Jack and I just got back from a conference in Kansas hosted by the Midwest ISA chapter. Overall an awesome networking and presenting experience.

Before we talk about that, some quick housekeeping:

Keep an eye out for the latest issue of the TCI Magazine, where there is a new article I wrote on stress, risk, and tree hollowing. Click that link to see that. I plan to make a short YouTube video for our channel about that same topic.

We also plan to upload the entirety of our presentation at MWISA to our YouTube channel soon as well. So if you’d like to see that, subscribe to our channel here. Hasn’t been uploaded yet, but pretty soon.

This was only our fourth presentation, so I still feel quite nervous before presenting. But once we started moving, it felt great. We got some fantastic feedback from the patrons and other speakers as well.

Traveling around the country is a pretty cool opportunity, to communicate and meet with other folks in the industry. Even though my social battery is totally empty, Jack and I leave that conference with a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment.

He and I talked on the plane ride home, and one thing that came up of note was a distinct cultural difference between the folks who attended the MWISA conference and the folks who ordinarily attend the Michigan chapter conference.

A significant difference! Jack and I were asked to speak at our local chapter event for 2025, and we declined, instead chancing to attend this conference instead. Without getting too into the weeds, a few reasons we chose to do this:

• The topics presented at the annual Michigan conference are generally quite stale and don’t provide much for experienced arborists to chew on.

• The Michigan chapter relies on exhibitors and sponsors that do not have trees’ best interests in mind.
  

• The internal politics within the chapter are quite evident, leading to some weird vibes and to some very important sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees pulling out of attendance.

• And frankly, the only benefit we get to being a member is a tiny discount at Office Max for business supplies.

I won’t go on more about that, but I just can’t miss an opportunity to talk some smack where it is deserved. I wish I had a chapter I could be proud of, believe me.

But that isn’t the point of this newsletter! I want to share an uplifting takeaway from Jack and I after spending time with some Midwest hospitality.

Above all, the MWISA members don’t seem to view each other as competition. They aren’t sizing each other up. Despite the chapter containing four separate states, they seem quite united. They recognize the need for improvement is not only for their careers, but for nature itself too.

A very engaged crowd; not only while we were speaking, but outside of that context too. With us, with other speakers, and with each other. 

Criticisms always were accompanied with compliments. And also, the criticisms were good, such as being more specific on certain things. And somehow, nobody mentioned how many times I said “umm” during our presentation.

The exhibitor Hall was not filled with tree killing equipment, it was filled with tree preservation stuff. A stark contrast from our own local conference’s exhibitor hall. 

Attending this conference in a different chapter was a healthy exposure to different perspectives from other regional practices and ideas, and I’m glad we did it. And I think the same can be said about having us there; we shared some insight on incoming problems they’re just now beginning to face, such as emerald ash borer.

Jack and I are a bit jaded by our chapter’s culture. But he said it best when he told me that this visit to Kansas City felt like a bit of restored faith. That there is indeed evidence that there is a movement happening in this industry towards arboriculture.

That’s all I got for ya this time. I’m pretty beat after that conference. I’d love to veg out today but this work ain’t gonna do itself.

Talk to ya next time,

Jeremiah & TF