Volume 59 issue three 2026 What's Inside 1
President’s Message
3
Selecting Stress-Tolerant Trees for Urban Landscapes
16
What are Phenology and Growing Degree Days
22
From Shelf Documenting to Operating System
27
When the Obvious Isn't the Answer
31
A Day in the Life: Interview with Joseph Gillingham
35
Tech Corner
37
Tree Appraisal: Credible and Reasonable as Terms of Art
63
Host a TPAQ® Course
66
Committee Reports
70
Member News
74
Send Us Your Best Shot Creative and Innovative Planting Practices
[The Arboricultural Consultant is a publication of the American Society of Consulting Arborists® 2023. All Rights Reserved. For more information, contact the ASCA headquarters office. Unless otherwise noted, all images are copyright ASCA and their respective owners. The ideas and opinions expressed in the Arboricultural Consultant are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the view, positions or policies of ASCA, its members, its board of directors, officers or staff. ASCA is not responsible for any claims made in any advertisement, and does not endorse any vendor. ASCA does not warrant the performance of any member.]
Kay Sicheneder, RCA #668 ASCA President
We are halfway through the year and I am halfway into my term as ASCA President. How did that happen so fast? When busy, time flies.
One of the perks of serving as Board President is choosing, within reason, the location of the summer meeting. To the surprise of some, I am preparing to host July’s meeting in Detroit. There we will enjoy a lovely waterfront view of Canada, perhaps sample a local distilled beverage and if opportunity presents, enjoy some of the best coney dogs and shawarma anywhere. Of course, we will also be hard at work -your Board of Directors has plenty to accomplish. This fall the board will review the outcomes of our strategic exercise conducted during our winter meeting, where we identified changes and trends that affect our industry. We also will take a look at the results of the membership survey and use that feedback to help guide our priorities for the next few years. This effort is a refresh, rather than a complete rewrite
of the strategic plan - a more nimble approach that keeps our already robust plan relevant and responsive. The work of our committees continues to impress. As you know, the Membership Committee recently developed and launched the long-form membership survey. In addition, they finalized a project that took years of planning and refinement - a new twominute welcome video that will be included in our new member welcome email. Check it out here. The Marketing Committee has successfully assembled a national inventory of potentially interested stakeholders in arboriculture, landscape architecture, urban planning, architecture, civil engineering, risk management, and government at all levels. The list currently includes more than 4,400 organizations! The committee’s next step is to georeference this inventory and begin developing targeted outreach recommendations. The Consulting Academy Committee and Faculty are enjoying a welldeserved break this summer. Recognizing the amount and level of volunteer work required to produce two and a half days of presentations and a written exam, the Board met with Academy instructors to discuss the program’s future development. Continued on Page 2
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