in the spring and summer.

Today, Brad Racine is building on past success. He took over Westman Tree Service in April this year. Westman’s crew includes certified utility cutters and climb-ers Don Neault and Rhys Pohl, along with ground workers Chad Stuart and Jeremy Hammond.

“There are only 300-some utility cutters in Canada and I’m lucky that I have two,” Racine says.

Based in Brandon, Westman focuses on cleaning up hydro utility corridors throughout Manitoba and looks after the trees at the Canadian Forces base at Shilo,

Man. With Stuart and Hammond training for their certification, Racine plans to add to his fleet of aerial trucks in a year or so.

Racine Tree Service does work for MTS (Manitoba Telephone Service) Allstream and the RCMP and performs residential work. The employees include Racine’s son Louis, who operates the aerial truck, Devon Canada and Tyler Huss.

The MTS contract is a key focus for the company. It’s especially important not to break a fibre-optic cable.

“If you make a mistake and break the line, it can cost millions of dollars because the whole line will need to be replaced.”

Racine Tree Service also specializes in

dangerous trees. “If you have one those monster trees over your house or busi-ness, I have the expertise to remove it. I do those jobs myself.”

There are other dangers in the tree ser-vice industry, even with routine jobs. That’s been a priority, especially since Racine’s uncle and godfather, Ed Racine, died from injuries sustained in a fall from a bucket. Had he been wearing a safety harness, he might still be alive to day, Racine says.

Another incident that has served as a wakeup call was the tragedy involving Westman’s former owner. He died when the bucket in which he was working plum-meted 20 feet due to an equipment failure.

Racine now has his equipment inspect-ed by a qualified engineer for metal fatigue, stress cracks and other problems.

Racine and his wife, Tami, have two young sons. Along with caring for her children, Tami works for the business as a bookkeeper, secretary and troubleshooter.

Racine is a member of the Turtle Mountain Métis Federation is the commu-nity’s large private industry employer. He has a great deal of pride in his background which includes Cree, French and Scot ancestry.

Dealing with the cold . . . the Manitoba way

Keep dry and warm up your equipment

Part of the Racine crew, from left: ground worker Jeremy Hammond, climbers Don Neault and Rhys Pohl and ground worker Chad Stuart

The crew also includes, from left, aerial truck operator Louis Racine, and tree service workers Tyler Huus and Devon Canada

Once the pace slows, chances of becoming chilled increase, Racine says. Chilled workers often become sick workers and that not a good thing for either the people or the business.

A


B Y D R . K E N F R Y, O l d s C o l l e g e

he cottony psyllid is a recently introduced pest to Alberta infesting black

ash, Fraxinus nigra Marsh. and Manchurian ash, Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. It does not infest green ash, Fraxinus

pennsylvanica L. The cottony psyllid overwinters in the egg stage. Eggs are laid on lead shoots along crease lines at the bottom of unopened lateral and terminal buds (Fig. 1). Eggs hatch in late April or early May before bud break and first instar nymphs feed by piercing the tender bark around the buds

and sucking plant liquids. Once the leaves have flushed nymphs enter and begin feeding on cell contents and phloem sap on the underside of the leaf. This feeding causes the leaf sides to curl under, forming a pseudo gall (Fig. 2). There are 5 nymphal instars (Fig. 3). The adult (Fig. 4) emerges in June to feed on the shoots and mate. Eggs of the second generation are laid in June. The second-generation eggs hatch in late June through early July. Second-generation adults mate and lay eggs in September through October. This is the first record of a second generation for this species.

In one experiment branches of mature black ash trees in northeast-central Edmonton, were measured for growth. Average shoot growth in infested trees dropped by 60%. Although drought stress was evident, supplementary watering had little impact on growth. In another experiment we measured survivorship of eggs over winter. Temperatures near -5° C on 10 May 2004 after a warm April may have killed psyllid embryos. Therefore, late frosts are likely to reduce psyllid populations.

When monitoring psyllid egg deposition rates, overall, second-generation female P. discrepans appeared to prefer to lay eggs on branches that grew the longest in that year: in one experiment branches that grew more in 2004 had more psyllid eggs beside their sub-terminal buds at the end of the 2004 season than branches

Battling the Cottony PsyllidTree service professionals, urban foresters and horticulturalists should seek to diversify the urban forest to reduce the potential impact of this pest

research

Eggs and first instar nymph of Psyllopsis discrepans on terminal buds of ash.

T


that had less growth. Therefore, monitoring should focus on branch terminals with the longest growth. Alternatively, yellow sticky card traps can be used to monitor for adult emergence and dispersal activity. However, this will only give an indication of where the psyllids have been in the first generation or where second generation eggs may be laid.

In experiments assessing the effectiveness of insecticidal applications Permethrin applied at 0.25 g A.I./L was effective at killing mature nymphs of P. discrepans in black ash saplings. Insecticidal soap applied at 5.05 g A.I./L and Spinosad applied at 0.024 g A.I./L were less effective or ineffective. Effectiveness of insecticidal soap was greatest with early instar nymphs. Adding insecticidal soap to permethrin resulted in no significant change in effectiveness of permethrin treatments. Horticultural oil applied at 9.7 g A.I./L had little or no effect on numbers of P. discrepans. Early instar nymphs were most vulnerable to treatments. This may be attributed to the early developmental state of the insect requiring a lesser dose to cause death or to the incomplete development of a protective pseudogall allowing for better penetration of the insecticide.

