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An Arborist takes care of a tree for life.

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Great Plains Field Day The NAA and NNLA are excited to announce a great line-up of educational sessions and activities for the 2012 Great Plains Summer Field Day on August 10 at Oak Prairie Nursery, located just west of Lincoln. This location provides us with the opportunity to learn more about how a large tree farm works. Oak Prairie Nursery is not only a working tree farm but also has established the Oak Prairie Estates that have a common area with a flowing stream and a lake designed to blend into the existing natural prairie. The day will start with a panel of large tree growers discussing the many aspects of growing, planting and caring for large trees. Bruce Hoffman, Jim Siffring, and Lee Vieselmeyer will provide a statewide perspective on the panel. The panel will be followed by an opportunity to see demonstrations and visit exhibitors. A few of the demonstrations that are planned include a lift, skid loader, chipper, bucket truck, 90-inch tree spade and more. The morning breakout sessions include Justin Evertson, Bob Henrickson and Graham Herbst from the Nebraska Forest Service presenting on pruning techniques, and Lincoln Electric System demonstrating how natural occurrences, such as a fallen tree branch, can affect the flow of electricity to homes. Then we will enjoy a BBQ lunch and time to network and visit the exhibitors and demonstration area. After lunch you have several great options. You can get on the bus for the landscape tours to Fallbrook Development in Lincoln. Nebraska Nursery and Color Gardens will provide attendees with tours of several spectacular landscapes. Learn about the design, implementation and care of the landscapes, along with discussions of complying with development covenants and lessons learned. There will also be two concurrent sessions at Oak Prairie Nursery. One session will be on proper equipment inspection. The second session will provide an overview of the planning and development of Oak Prairie Nursery and Estates along with a tour. The final breakout sessions will include the beginning of an ongoing project by Brian Munk to explore and document the science behind the production and handling of trees in three different types of root balls. These trees will be planted in multiple locations to demonstrate differences that occur and will be monitored over time. The concurrent session will provide a demonstration of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and its importance. If you missed the Oak Prairie Nursery and Estates tour during the earlier session, you will have another opportunity to take the tour at this time. Following the afternoon session, we will all gather for closing remarks and prize drawings followed by social time. Whether you play volleyball, cheer on the frog jumping contest or just relax with friends, it will be a fun time for all. We look forward to seeing you at the 2012 Great Plains Summer Field Day at Oak Prairie Nursery on August 10, 2012.

continued on Page 5

Volume 31, Issue 2 SECOND quarter, 2012

A Quarterly Update of the Nebraska Arborists Association

In This Issue »

President’s Letter........................................... 2

»

NAA Financial Update ................................ 2

»

The Power of Goodwill ............................... 3

»

The Scoop on Scales ................................... 4

»

Great Plains Field Day ................................. 5

»

Arbor Day Events ......................................... 6

»

Calendar of Events ...................................... 6

»

Arborist Spotlight ......................................... 7

»

2nd Quarter Board Recap........................... 8

»

Member News & Updates.......................... 9

»

A Day in the Life of an Arborist ............. 11

»

2012 Arborist School .......................... Insert

Find Us Online The NAA Quarterly Update is available online at www.nearborists.org

If you have anything you’d like to submit for inclusion in the Quarterly Update, please contact Jim Keepers at [email protected] or (402) 332-0715 or (402) 618-8837. The submission deadline for the 2nd Quarter issue is September 9, 2012. 1

