Pruning competition event

Tom Dunlap

Tom Dunlap

Here from the beginning
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Retired in Minneapolis
In conjuction with the Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Conference we're going to have a day of service to prune some trees at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. We're thinking of having a pruning competition at the same time. Right now we're working through some ideas for scoring the competetion.

Has anyone ever had an experience with an event like this?

Any ideas about how to run or score?

We've put some thought into some things but I'm fishing for ideas.

Thanks!
 
I'd be a little reluctant to participate in a day of service to the state university, myself. They already get plenty of money from the state residents for operating expenses, not to mention the outrageous tuitions they garner from the students...
 
I'm with Glens on this. Could we find another way to contribute some time to some one or some group that needs it more? Maybe working with some social service to give some tree work to some elderly folk that can't afford it.Maybe not as high profile but probably more needed.
 
The need is great at the U. Yes they have lots of money but typically little of it gets to tree care. It'd be wonderful to reform those bureaucracies to lessen waste, but until that gets done, they're a great place for a service project.

Messrs. James, Dunlap et al are putting together what sounds like a great thing. As Zimmy said, if you cannot bring good news to this good effort, then don't bring any. Consider how, if it is reported well, this day's work may put tree care on the U's agenda, where it was not before. /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I think scoring should reflect a look at how the pruning work is in line with the architecture and tendencies of the species and the body language and the defects of the specimen. Great Work, guys!
 
I think it is a great idea but like the ISA certified arborist program...........I think equal points should be given to those that stand on the ground and point out the pruning needed as is given to those that climb and do the actual pruning.

I hope you climbers know I'm joking. Just a pet peeve.

Dan Nelson
 
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...if you cannot bring good news to this good effort, then don't bring any....

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think that attitude is in the interest of free and open discussion. The contrary comments were both intelligent and civil. Is there no room here for opposing points of view?
 
Plenty of room for all views; sorry to bruise any thin skin out there. The thread idea is too good to get hijacked by anti-U sentiments, imo. (then of course it gets joked up by the joker himself, Danno.)

Consider how, if it is reported well, this day's work may put tree care on the U's agenda, where it was not before.

Re judging, there's always choice of tool, cut location, and importantly, what is NOT cut.
 
Have multiple judges, take hi res before and after pictures plus after walkaround, each judge scores out of ten, drop high and low and take average like olympics. Points off for overpruning, bark tears, hangers, missed deadwood. If all trees are similar in size you could impose a time limit for each prune.

Great idea but I don't think it will be a future x-games event

Dave
 
I'd love to do that Tom. Let me know when.

I took the "Structure Pruning for Life" class up there and I noticed a Locust that is need of a removal. Shoot! For free I would drop that thing like a bad habbit! Oh wait, this is for trimming, right?
 
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I took the "Structure Pruning for Life" class up there and I noticed a Locust that is need of a removal.

[/ QUOTE ]they teach stuff like that up there? yOur U is surely way ahead of ours; that's a place worth supporting then. Re removal(how do you know it NEEDs removal--beware bias!), that reminds me, a comp-arison not a comp-etition of risk management would be fun. I proposed something like that for the southern chapter meeting a few years ago and got some strange looks. Anything that gets arbos out in the field and talking to each other is good iomo.
 
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Plenty of room for all views; sorry to bruise any thin skin out there. The thread idea is too good to get hijacked by anti-U sentiments, imo.

[/ QUOTE ]
I guess I missed the original post. My skin is a little too thin at times, but not this one. I had not intended to hijack the thread (am hesitant to even add this reply), and my sentiments are not "anti-U"-based.

I realize the project which Tom introduced will require at least a few sizeable trees being available, along with ready access for the participants and general public. Trouble is, most venues which fit that description are public property of one sort or another. My pockets being constantly occupied by big-kin hands in part for just such places causes my expressed reluctance.

Perhaps a private college would be a better choice.

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Consider how, if it is reported well, this day's work may put tree care on the U's agenda, where it was not before.

[/ QUOTE ]
A private college having better-cared-for trees might better serve to prioritize the U's agenda if for no other reason than jealousy/pride. I fear that having a day of service at the State U would likely result in them wanting to schedule more of them instead of juggling their budget :)

Apart from that, concerning the activity, I think it's a grand idea but have no ideas of my own to offer regarding its implementation.

Glen
 
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The need is great at the U. Yes they have lots of money but typically little of it gets to tree care.

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct, rather it lines the pockets of university execs! /forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
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Consider how, if it is reported well, this day's work may put tree care on the U's agenda, where it was not before.



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This also sounds like a great way to line one local tree companies pockets.

So which is it you do? Work for the university or own the local company looking to get the large future contract.


I agree completely with what another proposed. Put the work into needy groups such as elderly or toward poverty stricken.
 
Or give to city parks.

This shouldn't be a timed competition. Some trees need more time than others. Each tree would have to be rated before hand, then again afterwards. The climber with the biggest difference between the two wins.

love
nick
 
I find great comfort when I bump into a person, or group, that's even more cynical than myself :) I do have hope of getting along in this world it seems :)

Let's set aside the location. This is the first year for the event and time is short. With more time I know that next year's event will be more service-oriented. There are several chapters that have a long, proud history of providing thousands of dollars of quality treework every year. The projects are carefully chosen and must meet strict criteria.

There are a couple of good scoring ideas here. Please think of the event, not the location. If the bugs get worked out of the scoring we could possibly see something like this make it's way into the ITCC some day.
 
Ideally, you'd have a large, municipal setting, with trees of similiar size and maturity, IE a long row of Tulip Poplars, or 5 or 6 Atlas Cedars, with a set work order- deadwood, hazards, minimal change to the canopy outline etc. I would think proper pruning cuts would be expected, thus not rewarded, but improper cuts would get deductions. Maybe start each tree with a max of 100 points, with deductions for torn bark, scuffs, dogears, tears, flushcuts?
Offer a bonus for time, with a max time limit. Also, stack the brush and measure or weigh it, with an expectation of a percentage of material to be removed?

Trying to develop some handicap to even out a 3" DBH Dogwood and a 56" DBH Atlas Cedar would be ridiculous.
 
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So which is it you do? Work for the university or own the local company looking to get the large future contract.

[/ QUOTE ]Tom you're right; this is cynicism run rampant. Brandon, my very young friend, I'm way far from either of the above; Tom'll back me up on that; he's seen my humble operation.

Tom We've given our thoughts on scoring; what're yours?
 
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Offer a bonus for time, with a max time limit. Also, stack the brush and measure or weigh it, with an expectation of a percentage of material to be removed?


[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds tough to coordinate. You would first have to establish that the judging panels thinks that tree #21 needs 25% taken out, tree #22 needs 20%, tree #23 needs 50%, etc. I'd be pretty upset if you were in a tree next to me, I beat you to the ground by a minute, then the results come out and I lost simply because you took more out of the tree.

You have to account for all this. Remember- contrary to what the general public may wish to believe, we do not charge by the pound.

We should not be critiqued that way either.

love
nick
 
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