Foliar applications of the biorational compounds tested likely will not be fully effective if pseudogalls are formed and should not be relied upon for control of this pest. The closure of the leaf and the wax produced by the psyllid serve to effectively protect the psyllid from foliar applications. Systemic insecticides will deliver the toxin to the insect without interference of the pseudogall or wax and have a reduced impact on non-target and beneficial insects.

Combined with reduced precipitation levels in recent years the cottony psyllid has had

a substantial negative impact on the urban forests of Edmonton and St. Albert. The discovery that the cottony psyllid has two generations per year in Alberta explains, in part, why this insect has had an impact whereas in its native old world range it is not considered to be a major pest. Absence of a co-evolved

community of natural enemies has contributed to the impact of the cottony psyllid.

Developers, urban planners and horticulturalists should seek to diversify the urban forest to reduce the potential impact of the cottony psyllid. Further studies on the impact of natural enemies, horticultural oil as a dormant

treatment against psyllid eggs, and systemic insecticides should be conducted to better understand and manage the cottony psyllid in urban forests.Note: Between the years 2002 and 2004 a research team comprised of Dr. Ken Fry (then at the Alberta Research Council), Chris Saunders (City of Edmonton), Frank

Tinning (City of St. Albert), and Bill Barr (City of Edmonton) conducted studies of the emerging pest the cottony psyllid, Psyllopsis discrepans (Flor). This project was funded by the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund, the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association.

research

Call toll free 866-KERSHAW

Attention:Contractors,Utilities, Arborists,Municipalities!

Telescoping Tree Trimmer

� 75 ft. reach from ground.� 24 in. carbide tipped saw.� Two-speed shift-on-the-go

transmission.� Wet-disc service brakes.� Wet-disc fail-safe parking

brake.� 20,000 lb. capacity winch.� “Light-Touch” pilot pressure

joystick controls.� Liquid-cooled 127 hp diesel

engine.� Hydrostatic 4-wheel drive.� Fully enclosed cab floor and

roof. Operator is completely shielded from projectiles.

� Insulated boom independently tested to ANSI standards on each machine.

� Optional fully enclosed cab with air conditioner and heater.

� One year limited warranty on major components.

Attention:Contractors,Utilities, Arborists,Municipalities!

Telescoping Tree Trimmer

A Higher Cut - Ground To SkyA Higher Cut -Ground To Sky

P. O. Box 244100Montgomery, AL 36124

Telephone (334) 387-9100Fax (334) 387-9375

a division of Progress Rail Services

This is the one you have beenlooking for! The SkyTrim is the highest production, easiest to operate, mechanical tree trimmer on the market! Please call, fax or e-mail KERSHAW for pricing, details and/or a demo.

This is the one you have beenlooking for! The SkyTrim is the highest production, easiest to operate, mechanical tree trimmer on the market! Please call, fax or e-mail KERSHAW for pricing, details and/or a demo.

Call toll free 866-KERSHAW

Cottony wax build-up and pseudogall formation in ash leaflets due to Psyllopsis discre-pans.

Fifth instar nymph of Psyllopsis discrepans. Note waxy secretion from the posterior abdomen.

Male and female adult Psyllop-sis discrepans.


Alpine Machine7910 Thornburg St. S.W. Olympia, WA 98512-2368

Phone: 360-357-5116Ask for Mr Cairns

www.alpinemagnum.com

Cuts a 24” stump in 20 minutes

Cuts a 12” stump in 6 minutes

Root pruning, brush clearing

Light weight, 88 lbs.

Great in tight spaces and on hills

Aerospace material construction

Safe and easy to operate

Tree Service Canada1/8 page full colour

Can your stump cutter operate for $5 an hour & go

anywhere? OURS CAN!

news

Tree Service Canada

News • Products • Education • Events

Subscribe Today!

B Y PAT K E R R

lot of people were startled but not exactly surprised when emerald ash borer was

discovered in a residential area thirty km SE of Montreal. Louis Morneau a Quebec entomologist “hopes” that once again this new infestation is due to movement of firewood and not a symptom of a continuous trail from Toronto or the US. But as the aggressive sur-veys start, to attempt to discover where this outbreak originated, everyone is aware of the chal-lenges of finding the elusive and deadly EAB. Louis-Phielepp Vaillencourt of CFIA says, in Quebec, starting in July inspec-tors will be going door to door directly around the positive areas with questions for home owners in an attempt to trace back the port of entry and possibly find the risk factor. Questions will include where their firewood and ash trees were purchased. At time of print, the area has two positive sites and one suspect all within a one km radius. Surveys to five km around the site failed to find any other infested trees. Ontario received emergency registration for the use of Tree-Azin against the EAB but at this point there is no application for Quebec. TreeAzin manufactured by Bioforest of Sault St. Marie has applied for US, and full Canadian registration along with organic certification. Included in the Canadian application was scientific data on TreeAzin’s effectiveness against gypsy moth, tent caterpillars, bud worm, sawfly, wood borers and there is some indication it is also effec-tive against mountain pine beetle. However, there is insufficient data to know if it is effective against the Asian long horned beetle. Becky Moule of Arbortech Professional Tree Service started using TreeAzin in the spring of 2008. “The company bent over backwards to keep us up and run-ning. It is wonderful that is has the potential for more insects.” Taylor Scarr, Ontario ento-mologist said “if the product, TreeAzin, is going to have the most effect, it should be applied as soon as possible. You get the most benefit from applying it in the spring or early summer before the adults emerge. That way you get the larvae before they emerge as adults and disperse to new trees or new areas. If you apply it later in the summer, you will get some control because the beetle

