"Murdering Trees"...(Kevin Bingham)

No doubt you are, Dave! But if my freakin Hawks hadn't had their worst collapse ever a few weeks back, your boys wouldn't have that perfect record---- which I knew they'd keep intact, even after Johnny Football had a nice first half..........
 
Oh, I only take down dead trees ;)- you know how to tell if a tree is dead?... Do dead trees have leaves? So the trick is, wait until there aren't any leaves on the tree to take it down. Winter is a great time to do removals.

Okay, I'll admit it I've taken down trees that have leaves on them, but it is safer to take down a living tree...so technically I am just catching it before it gets too dangerous.





Disclaimer: There isn't much seriousness of any kind in this post.
 
@frashdog: I kinda agree with you. If they love there trees, then pay me to take care of them. If they hate them, then pay me to remove them. I have no guilt. I find most often the people know what they want. My job is to deliver that, and sometimes I sprinkle in a little education along the way. Sometime that changes there mind and sometimes it does not.
 
ROYCE said:
@frashdog: I kinda agree with you. If they love there trees, then pay me to take care of them. If they hate them, then pay me to remove them. I have no guilt. I find most often the people know what they want. My job is to deliver that, and sometimes I sprinkle in a little education along the way. Sometime that changes there mind and sometimes it does not.
Click to expand...
Yes, I try to steer folks with education...Some times they don't want to hear it.
 
ROYCE said:
@frashdog: I kinda agree with you. If they love there trees, then pay me to take care of them. If they hate them, then pay me to remove them. I have no guilt. I find most often the people know what they want. My job is to deliver that, and sometimes I sprinkle in a little education along the way. Sometime that changes there mind and sometimes it does not.
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However, I will never Top a tree even if that is what the client wants. We give out a handout on why topping is bad and explain what we can do in the way of correct pruning or corrective pruning (if the tree was already topped), but we will walk away from a tree if they want it topped and only topped.

I haven't yet been put in a place where I turn down a removal because the tree is too historic or something like that, I hope I never get asked. Usually people like to keep their amazing trees, and discard their junk trees. Hmm, now there's something...I just categorized trees into good and bad. I think that definitely plays a huge part. If the trees are invasive I have no problem taking them out, whereas I will try to discourage a client if the tree is a masterpiece and a prize tree...again most people generally aren't asking to have those trees removed.
 
For some people , tree work is about challenge , or money (haha), having bigs toys etc.. For us tree work is about passion , passion of the tree and making a difference in ours community , in a few days the Paris conference about climate change will be held , and they will try to find ways to minimise global warming. The reallity is that you can make the difference every day , by not removing tree that don't need to. That why as much as we love sending big piece in those block pulley , we prefere to walk aways when the homeowner don't want to preserve a tree that is safe. We are happy with what we see in the mirror every morning. In my opinion there is no difference bettween tree haker toper and arborist that cut down tree that don't need to when they got the knowledge to keep it standing up. my two cents.
 
Sometimes they are just in the way. Everyone has a basic need for a roof over your head. That roof often doesn't get built til that tree is out of the way.
 
I guess what I am saying is that if we classify it as murdering, because it is a living organism...then where do we make the distinction? A weed in the garden is a living organism, would removing that weed be "murdering"? I know Kevin didn't mean for this to be put under a microscope and dissected, and that he probably was just using it as an expression, but it got me thinking...

Are some trees lives worth saving more than others? Should an Ailanthus be left just because it is healthy and not threatening the life of the homeowner? Should a 200 year old Oak be left standing over a house even if it is healthy? Could a storm make a huge mess of everything? If a client wants a tree down and there is no reason for the tree to come down, why are they spending thousands of dollars to make it happen?

I believe trees have value and it would be stupid to destroy something valuable, but if it is threatening someone or their property...I don't classify it as murdering to remove it.

I am not too passionate about this either...I am more just commenting and thinking out loud.
 
John_KAYS said:
I guess what I am saying is that if we classify it as murdering, because it is a living organism...then where do we make the distinction? A weed in the garden is a living organism, would removing that weed be "murdering"? I know Kevin didn't mean for this to be put under a microscope and dissected, and that he probably was just using it as an expression, but it got me thinking...

Are some trees lives worth saving more than others? Should an Ailanthus be left just because it is healthy and not threatening the life of the homeowner? Should a 200 year old Oak be left standing over a house even if it is healthy? Could a storm make a huge mess of everything? If a client wants a tree down and there is no reason for the tree to come down, why are they spending thousands of dollars to make it happen?

I believe trees have value and it would be stupid to destroy something valuable, but if it is threatening someone or their property...I don't classify it as murdering to remove it.

I am not too passionate about this either...I am more just commenting and thinking out loud.
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Save the baby seals ...but who is saving the common rat?
 
treevet said:
Save the baby seals ...but who is saving the common rat?
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or cockroaches, gnats, mosquitoes, ticks, and chiggers. ooh ooh wait, I think i got it now; if they're considered cute...never mind.

treevet, yes i've felt guilty at times early in my career. I try not to let that happen anymore. i just remind myself, "what's going to last longer, the extra 2K, or the guilt?" and i spend money quick and worry about stuff way to much.

i've walked away from a number of jobs.
 
treevet said:
Save the baby seals ...but who is saving the common rat?
Click to expand...
I've always admired rats for their toughness and adaptability. I used to have a dog that would butcher them relentlessly, sometimes a rat would get the upper hand though. Humans are too effective in killing things, not a fair battle most of the time.

I will walk away when a customer wants to remove a healthy tree for the wrong reasons. I'll try to talk them out of it before I walk.
-AJ
 
People will often keep their tree if you tell them that it is unusually large for it's variety or rare for the area or a very good specimen. For example I persuaded a client to keep an abnormally large Sour Wood because it was down right cool to see a specimen that size. Made him feel proud that he owned it.

When giving advice regarding tree removal I try to keep the person's best interest in mind. In five years is the tree going to out grow it's space or become a hazard to their living space? Will taking the tree down reduce their property value or increase it? Would taking the old tree down and planting a new one benefit everyone in the future or not? Some times removing a tree gives just enough sun light for under-story trees. If the client is going to sell their house soon, then it might be better for the new owner to decide a particular tree's fate.
 
Funny you mention letting a new home owner decide whether or not to remove trees. New homeowners consistently have trees cut down within a month or two of acquiring their property, many regret it later. I think it has to do with anxiety over the mortgage, financial pressures etc. Suddenly the trees appear to be looming threats, a proxy for everything that makes them feel vulnerable as a new home owner. I'd like to see a law that says a new homeowner may not murder (haha) trees on their property for 90 days unless any trees represent an actual hazard as determined by a qualified independent tree inspector. Would never fly of course.
-AJ
 
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