If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? For some, this is a deep, philosophical question. However, if a tree (or even a branch) falls in an area inhabited by people, it doesn’t matter if anyone was around to hear it. The vibrations that traverse through the air echo in the minds of everyone who lives in the vicinity. Maybe the tree fell on a trail everyone uses; maybe it fell in the neighbor’s backyard; maybe the branch fell on your roof while you were at work. Perhaps the tree or branch hasn’t even fallen yet. You can still hear the sound, and it may feel exponentially louder, because it’s on your property or in your neighborhood.

     People frequently call arborists because we know a good deal about the large perennials growing near their homes. This knowledge is critical to our profession, but it’s only useful in conjunction with our ability to understand how trees touch all of us in different ways. For some, they are key pieces in the aesthetic appeal of their landscape. For others, they instill a sense of well-being while walking on a trail or barbequing on their deck. They live long enough to remind us of our childhoods or important moments in our lives.  At times, they may feel like our adversaries dropping leaves, fruits, and nuts or invading and overtaking other desirable plants. To work on trees is to touch the pieces of nature that are closest to us, the places we feel safest and alive.

     From the most delicate prune to the largest removal, arborists work harmoniously within the fragile balance between the urban American Dream and the natural world we are both a part of and seek shelter from. Trees grow on our property, but they are also living and often older than we are. We might call the oaks, elms, and maples in our backyards ours, but they are also their own entities. They breathe and grow, stretching to the light. Each species has their own ecosystem they called home, some of which have been present for thousands of years. Most have only recently experienced human intrusions, such as Kentucky blue grass or driveways. How do we get along with this larger-than-human world growing in our backyards? Can we help them live and thrive outside their native habitats? Can we shape them to our needs and desires without harming them? Can we intervene intelligently to protect them from falling apart during the next wind, ice, or snow storm?

     These questions, and many others, are the ones that good arborists know how to answer.   Driven by a love and respect for trees, we apply the truths of the forest to the realities of our urban and suburban environments, where nature meets our homes and daily lives in the trees that surround all of us.  If you listen carefully, you can hear them now.

 - John Widman, Crew Leader

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