larvae will be feeding dur-ing the summer, and you will get sterility of female beetles.” The newest discoveries in Ontario are just north of the Toronto quarantine area at Dixie and Steeles in Brampton, Ottawa in the St. Laurent Boulevard and Highway 417 area, and Oakville in Halton Region near the 8th Line and Highway 403-QEW area. Brian Hamilton of CFIA says, “Tree service workers are CFIA’s best allies” in the war against the EAB. “If you are cut-ting ash, take a knife or hatchet and look under the bark in the upper branches. If you find something unusual, report it to CFIA. Both the Quebec and new Ontario sites were discovered by the public. Know the regulations and avoid movement of any ash. We never find EAB in year one.” In the US, Julie Gould and Leah Bauer are proceeding with the study of the EAB parasitoids released in 2007. Gould said, “We found eighteen parasitized EAB and 87 cocoons, in one tree near the release site. This is, for a bio control, an incredible success. In some projects we search for five or more years before we find the introduced species.” It is easy to forget, when we consider invasive species, that for a new species to

exist here it requires extensive work and study for safety. The first step to control is to establish the parasitoid. Sampling was done for the wasps released by Bauer’s team but much of the data is not avail-able at this time. There is con-cern that the Oobuis agrili eggs released were potentially con-sumed by ants or other predators. New techniques for release this year include the tedious process of depositing eggs carefully under bark where they will be less likely to be attacked by predators. Sampling will continue far-ther from the release sites and more releases are planned in Michigan and Ohio in 2008. But Gould has one question for us. “Why isn’t Canada sup-porting the release of a biological control for the EAB? We will help. We will supply them with all they need. All Canada needs to do is rent a building within the quarantine area. Tree Service Canada was told our researchers are focusing on native parasitoids that appear to be increasing their consumption of EAB in response to what to them is a new bounti-ful food source. To this Gould replied, “if native parasitoids could do the job, why do we have this crisis in our ash trees?”

PEST UPDATE 2008

Emerald ash borer confirmed near both Ottawa and Montreal

Brian Hamilton of CFIA says, “Tree service workers are CFIA’s best allies”

in the war against the EAB.

Ontario received emer-gency registration for the use of TreeAzin against the EAB but at this point there is no application for Quebec. TreeAzin manufactured by Bioforest of Sault St. Marie has applied for US, and full Canadian registration along with organic certification.

A



or the owner of one of Halifax’s pre-miere tree service companies, adverse weather holds mixed blessings.Clarence Talbot and his crew at Tree

Works Professional Tree Service welcome a heavy snowfall. That’s the time when resi-dential tree work slows.

The arrival of major storms, such as Hurricane Juan in 2003, is another matter. Halifax tree service providers were over-whelmed when the eye of Juan passed over, damaging and downing thousands of trees throughout the city and surrounding area.

During slow winter months, Talbot equips two or three, heavy dut diesel pick-ups with hydraulic V-blades and salting attachments and does snow removal work. Two Bobcat loaders are also used. “We do residential and small commercial govern-ment work—driveways and small packing lots, things like that,” Talbot says.

The winter work helps keep them busy—a good thing. But Talbot and his crew would sooner be working on trees.

Many Halifax residents are set in their ways and do not think about their trees until they begin to bud, Talbot explains. “We’re constantly trying to educate the public that winter time is the best time to do tree pruning—with many species, any-way.”

“(But) people usually wait until the tulips are up; they don’t want any sawdust on the flowers but they may want a big 80-foot tree downed.”

Juan created work—and continues to create work five years later—but the tree-friendly Tree Works team certainly didn’t welcome its arrival.

At Point Pleasant Park, located near the harbour, about two-thirds of the trees, mainly white pine and white spruce, were lost. There was similar devastation among the hardwoods in the rest of the city and there was a lot of damage to buildings and vehicles.

Talbot, who co-hosted Arbor Mas-ter courses in Halifax in previous years, arranged for crews from other parts of Canada to help.

“We worked seven days a week for about 18 hours a day for about two months straight . . . It was the most devastating storm Halifax has seen in a 100 years.”

The situation was complicated by the age of the trees, many century-old giants. Even with a significant replanting program in place, it will take many years to regain much the tree cover. “The fallout of a storm of this magnitude will be felt 10 to 15 years afterwards,” Talbot says.

