Davey Tree Flipbooks

28 | November/December 2015 Demonstrating Davey's dedication to the green industry. Davey Support W hen it comes to the significance of trees to quality of life for humans and their surroundings, trees' value speaks volumes. Several Davey employees took the initiative to go beyond Davey's distinguished partnership agreement for the conference to submit presentations for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) International Conference in Orlando last August. Several were accepted and included on the conference agenda. Davey's presenters educated attendees on Tree Topics Take the Stage a variety of topics. Jim Zwack, director of technical services at the Davey Institute, presented "Tree Physiology 201 – the Advanced Basics" to a crowd eager to learn where the science and practice of arboriculture converge. "The purpose of this presentation was to help connect physiological principles with common arboricultural practices," Zwack explains. "Why Do Trees Die?" was the title of Rex Bastian's presentation. "Understanding the challenges trees face on a day-to-day basis can help us determine the best options to offset those challenges and extend the useful life of our clients' trees," says Bastian, technical advisor at the Davey Institute. Bastian also presented on behalf of Technical Advisor A.D. Ali, who could not attend the conference. His presentation, titled "Hone Your Diagnostic Skills," explained how new arborists often focus too closely on trees themselves without taking into account the environmental conditions that may be affecting the tree as well. Mike Binkley, manager of technical innovation, along with Technical Advisors Jason Henning and Al Zelaya, presented a Tree Academy Workshop at the conference. "i-Tree 2015: New Innovations for Assessing Community Tree Services and Values" described how the i-Tree suite enables tree care professionals to demonstrate the comprehensive values of trees beyond their aesthetic qualities. "Therefore, tree care professionals can help land managers, homeowners and other decision makers justify tree care budgets and actions by quantifying and communicating tree-related benefits such as saving home energy costs, improving air quality, reducing stormwater run-off and sequestering and storing carbon," Zelaya says. Together, all Davey presenters helped share valuable information to conference attendees interested in learning more about the trees in their communities, streets and landscapes. In addition to presenting at the ISA International Conference, Davey employees interacted with trade show booth visitors by taking photos of them displaying their favorite tree benefits. W e work in a field at the extremes of a technological landscape." In September, Jennifer Lennox, manager of public relations, addressed American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administration Banquet attendees in Las Vegas on behalf of Davey's sixth year as a supporting sponsor of the event. Her speech accompanied a presentation of this year's Honorable Cornelius Amory Pugsley Award winners, which included Senator Lamar Alexander, Kathy Perales and John Potts. "It's an exciting time to pair the latest in digital technology with Mother Nature's ancient, grand cathedrals," Lennox says. "Yet, it's a challenge park stewards like the Embracing Technology for Trees 2015 Pugsley Award winners embrace. The results are outdoor spaces made richer by supplementing the physical landscape with a virtual, exploratory component." To help honor this year's award recipients and the banquet's host city, Davey made a donation to Outside Las Vegas, a local organization whose mission is to connect its community to Southern Nevada's special outdoor places and to create a community that enjoys, values and protects these places. The American Academy '' for Park and Recreation Administration awarded the inaugural Pugsley Medals in 1928. The winner of the first National level award was Stephen T. Mather, the first director and "father" of the National Park Service.

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