2012 NAA Board of Directors

From The President by Kent Holm, NAA President

Kent Holm, President Douglas County Environmental Services Omaha, NE • (402) 444-6181 [email protected] Robert Smith, Past President Lincoln, NE • (402) 730-3239 [email protected] Ken Rittgarn, Treasurer Lincoln Electric System Lincoln, NE • (402) 467-7561 [email protected] Jim Keepers, Secretary Finders Keepers Landscaping Gretna, NE • (402) 332-0715 [email protected] Scott Hofeling, Director Hofeling Enterprises Lincoln, NE • (402) 438-8733 [email protected] Brian Mutchie, Director Mutchie Lawn & Tree Inc. Omaha, NE • (402) 504-2113 [email protected] Scott Nielson, Director Wahoo Tree Wahoo, NE • (402) 443-8733 [email protected] Eric Berg, NAA Board Advisor Nebraska Forest Service Lincoln, NE • (402) 472-6511 [email protected] Phil Pierce, NAA Board Advisor Consulting Arborist Springfield, NE • (402) 253-2860 [email protected] Steve Rodie, NAA Board Advisor UNL, Dept. of Agronomy & Horticulture Omaha, NE • (402) 554-3752 [email protected] Kathi Schildt, Executive Director NAA Office 6201 South 58th St., Suite B Lincoln, NE 68516 (402) 476-3865 • (402) 489.0336 (fax) [email protected] www.nearborists.org 2

Moving forward ... together. Life is a lot about making the most of the opportunities that are presented to you. A tremendous opportunity presented itself earlier this year as the decision was made by the Nebraska Turf Association and Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association (NNLA) to discontinue the "Green Expo" in its current format, so the NNLA and NAA will be joining forces for a new joint winter conference in 2013. The Nebraska GREAT PLAINS Conference will be held February 18-19, 2013, at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. Needless to say, I'm excited about what this means for our industry. For one, NAA and NNLA have always had an overlapping membership and for those of you that belong to both organizations, this means no more choosing which conference to attend! The joint NNLA/NAA conference committee is hard at work putting together a first class conference with an expanded vendor/ exhibit area and multiple educational track sessions to go with the always popular silent auction and great food. Of course one of the primary benefits of a combined conference like this is the opportunity to network and discuss the challenges facing our industry. All that said, the Cornhusker Hotel looks to be an ideal venue for this event and I encourage you to save the date on your calendar and make plans now to attend! Speaking of saving the date, you'll also want to make sure you have Friday, August 10th reserved to attend Summer Field Day. Again, this year we've teamed with NNLA and we're headed to Oak Prairie Nursery just west of Lincoln. Look for registration information in your mailbox soon! This is a difficult time for many professional associations and organizations. We live in an electronic world full of email, social media, and web-based training to go with the "do more with less" approach in both the public and private sectors. We are all "busy" and have to make tough choices when determining how to invest our time. This is one reason why it is essential that we continue to team up with NNLA and potentially other organizations --to not only provide a one stop shop conference and other events, but also to add more value to your NAA membership. And speaking of added value, look for new "advanced arborist" training coming in 2013 with details to come. It's so easy to get wrapped up in work. Remember to take time for yourself and for all the special people in your life and enjoy the rest of the summer!

NAA Financial Update

by Ken Rittgarn, NAA Treasurer

The NAA budget was compared to the actuals for the period from July, 2011 through May, 2012. The Income budget for this period is $79,889.18 and this compares to the actual income during this same period of $100,299.00. The expense budget is $79,310.00 and this compares to the actual expenses of $85,556.66. The result at this point in the budget year is a net income of $14,742.34. The Board also approved the budget for July, 2012 through June, 2013 at the Board Meeting on June 26, 2012. The budget income was approved at $64,495.00 and expenses at $64,030.00. This is a more conservative budget than the previous year but the Board also agreed that the budget would be revisited during the year because of the programs that are in progress or under consideration. If you have questions regarding the financials, please contact Ken Rittgarn, NAA Board Treasurer or Kathi Schildt, NAA Executive Director.

The Power of Goodwill by Kevin Popken, Lawngevity Lawn & Tree, NE Certified Arborist

As business owners in a service industry, we all experience the ebb and flow of business. Depending upon the time of year, one month you can be going like crazy with no end seemingly in sight, then before long you are looking for one more odd job around the shop to keep your crew busy. Over the years, we have found that some jobs have value beyond measurable dollar amounts. Every community has some non-profit groups, churches, camps, etc. that are in need of the services that we provide and most of those needs can be worked into your schedule. It is said that people do business with people, they don't do business with companies they know nothing about or do not trust, and there is no better way to build trust with your community than through service.

