How the heck is it June already? Feels like the oaks have barely just leafed out. Before we know it we’ll be feeling July’s heat.

We’re finally on the other end of the major spray-treatment season, and damn, I couldn’t be happier about that. I need some weekends back! By mid-June, I should have them.

What do I need those weekends for? Working, of course.

On something new.

Lately I’ve missed the excitement of novel projects. I’ve talked about it with Sam a few times; when I don’t feed the need to create, I feel mentally starved. Lethargic, disinterested, desireless. In need of purpose all the time, for better or worse.

Tree First is no longer new. This is not a complaint though, it is a huge part of my life; at times occupying too much of it perhaps. There are areas to improve and refine in both business and in the field, and I generally enjoy those processes. Not just the outcomes, but the sharpening itself.

That said, I’m familiar with the processes enough now that they not necessarily “exciting”, you know? It is harder to see new trees on familiar trails.

Last edition I shared my hopes that I’ll finally have a name for this new project.

I don’t, lol.

While the vision is still quite nebulous, I’ve gotten closer to identifying the voice and spirit of the new project, thanks in part to a conversation with a different Sam (a lot of Sams in my life).

So while I can’t tell you a name, part of this process requires me to gather ideas. And you’re gonna need some context. Maybe you saw some hints in the last video and article.

This idea is predicated the notion that being a Certified Arborist is not the sole metric the public should use to determine if an arborist is right for them.

So let’s say there is a public-facing database of high-level arborists united in solidarity with nature. Ethical, nuanced, sincere.

Where membership is not granted by passing a test, but by passing an assessment given by existing arborist members of an applicant’s ethics, approach, and practice. An assessment of their ethos gets them onto this database, essentially.

I know it is very open ended: If you were assessing if an arborist had a good arboricultural compass, what kinds of things would you ask them? What kinds of criteria would qualify someone to be on this database?

Please reply to this email with any thoughts.

This whole database idea is part of a bigger picture, though it is a major component of it. It is where my attention is drawn to at the moment, so I’ll strike there while the iron is hot.

There are a lot of elements to think about for this project. We’ll likely be needing input on a lot of things, so you may see more newsletters like this one. Please feel free to also reply with any knee-jerk or well-thought-out remarks about this concept.

Anyway, that’s all for now.

Time to log off for awhile,

Jeremiah & TF

ps new video coming out mid-June