“Haligonians like their trees. We do what we can. We can’t cut everything down so we prune the damaged trees—hopefully to keep them for a few more years . . . What we’re looking at is, is if a tree is rea-sonably sound, we encourage people to let it stand.”

Hurricane Juan came after Talbot had plenty of experience under his belt.

Trained as a forest technician at the Maritime Forest Ranger School at the University of New Brunswick, Talbot says he was drawn to the tree service because he needed and liked the work.

Securing contracts for utility line clear-ing, the ambitious Talbot was directing as many as 10 employees early in his career but decided to downsize—favouring experi-enced employees and quality work. He says his father-in-law helped him get started.

“The success of a business is not about the number of employees you have. The success is judged by the quality of your work.”

Among the employees at Tree Works are Kevin Osmond and Matt Follett. Osmond is a horticulturalist trained in

Western Canada and an ISA certified arborist. Follett is one of just a few consult-ing arborists registered through the Ameri-can Society of Consulting Arborists in Canada and also happens to be a Maritime tree climbing champion.

Along with his forestry credentials, Tal-bot is ISA certified.

Talbot’s wife, Elena, also has a key role in the business as a part-time bookkeeper, secretary and general troubleshooter. Geof-frey, Talbot’s son, has been working sum-mers since he was 12 and a nephew has been with him for six years.

Talbot says all his employees are either certified arborists or have received extensive in-house training in the field. Success is based on love of their work, a strong work ethic, and personal motivation.

They also use a technologically-so-phisticated approach to the business, with things like speed lining, advanced rigging and cranes.

The team provides a wide range of tree services, everything from pruning to tree removal to tree hazard assessment and deep root fertigation.

Talbot has two Altech booms includ-ing a 58-foot, 2007 model. There are two BC-1000 Vermeer chippers and a one-ton chip truck.

For the bucket and climbers, MS 200 T Stihl chainsaws are used. For other chainsaw jobs, Talbot goes with Husqvarna models.

BUSINESS PROFILE

Halifax, NS, firm will be dealing with the effects of the 2003 storm for years to come.

Tree Works Professional Tree Service: living with the aftermath of Hurricane Juan

Scenes from the Tree Works album: a dif-ficult elm removal in a high-density area of the city; company owner Clarence Tal-bot; Kevin Osmond removing an oak; Matt Follett rigging poplars.

F

“Haligonians like their trees. We do what

we can. We can’t cut everything down so

we prune the damaged trees—hopefully to

keep them for a few more years . . . What

we’re looking at is, is if a tree is reasonably

sound, we encourage people to let it stand.”

~Clarence Talbot


ave you ever used a saw that cuts in a curve making cutting difficult and hard, especially in big wood?

What do you think is the major con-tributor to this problem?

Many people believe it is because the top plate filing angle is incorrect and that either the left hand cutters or right cutters are not the same angle or size. The fact is filing has very little impact on a chainsaw when it comes to making cuts shaped like a banana (and which usually result in a stuck bar). Such cutting problems are more likely a result of uneven bar rails. The chainsaw chain drivers’ are guided and run in a groove in the bar. The tie straps, and cut-ters ride along the bar rails, very much like a train on a track. If one side wears more and is lower than the other it will cause the chain to lean to the lower side, and this is what causes it to cut crooked.

Too often saw users simply end up trying to purchase their way out of the problem. Aggravation and frustration drive them to replacing first the chain and then the bar, which makes the problem go away.

Bars can be costly and it is very simple and much more cost effective to ‘dress’ your chainsaw bar, which is to make the rails even again. The best test I have found to check and see if your bar rails are uneven is to remove your bar and chain and simply try and set the bar on its rails on a level flat surface. If it continually flops over to one side or the other it is a positive indicator that the rails are not even. When this hap-pens you have to “dress” the bar. There are several methods, I will share two with you here.

1. Using a hand file

Be sure you have a file handle on the file and use gloves and eye protection whenev-er working with the bar and/or chain. You can secure the bar gently in a vice or you can place the bar nose against the front of your upper hip. Once it is level and secure you file flatly from the nose to the back of the bar to avoid getting metal filings in the nose sprocket. In order to know that you are filing the bar evenly all along the

length of the bar you can use the simple trick of putting black marker on the rails allowing you to see where you have filed and where you have not.

2. Use a bar dress-ing tool

This is a file in a unique holder that keeps the file running down the bar even and level. These bar dressing tools are available at many local chainsaw dealers.Your chainsaw bar should be checked and dressed, if necessary monthly, sometimes more depending on use. It is also very important to clean your bar groove weekly and in some cases daily depending on use and environment.

Bar groove cleaning is important in order for bar oil to properly lubricate the bar tip and chain. The bottoms of the drivers catch or hook oil as they pass the oiler hole at the back of the bar. Over time the oiler hole and the bar grove itself becomes clogged and plugged with debris

due to heat and friction. If the channel or groove in the bar that the chain runs on is

clogged, it can cause the chain

to ride up and off the rails and restrict

proper oil flow. The bar groove is cleaned by

running a bar groove cleaner down into the rail right to the bot-

tom. The end of a screwdriver does not work properly.