T-Mate-O, LLC Innovative supports for parks, schools, municipalities, highways and homeowners • • • •

Promotes proper development Reusable and recyclable Safer Made in USA

www.treesupports.com [email protected] TF: 877-854-5497

Have a camp or church in need of mulch? Give it away. Most of the time, they will send someone for it, or if it is not too far, drop it off to save having to reload it. Believe me, the value the mulch in the form of positive relations with everyone associated will be worth more than you could ever get selling it off. Our company did a "Free Mulch March" where people could stop by our site every Saturday for 3 hours and we would load their pickup, trailer or, yes, even semi. We got rid of a lot of mulch without the expense of hauling it from the site ourselves and gained much goodwill with those who received it. Where we are located, there are a number of BSA and church camps. If there is a hazardous limb or tree that needs to be taken care of we will put it on our schedule. We let them know in advance when we will be slower, such as in the winter months, and usually are able to take care of problems we may foresee before our busy season. We usually make a point to offer services like these with no strings attached. If you know there is not money available for the work done up front, then I find it is better to offer the service at no charge rather than at a drastically reduced price, which may go underappreciated. Often churches have mentioned the work we provided in their bulletin as a thank-you. The goodwill and exposure received is more valuable than spending money on selfpromoting advertising. This can be extended beyond just service to organizations but also in the day-to-day jobs that we perform. Is there something extra that you can do on the job site, clean a gutter while up in the boom, grab some extra limbs/brush that were not a part of the job?

The Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) has some great colored brochures available free of charge. The back page has an open space to accommodate a company’s stamp. Go to www.nfs.unl.edu or contact the NFS office.

Performing services like this ensures that companies not only survive during the slow times, but thrive.

3

The Scoop on Scales by Brian Mutchie, Mutchie Lawn & Tree, NE Certified Arborist

As we all know, the growing season has been extremely early this year. This can make it tough to schedule insect and disease sprays. There are guidelines for when to spray trees, for instance the second week of April is the time to spray Zimmerman pine moth, but that was not the case this year. When the timing is questionable, try systemic insecticides which can alleviate a lot of headaches and stress regarding timing of sprays. Oystershell scale is generally sprayed around the end of May in hopes to catch the scale in their crawler stage. An arborist can find these scales in the crawler state by using a magnify glass. If all the scales decide to crawl at the same time at all of your customers’ homes and the arborist finds them in time, then your spray would work like a charm. This is sometimes not the case. Dinotefuran is a new class of neonicotinoid which has a very fast uptake and a fairly long residual within the plant. Neonicotinoids disrupt the insect's nervous system. It works great as a basal drench and can also be used as a topical spray. The cost of the systemic insecticides is usually higher, but the number of applications needed to control the insect is less. The greatest benefit to using systemic insecticides is the increase of beneficial insects while decreasing the unwanted insects. When you are scheduling your sprays, be sure to schedule in some fun time also.

At Vermeer High Plains, we are committed to bringing you innovative and quality equipment, and the support to keep your equipment in top condition. Vermeer manufactures a full line of equipment for your arboriculture needs, including brush chippers, stump cutters, mini skid steers and more. When you buy Vermeer, you aren’t just buying a machine; you are buying a machine that comes with parts and service support for years to come. Ready to enter a new world of arboricultural equipment?

4

Great Plains Field Day continued Below is a list of the Exhibitors and Sponsors that have signed up as of June 26. There are still exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities available. For more information about being an exhibitor or sponsor, please contact the NAA office at (402) 476-3865. If you have an item that you would like us to include in the attendee gift bag, please send it to the NAA office (6201 South 58th St., Suite B, Lincoln, NE 68516) by July 25.

Sponsors Gold Level Arbor Systems, Inc. Van Wall Equipment Silver Level Farm Credit Services Hofeling Enterprises Lincoln Electric System Papio Valley Nursery, Inc. Friends Level Bluebird Nursery, Inc. Direct Solutions from Agrium AT Great Plains Nursery HH Wild Plums, Inc. Stock Seed Farms

arships Available l o h Sc Scholarships are

available for the Joint Summer Field Day. All applications must be submitted to the NAA office in Lincoln by July 16. Scholarship applications and guidelines can be found on the NAA website at www.nearborists.org.

