Howdy!
Josh Goode, at your service. As your new president, I am here to help further our mission to promote urban forestry in our region. But what does that mean? Is it helping put on a conference every year? Facilitate a workshop, plant a few trees? Education is key, we have the knowledge. But how can we effectively spread that knowledge to where it is needed most?
These past few years have been a wake-up call, people are finally paying more attention to their trees, giving them value. We’ve had tornados and arctic blasts, droughts and ice storms. Invasive pests are on our doorstep, Oak Wilt is always spreading. But what’s next?
It’s no secret that our Council has gone through a period of dormancy, thankfully that is behind us. I urge everyone to actively recruit within your organization, as well as to bring in other groups into the mix. It doesn’t matter if you’re a small tree care company, a municipality, a non-profit or concerned citizen; if you have an interest in promoting sustainable Urban Forestry, you’re in the right place.
Later this week is the North Texas Urban Forestry Conference (http://ctufc.org/conference/) and this Spring we’ll be putting on an Urban Forestry Master Planning Workshop in Plano. Help is needed to keep this momentum going. We have plans to begin an aerial population survey of Ash trees in the Great Trinity Forest and we are taking steps to put together a proper pruning workshop. The City of Addison has shown some interest in putting together a more comprehensive tree ordinance, and I urge anyone with experience in that sector to reach out to me directly. I am eager to serve and look forward to helping the organization grow through the seasons.
Michael is a graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. He received his B.S in Recreation Administration in 2005 and went to work for the City of Grand Prairie, Texas right after graduation. Michael serves as Secretary of TBUFC and provides technical support for the organization.
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