Finally, it is important to check for bur or ridges on the side of the bar near the top rails. Running the chain slack and dull makes this problem worse. It is very important to use gloves when you check for these furled burrs as they can give very painful steel slivers. If your bar has some of these rolled edges, you can use a flat file to remove them. File flatly and evenly until the raised edge is no longer noticeable.For more information on our 1-day chainsaw safety and cutting techniques course, check out my website at arborcanada.com.

TechniquesB Y D WAY N E N E U S TA E T E R

BAR MAINTENANCEBuying a new bar is not the answer to banana cuts

H

Petzl ascenders gold - left blue - right

$56.00 CDN each

Miller Komet Dragon�y saddle

$299.00 CDN each specify size s,m,l,xl

M & I Fresco Arborist Supplies560 16th Ave South Hopkins, MN 55343

www.frescoarborist.com

FALL PROTECTION

Providing a huge range products for arborists, including climbing & rigging accessories, ropes,

hand tools, personal protective equipment, clothing, and educational resources.

Yale XTC Fire Canadian Special

$114.00 for 150 ft. CDN

76¢/ft.

All prices are f.o.b. Mpls

If using a flat file, be sure you have a file handle on the file and use gloves and eye protection whenever working with the bar and/or chain. You can secure the bar gently in a vice or you can place the bar nose against the front of your upper hip. Once it is level and secure you file flatly from the nose to the back of the bar to avoid getting metal filings in the nose sprocket.

A bar dressing tool holds the file in a unique holder that keeps the file running down the bar even and level. These bar dress-ing tools are available at many local chainsaw dealers.


new products

Unleash the Power!

The broadest selection of chippers and chipper/shredders in the industry

Professionals rely on ECHO Bear Cat products. For easeof use and rugged reliability, it’s hard to beat ECHO BearCat’s commercial grade, heavy-duty machines.

ECHO Bear Cat products are built on the industry’shighest level of quality and technological innovation.ECHO Bear Cat is the only manufacturer that offers a360° rotating base, and hydraulic “Smart Feed” options.

ECHO Bear Cat has the industry’s widest range ofproducts available, from 4” to 12” capacity Chippersand 2.75” to 5” Chipper/Shredders in a variety of configurations that include power take off (PTO), skidsteer and highway-towable models. Choose from a vastselection of engines and hydraulic or self-feed models.They all make the smallest chips on the market.

For dependable performance... trust Bear Cat!

www.echo.ca

Model CH123DH12 ” Chipper

In addition to grinding and chipping equipment Morbark also manu-factures the auxiliary equipment needed help tree service companies engaged in larger-scale industrial clearing. From heavy duty brush rakes to 360 degree grapples to debris shears, these tools can enhance the efficiency of your grinding operation.Morbark brush rakes are designed with close proximity bottom tines to allow the picking up and carrying of stumps, logs, brush, pallets, C & D material, regrind and more. Brush rakes are available with 11 or 13 tines. The rake design allows dirt to shake out through the bot-tom tines eliminating feeding large quantities of dirt into your grinder. This handy unit takes less than five minutes to attach to your front end wheel loader with two simple hydraulic hoses providing power to the top tines. The brush rake allows you to bring the material to your grinder, instead of bringing your grinder to the material, saving time and money.For more information about the Morbark attachments, or any Morbark equipment, call 800-831-0042 or visit the website at www.morbark.com.

The newest lightweight saddle from Weaver, the Cougar Rope Bridge Positioning Saddle offers a combination of comfortable memory foam, adjustability and design. The saddle’s 4” wide leg pads and extra wide 7” back are constructed from memory foam that conforms to the body, reduces pressure points, wicks away moisture and does not retain heat for cool, comfortable performance. The leg straps and the straps attached to the bridge are adjustable to provide a comfortable fit for a variety of body types. In addition, this saddle features quick-connect buckles on the leg straps, a rope bridge with rubber bumpers, a train-ing/rescue belay loop, fixed position side dee rings and removable leg pads and bridge. For more information on this saddle or for a dealer near you, call 800-932-8371.

Memory foam is key to the fit of the new Cougar Saddle

New Cougar Positioning Saddle from Weaver Leather

Morbark brush rakes

Rake design allows dirt to fall out between bottom tines.

Target the Canadian

Tree Service Industry

Advertise

in the next

issue.

Call Lesley Ann

250-478-3975


Web: http://multitekinc.com/

...the industry standard

Simply, the most productive firewood processor ....period

Multitek Firewood Processors Distributed in Canada by Powertech

ISA PRAIRIE CHAPTER

Climbers, volunteers make competition a successOn May 31 & June 1, 2008 the ISA, Prairie Chapter held their 19th Tree Climbing Competi-tion at the beautiful Olds College Campus in Olds, Alta.

Climbers came from as far away as Manitoba, Saskatchewan and of course Alberta. The group of ten men and four women also saw a few first timers participate. Women competitors are slowly on the rise since the first official Prairie Chapter women’s tree

climbing event held in 1999.At the end of a great day, the

results were: Men’s competition: 3rd place Frank Chipps, 2nd Ste-phen Draper and 1st went to Ken Moore; Women’s competition: 2nd place Stevie Fernie and 1st Charlene Scott

Spirit of the Competition went to Stephen Draper.