Exhibitors

Anderson Nurseries Inc. ArborSytems, Inc. Arrowhead Ornamentals Bluebird Nursery, Inc. Direct Solutions from Agrium AT DPM, Inc. Great Plains Nursery HH Wild Plums, Inc. Kankakee Nursery Co. Midwest Underground Supply MWE-Midwest Engine Warehouse NMC Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Nebraska Department of Agriculture Nebraska Equipment, Inc. Nebraska Golf and Turf Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Papio Valley Nursery, Inc. Plains Tree Farm, Inc./ Oak Prairie Nursery Prairie Gold Nursery ReTree Nebraska Ty’s Outdoor Power UNL Dept. of Agronomy & Horticulture UNL Nebraska Invasive Species Project Van Wall Equipment

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GREENTREE PRO

Boost green up, recovery • One application of GreenTree Pro Nutriboosters® With Iron helps trees quickly green up and leaf out. • Boosts recovery from heat, drought, and transplant stress.

Why drill when you don’t have to? Direct-Inject instead! ArborSystems.com

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BEFORE

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INSECTICIDES – FUNGICIDES – PGRS – NUTRIENTS

Bill Snyder [email protected] 1-866-839-0096

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Nebraska Arborists Support Local Arbor Day Events Terry, Gayle and Stacy Hughes, along with members of Hughes Tree Service, performed a "Day of Service" for St. Bernard's church and school--3601 North 65th St., Omaha, Nebraska--on the 27th of April. A tree was planted to commemorate Arbor Day 2012, and trees were pruned along the side of the school. Hughes Tree Service is to be commended for their annual day of service to the community.

On April 22, Jim Keepers, Finders Keepers Landscaping, LLC teamed up with Daisy Scout Troop 43620 in Gretna to plant a tree in Founder's Park. The young ladies were divided into groups for the tree planting. One group helped with scooping dirt back into the hole, another group took care of the watering and a third group applied mulch around the tree. The Daisy ladies were then assigned the task to water the tree throughout the summer. A Daisy Troop is part of the Girl Scout's organization. Daisies are Kindergarten and First Grade. These young ladies attend Gretna Elementary and Thomas Elementary.

Kneeling: Olivia Stednitz, Adyson Stednitz, Paige Germer, Kyla Paladino & Jenna Keasling. Standing in front of Jim Keepers: Penelope Larson, Brooke Halstead, Olivia Hickcox, Ainsley Buster, Malorie Maderak & Shaylee Sockel.

Upcoming Events

MARK YO CALEN UR DAR!

NAA Certification Exam Offered July 13, 2012 NAA Office, Lincoln, NE (must call to schedule time in advance) NAA & NNLA Summer Field Day Oak Prairie Nursery August 10, 2012 Lincoln, NE

Introducing the compact track loaders only Kubota could build. Call today for your Kubota SVL Series demo.

ISA Conference & Trade Show August 11-15, 2012 Portland, OR Tree ID, Evaluation & Selection, Planting & Establishment September 13-14, 2012 Nebraska City, NE Pruning, Climbing & Safety Seminar October 11-12, 2012 Nebraska City, NE Arborists Seminar November 14-16, 2012 Nebraska City, NE 6

Omaha Tractor, Inc. 9317 South 144th St. Omaha, NE 68138 (402) 895-6660

www.kubota.com

Optional equipment may be shown. ©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2010

