Trees hurt

The New Hampshire artist David M. Carroll did the original watercolor illustrations, with much guidance and kibitzing from Dr. Shigo. David received one of the MacArthur "genius" grants some years back and is a serious authority on turtles, in his own right.
Thanks to John Keslick for posting that...must be 15 years or so gone by now. John's scan that he used in the web pages is still superior, to be sure, but the digital copy referred to in John's posting has been improved a little and is available linked to http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/6749.
 
KTSmith said:
The New Hampshire artist David M. Carroll did the original watercolor illustrations, with much guidance and kibitzing from Dr. Shigo. David received one of the MacArthur "genius" grants some years back and is a serious authority on turtles, in his own right.
Thanks to John Keslick for posting that...must be 15 years or so gone by now. John's scan that he used in the web pages is still superior, to be sure, but the digital copy referred to in John's posting has been improved a little and is available linked to http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/6749.
Click to expand...

I met Keslick at the Boone NC Shigo seminars. I found this publ while cleaning my library out 2 days ago in a folder I had downloaded years ago. I typed in the address on the top of the pages and the link was still good. I have another Publ. similar to this in original form. Alex signed that one and was impressed I had it and spoke of the series.

Unusual in that some non Shigo esque terms and procedures are mentioned in it (the linked one above) such as "healing" and "shape wounds like an elipse" for example both of which he did an about face on later.

alx.webp
 
A less than great scan of TreeVet"s "Tree Decay: An Expanded Concept" is at http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/information_bulletins/pdfs/ne_aib419.pdf, but be aware it is a 20 MB file. Our State and Private Forestry unit separated it out as separate chapters to make it a bit more manageable in size at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/misc/treedecay/cover.htm

Ha, ha, about the "about face" on terms. No, that is not the way it is or was. Yes, Al did change his views on a few things and changed his terms on a few more, but these and the other very useful, landscape-changing Shigo publications were always a compromise between his vision and Forest Service editors.
Keep in mind that in the early 1970s, Shigo had a strong scientific reputation, but as a FS scientist, everything was subject to review. Now, don't jump up and cry "censorship" right off. As FS scientists, we can report what we observe and discover through peer review and the research journal publication process. But our language and emphasis is definitely subject to review and adjustment.
These colorful educational and non-research works (directed more to foresters than arborists) were also reviewed and edited by education or technology specialists. Sometimes, as with the landmark Shigo and Larson and the later Shigo and Marx publications, the coauthors were not scientists but editors or information specialists.
Which of course was the reason he self-published his books after his FS retirement in 1985 so as to not have an editor and to not have to compromise.
 
Interesting stuff Kevin. I was just re thumbing thru "Tree Pithy Points" and noted that you reviewed that book for him, didn't you?

Do you remember that pretty blonde lady he used to give talks with, I believe Dr. Sharon (sp?) Ossenbrugen (just a guess on last name)?

Dave Shaw
 
Thanks Dave, yes, I reviewed pretty much everything Al wrote from the 1984 Annual Review of Phytopathology article (while still in the FS) through his self-published series. And I reviewed a few things that didn't make it to press. I think I'm listed in the fine print of most everything. I will be quick to say that I was not the only reviewer of those items, he always asked for comments from a range of academics and a few practitioners (at least for the larger works). Although I haven't checked, I think I might have been his most consistently requested reviewer.
In his self-published books, although he did not have an editor, he always solicited feedback and considered comments closely. Not that he always (or usually) did what I or others suggested!
Yes, I remember Sharon Ossenbruggen very well, we shared an office during a portion of my postdoc period. She passed away oh, some 15-20 years ago. No, she was an artist and not a PhD scientist. At the beginning, she knew little about tree function or tree care, but was a quick study and excellent teacher. Al was able to teach her what he thought she needed to know to tell his story, and she was not burdened by previous knowledge or misinformation on the topic. She also was instrumental in developing some of the physical models of structure and branch attachment. With a classical botany background, I was able to help a little on the details. After Al's retirement from the FS, she was re-assigned out of Research and into our State and Private Forestry unit as an educator/exhibit specialist. She was quite effective and well-regarded by all who knew her!
 
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Again very interesting Kevin. Thanks. You have had a very enviable career. I miss Al so much for the annual trek I would make to some interesting place he would be having a seminar when I could afford to get away. That and how he made me/us always feel as "associates".
 
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