The first place winners repre-sented the Prairie Chapter in St. Louis at the International Tree Climbing Competition on July 26 & 27, 2008.

As always, without the climb-ers we do not have an event but most of all without the many volunteers and sponsors this event could not happen and we thank each and every one of you who took part in some way!~Joelle Battram-Fournier

ISA newsI SA ATLANTIC

Matt Follet takes masters competition, again.The 2008 Atlantic Tree Climbing Competition, held in mid Sep-tember, ran very smoothly, thanks to the new trailer that now stores all the equipment in one place. After a day of intense competi-tion, Trevor Burton from Atlantic Arborists Ltd., Dan LeBlanc from the City of Moncton, and Matt Follett from Halifax Tree Works had qualified for the mas-ter’s competition. They showed off their skills in an oak tree on the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI ) campus, and Fol-lett once again won the right to represent the chapter at the Inter-national Tree Climbing Competi-tion next July with a score of 188 points. Burton came second with a score of 178.67 and LeBlanc scored 162.33 for third place.

Ritus Kian, of Atlantic Arborists Ltd, grew up in Indonesia, climbing greased poles for

recreation. This was his first tree climbing competition using the tree climbing gear. He

won the Spirit of the Competition Award, based on the votes of the other competi-

tors and placed second in the Belayed Speed Climbing Competition.

Photo: Margaret Peters

Trevor Burton, also of Atlantic Arborists Ltd, performs an aerial rescue at the competition.

Competition head judge Gerard Fournier, top female climber Char-lene Scott and climbing competition chair Laurie Newsham


QUALITY. VALUE.PEACE OF MIND.

THE SPLICINGAUTHORITY

• Over 250,000 splices with zero fail rate!• Insured, experienced, fulltime splicing team

• On-site testing ensures QUALITY!• Widest selection of rope IN STOCK

• All work labeled with production date

© 2008 Sherrill, Inc. SHERRILLtree is a trademark of Sherrill, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

800-525-8873TOLLFREE

also available at participating Vermeer locations

You can do it all with Canada’s only full arboriculture diploma

and Bachelor of Applied Science Degree programs. Increase your

career opportunities in the art, science, technology and business

of urban forest management. Short burst training also available.

www.oldscollege.ca

for the environment

ISA news

Garrett Smith took part in the footlock event at the

Prairie ISA competition.

Two Prairie arborists did themselves, the industry and their alma mater, Olds College proud at the ISA climbing competition in St Louis, Missouri.

Charlene Scott, wom-en’s division champion rep-resented the women while Ken Moore, champion of the men’s division climbed for the men of the Prairie Chapter.

Each chapter was allowed to send one man and one woman to rep-resent them, said Laurie Newsham, Chair ISA Prairie Chapter 2008 Tree Climbing Championship and instructor in arboricul-ture and landscape garden-ing at Olds College.

“They did very well,” Newsham said. Moore, an instructional assistant at Olds College placed twenty-third in a field of about 37 climbers.

“I personally think his best climb was his aerial rescue. He did that in a very smooth profes-

sional way. Some might argue that that’s the most important event out of the whole competition because it’s not just working with a tree. Now we’re talking about getting one of our fellow arborists down.”

Charlene Scott gradu-ated from Olds College in 2007 and now works for Alberta Arborists in Edmonton. She ranked

eleventh in a field of thir-teen women.

“She’s only been climb-ing for three years but she did well in our Prairie Championships and at the ISA competition,” News-ham said. “To be invited to go to a competition of that calibre when she’s only been climbing for three years is just fantastic.”

~Shirley Byers

Prairie arborists compete at international event

Below: Top male climber Ken Moore and Gerard Fournier

Charlene Scott, of Alberta Arborists, in Edmonton, competing in the Work Climb at the Missouri competi-tion.


news

Strength, Durability

and Reliability.

For additional information including alternative colours or specifications see our website

100 Concession Road #1, Chute à Blondeau, ON, KOB 1B0, Canada

Tel/Télé : (613) 674-2728 Fax/Télécopie : (613) 674-3192

AtlAntic BRAiDS

ltd. www.atlanticbraids.com

huSKy liNe

Standard lengths are 120ft, 150ft, 600’ and 1200ft.

Manufactured with a braided polyester cover over a braided nylon core this prod-uct is renowned for its strength and durability. Ideal for use as winch or / and tow lines as well as setting underground cable. This product is easily splicable and can be combined with hooks of various sizes.

B Y H E L E N L A M M E R S - H E L P S

avid Morris is on a mission to save the Carolinian forests. For the past 17 years, he has been collecting the

seeds of less common Carolinian tree spe-cies from the area and propagating them in a tree nursery on his Brantford-area farm. During the past eleven years, he has given away thousands of Carolinian trees.

Sassafras, Pawpaw, Cucumber, Tulip, Kentucky Coffee: these are some of the trees that grow in the Carolinian Zone found only on the southern-most tip of Ontario. The name “Carolinian” was coined by early botanists who noticed that hardwood forests in the area have many species of trees found as far south as the Carolinas.