Arborist Spotlight by Jim Keepers

This quarter's spotlight highlights an arborist who was raised by an arborist family. He is an individual who is dedicated to his family heritage and his love of tree work. The individual being honored is Steve Enfield. Steve was born December 18, 1966, in Omaha to Ray and Ellen Enfield. He is the fifth in a sibling strip of six children. Like all of Ray’s kids, he was ‘drafted’ to work in Enfield's tree service at a young age. Even as a kid, he was proud and passionate about the company and was with his dad as much as possible until he passed away when Steve was only 15 years old. To quote Connie Jo, his cousin, "He was being groomed for his future in the tree business and was a natural". His sister, Sally Wunderlich, stated that Steve "inherited his father's natural ability to keep the company’s budget and performance histories locked in his head, which still astounds me…almost like a photographic memory." Steve cleaned the shops at 12, drug hoses at 14, and then he learned all the tasks involved in the tree service business, including equipment selection, insect/disease identification, trimming, removals, spraying, aerating, injection, etc. "He was and is a serious learner and a consummate student," according to his sister. While in high school, Steve worked with Chuck Warren (City of Omaha Forester before Orville Hatcher) on tree product research and with Clayton Black (long time Enfield member) on tree insect and disease diagnosis and treatment. Steve attended UNL for two years, but the tree service business was his calling and he answered this calling by taking charge of all of Enfield's crews after the worst storm since the 1975 Omaha tornado. This began the transformation of the company's processes that were long overdue. While he is very proud of that expansion, he believes it is only a phase toward the company's future. Chuck Warren always quoted, "Nothing is either created or destroyed; it merely changes form.” Steve was very close to Chuck and takes that to heart, seeing future change as a fun and exciting challenge. Steve works alongside his employees and leads by example. I was fortunate to see Steve in action when he led one of his crews in a large Cottonwood removal just outside of Valley, Nebraska. He didn't play the role of supervisor on this tree removal but jumped into the bucket and cut the tree down section by section. This was not an easy task since the tree was hanging over the house. Steve has a very high expectation of his employees and himself. He believes in the Enfield tree service method and is respected by his peers for his company's customer service. He has taken part in every job at Enfield's Tree Service and is now an Owner and the Operations Manager of the company that was formed by his father and brothers over 40 years ago. Enfield's provides full tree maintenance programs including sprays, fertilization and systemic injections. They have equipment to handle tree trimming, large removals and land clearing. The company supports residential and commercial clients both in Nebraska and surrounding states. They distribute Muget Tree Injection Products and arborist supplies in 10 different states. Sally told me that Steve is "a fair man of ethics, has little tolerance for those who are not, and his clients and competitors respect him for that." I believe Sally's words hit the nail on the head when you are asked to describe Steve Enfield. I have been told that Steve is a VERY private person, enjoys sports and history, studies constantly and really enjoys the process of learning. He sits on the Board for the Omaha Parks and Recreation’s “Tree City USA.” He also sits on the newly formed “Tree Campus USA” Board at Metropolitan Community College. Steve is just another example of the outstanding Nebraska Certified Arborists we have in our association. Special thanks to Sally and Connie Jo for their contributions to this article.

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NAA Board Meeting Recap by Robert Smith, NAA Past President

The NAA Board of Directors held their final meeting for the 2011-2012 fiscal year on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 in Lincoln. The meeting opened with committee reports about programming and logistics for the Great Plains Summer Field Day and plans for the upcoming NAA Arborists School in the fall. During the NAA Arborists School committee report there was discussion about opportunities to ask companies with tree climbing gear and pruning equipment to sponsor some of the fall sessions. With the new fiscal year beginning on July 1, Scott Hofeling, Chair of the Membership and Communications Committee, said he will be looking for members to engage in an NAA Service Project this fall. Work also continues to cover the photo documentation of NAA arborists performing numerous aspects of tree care across the state. Final year end membership numbers reflect a total of 169 NAA certified arborists with a total of 260 members. Robert Smith provided an update from the Certification Committee about an ongoing comprehensive review of NAA's certification. The final report will examine how NAA's educational training prepares new students for their initial certification, and supports lifelong learning. The budget was reviewed and finances discussed prior to the adoption of the new 2012-2013 budget. The board is pleased to report the year will end with the organization in the black with total liabilities and equity valued at just over $61,000. In other news, Kent Holm continues to explore a partnership to offer advanced arboriculture training with Metro Community College. Phil Pierce, NAA board advisor is also working to plan an Historic Tree Management workshop with renowned British arborist Neville Fay in spring of 2013. The Board will gather for the next meeting on Monday, September 24, 2012. The meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm.