Due to its moderate climate, Carolin-ian species of plants and animals have been migrating into the area south of an imaginary line between Grand Bend and Toronto, since the retreat of the glaciers 14,000 years ago. Here the Carolinian trees grow along side hardier trees found further North. This area is richer in plant and ani-mal species than any other area in Canada. However, since European settlement almost all of this region has been logged and converted to farmland and only small pockets of forest remain with an apprecia-ble proportion of Carolinian species. The Carolinian forests account for less than 1% of Canada’s landmass but hold half of all the rare and endangered species of plants and animals in this country.

Morris grew up in Ancaster, on the edge of the Dundas Valley, one of the best remnants of Carolinian forest. His child-hood experience of playing amongst the Carolinian trees ignited his lifelong passion for preserving the trees. “Nostalgia plays an important role in conservation,” he explains.

Today he is completing his PhD studies in the University of Waterloo’s Geography Department.. Through his work he raises awareness of the uniqueness of the Caro-

linian Zone and catalogues the provenance of remaining Carolinian trees. Morris refers to himself as a “countryside biogeographer,” one who finds nooks for conservation.

“Planted trees can be critically impor-tant to the long-term survival of the spe-cies in Canada, as well as their distinctive genetic lines,” he asserts. The remaining Carolinian forests continue to face threats on many fronts. The human population in the Carolinian Zone is expected to grow by a third in the next 25 years putting fur-ther pressure on clearing existing remnant forests.For more information on the Carolinian zone, go to the Carolinian Canada web site at www.carolinian.org.David Morris can be contacted through the University of Waterloo at 519-888-4567, extension 32420 or email [email protected]. Trees are generally available in the spring.

David Morris in front of a Tulip tree, one of species in the threatened Carolinian forest

One man’s crusade to preserve Carolinian forests

Planted trees can be critically important to the long-term survival of the species in Canada, as well as their distinctive genetic lines.

D



hough he’s been in the busi-ness for almost 20 years and makes his living teach-

ing arboriculture Olds College, instructor Laurie Newsham says that he has lots to learn. That’s one of the reasons he loves to go to conferences such as the ISA conference last summer in St. Louis, MI.

“One of the neat things about this industry is that things change so fast,” he said.

(For example,) back in 1989-1990, in this part of the world we were on the tail end of doing things like filling cavities in trees with concrete and other kinds of substances- much like a cavity in someone’s teeth. (Now) there’s lots of research to show… we do the tree more harm by doing those sorts of things than by just

leaving it alone. Pruning is a big part of an

arborist’s job. Dr. Ed Gilman professor of urban trees and land-scape plants at the University of Florida talked about research he’s doing on subordination.

While leaving one stem as a leader he doesn’t take those other stems off completely. They are allowed to grow but their growth rate is slowed by cutting them down to a significant lateral branch. Thus subordinated, those stems will become branches of the tree. They will still contribute to the health of the tree by pro-ducing food in their leaves but the risk of the tree falling will be reduced.

This is a practice that some arborists have been following for a while. “It’s good to hear we

seem to be on the right path,” said Newsham.

Dr. Gilman is also doing wind tunnel tests (reported in a recent issue of Tree Service Can-

ada). Newsham described these experiments as fascinating stuff. “Man, we’ve had our thinking as arborists turned 180 degrees on some of that. We used to think

we needed to thin the tree

out completely so the wind could go through it.”

But some of the research is showing that might not be cor-rect. Thinning seems to create more of a parachute effect, mak-ing the tree more sensitive to wind, causing it to collect more of the wind rather than the wind flowing around it like it would flow around a race car or an air-craft.

So what’s the alternative to thinning?

“This is controversial stuff,” Newsham said. “Not necessar-ily everyone agrees but if that tree had to stay in that location and you needed to make it less susceptible to wind damage you might shorten it.

“Topping is one of those con-troversial topics.. Most of us feel like topping is the wrong thing to do and if you have to do that to a tree then you should remove it entirely and put in a more suit-able species.”

techniquesKeeping up with techniquesConferences showcase latest research

“Man, we’ve had our thinking as arborists turned 180 degrees on some of that.”~Olds College, instructor

Laurie Newsham

Target the Canadian

Tree Service

Industry

Advertise in the next issue.

Call Jeremy 250-474-3982

T


Tree Service Canada has teamed up with well known outdoor clothing manufacturer, Arborwear, to offer readers the chance to win four midweight jackets and four oil skin caps.

HOW TO ENTER: Simply complete the form below and fax it back to us at Fax. 1-250-478-3979. (You may want to photocopy the page first to avoid

wrecking your issue of Tree Service Canada)

PRIZES:The winner of each issue’s competition will receive an Arborwear midweight jacket ideal for use in the tree service industry. Canvas on the outside and lined with a double-sided micro fleece, there’s no excuses for being cold up that tree! The jackets are also zippered with fleece-lined hand warmer pockets and fleece lined collars. Runners up of each issue’s competition will receive an Arborwear oil skin cap made of a water-resistant cotton canvas.

WIN ME!

ENTRY FORM:

Name:

Company:

Address:

Postcode:

Tel.

Jacket Size: XL L M S

Jacket colour preference:

black diesel driftwood moss

ENTER NOW BY FAXING YOUR ENTRY FORM TO FAX. 1-250-478-3979

WINTER 08/09 ISSUE COMPETITION CLOSING DATE: NOV. 15th, 2008

Please fax your completed competition entry form to fax. 1-250-478-3979 or alternatively send your entry by post to: Tree Service Canada (Jacket Competition), Southern Tip Publishing Inc, 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, British Columbia, V9C 3Y7. The first entry drawn after the closing date will win the jacket and the second entry drawn (Runner Up) will win an oil skin cap. All usual Tree Service Canada competition rules apply.

For more information on Arborwear products & apparel, please visit www.arborwear.com or call 1 (888) 578-TREE

WINNER Douglas Neill, of Neill’s Tree Service, is the winner of the second draw for an Arborwear jacket. Neill has been an arborist in and around Summerside, PEI since 1993. He has always had a keen interest in working with trees--dating to his childhood when he worked with his dad in the woods. His business is growing annually and keeps him busy mostly from May to November. In his spare time he likes to attend local bluegrass and old time music festivals. His other interests include playing crokinole and watching sports.

John Edwards, of Edwards & Sons, in London, Ont, takes home an Arborwear oil skin hat.

Events NOVEMBER 2008

Nov 13-15: Milwaukee, WI

Tree Care Industry Expo

www.treecareindustry.org

Nov 20-21: Edmonton, Alta

Green Industry Show &

Conference

1-800-378-3198

www.greenindustryshow.com

JANUARY 2009

Jan 6-8: Toronto, Ont.

International Horticultural Trade

Show & Conference

www.locongress.com

Jan 20-21: BC Landscapers &

Contractors Expo

Vancouver, BC

www.landscapingexpo.net

Jan 27-28: Edmonton, Alta

Northern Alberta Landscapers &

Contractors Expo


FEBRUARY 2009

Feb 3-4: Calgary, Alta

Southern Alberta Landscapers &

Contractors Expo


Feb 17-18: Saskatoon, Sask.

Saskatchewan Equipment Expo


Promote your business

Send us your press releases [email protected]

$30VALUE

Stay informed with your industry! Act today for a charter subscription to Tree Service Canada.

SIX ISSUES JUST $19.95!

T H E V O I C E O F C A N A D A ' S T R E E S E R V I C E S I N D U S T R Y

YES! I want to subscribe to Tree Service Canada for $19.95 for six issues and save 33% off the cover price.

Name: Title:

Company:

Address:

Daytime phone: Fax: Email:

Cheque enclosed (send to Tree Service Canada, 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC, V9C 3Y7)

Charge my VISA MasterCard Card No.

Name: Expiry:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND GUARANTEE DELIVERY OF YOUR NEXT ISSUE!

Fax Back to 250-478-3979 • CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-260-7985

100%Canadian


Jobs & Opportunities

You Need a Publication that Works as Hard as you do!

Members of

We Employ World Class Arborists

Contact your nearest Davey representative now:

AlBeRTA & BRiTiSh COluMBiAUtility Line Clearing Marjorie Mooney [email protected] (250) 755-1288Utility throughout BC & AB

Residential Tree Care Blair Veitch [email protected] (604) 264-8737Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria

ONTARiOLine Clearing & Residential Tree Care Mike Nash [email protected] (905) 333-1034 ext.234London, Kitchener, Hamilton, Toronto, Mississauga, Orillia, Ottawa, Niagara

or visit www.davey.com

The Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada, Ltd., Burlington, ONT & Nanaimo, BC.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Immediate Positions for Tree Trimmers & Foremen, Utility Line Clearing & Residential/Commercial Arborists

POSITIONS AVAILABLE IN MOST AREAS ACROSS CANADA

GREAT CAREERS..... GREAT JOBS.

POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Arborist Climbers ($15-$25 per hour, pay dependant on experience, ability and duties)Pest Control Technicians an asset

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERI-ENCE• Minimum one year work experience

in Arboriculture and/or training in an Arborist diploma program

• Experienced in the safe and efficient operation with the tools of the trade (chainsaws, wood chippers, rigging systems etc..)

• A valid G driver’s license

• ISA certified or equivalent an asset

• First Aid/CPR an asset

• Commitment to Safety

• Professionalism

• Team player

EMPLOYERS COMMITMENTRespect for all employeesHealth benefits package and vacation payA safe work environment with proper equipmentOpportunity to develop and grow within the company

Cohen & Master has established a solid reputation and customer base, built on quality work and good service. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Cohen and Master Services Markham, Richmond Hill, North York and downtown Toronto. We are poised for growth and are seeking committed arborists for full time employment within our company.

Please call our office directly, 416-932-0622 for more information and to arrange an interview, fax to 416-932-1701 or email your

resume to [email protected]

Why work for us?

OntariO OperatiOn: MiltOn 905-693-0771

3986 Silky Tree Service Canada Ad.indd 1 2/20/08 1:21:32 PM