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Member News & Updates Update on Jeremy Koch--Jeremy continues to have physical therapy three times a week for his leg. He has returned to work full time, walking without any assistance! He has even been without a boot for over a week now. Jeremy is thoroughly enjoying being able to keep up with his boys, and I am out of school for the summer and enjoying helping at the store as much as possible. Jeremy has also begun driving again so he has gained a lot of independence back. Life seems "back to normal" with a whole new appreciation for life, friends, and family. Our sincere thanks to all of you for the incredible support. The prayers, positive thoughts, well wishes and gifts are certainly appreciated. You helped to make a very stressful situation less stressful. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Bailey Koch P.S. The fundraiser held for Jeremy raised $19,645. Tim Crowl, winner of the NAA winter conference raffle, donated the chainsaw to Jeremy's fundraiser. Congratulations to Cody Forristall, owner of ABS Tree Care, Council Bluffs, IA, for passing the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) "Certified Treecare Safety Professional" (CTSP) exam. The CTSP program offered by TCIA is the only tree safety credentialing program in the industry. The CTSP coursework enhances candidates' skills in the following four key areas: leadership, hazard identification, incident control and prevention and adult learning. The program provides the candidate with a well-rounded education in safety concepts, plus the tools to effectively communicate these concepts. Our hats go off to Cody for a job well done. Small Business of the Month Award--Terry Hughes Tree Service, Nebraska's first nationally accredited tree care company by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), was awarded the April Small Business of the Month Award by the Greater Omaha Chamber. Our hats go off to Terry and Stacy for a job well done and to Gayle Hughes for the support she has provided both her husband and son over the years. Behind every successful man is a great woman, and Gayle fits that definition to a tee.

Welcome

New NAA Members

Angela Aday Jason Babbel Terry Carpenter Dalton Dabney Greg Datz Gayle Duda Austin Fuchs Dave Glass Brent Hall Jim Hoeft Zach Houston LeAnn Hughes Terry Ice John Lacher Dustin Land Erik Marasco Theodore McPeake Brian Munk Elisa Richardson Nick Riggles Justin Ruby

Congratulations

NAA’s Newly Certified Arborists

LeAnn Hughes – Backyard Tree Experts Justin Ruby – Terry Hughes Tree Service Patrick O’Brien – Terry Hughes Tree Service Amber Hollmann – UNL Landscape Services James Hoeft – Immanuel Communities Rachael Monico – CM’s A Cut Above Bernhard Bailey – Trugreen Austin Fuchs – Immanuel Communities Jason Mosel – Tree Monkeys, LLC Please join us in congratulating these individuals on this accomplishment. To view more information on becoming a Certified Arborist, view our website at www.nearborists.org 9

Stihl was first introduced in 1926 and is a family owned business. In 1970 Stihl expanded by building a manufacturing plant in Brazil and US, which let to the more diverse product lines. In 1974 Stihl opened a Virginia Beach Virgina plant, that produced almost 200 different models of chainsaws and power tools for more than 80 countries. Stihl has kept it's business loyal to servicing dealers by not letting the product go into the big box stores. The Outdoor Power Group has a wide range of Stihl outdoor tools such as, trimmers, blowers, sprayers, augers, pole pruners, edgers, chainsaws and many more built to perform. The Outdoor Power Group is an exclusive Stihl dealer. We have a show room with more than 80 feet of Stihl display to accommodate any needs. The Outdoor Power Group is your one stop shop for all your outdoor power equipment needs. Come check us out.

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A Day in the Life of an Experienced Climber Terry Carpenter Enfield’s Tree Service

Photos by Jim Keepers

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Nebraska Arborists Association 6201 South 58th Street, Suite B Lincoln, NE 68516 www.NEarborists.org

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

PAID

LINCOLN, NE

PERMIT NO. 1359

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