Welp, if you follow Tree First on social media, you’re already aware that that video we most recently made went very well! In the video, titled An Argument Against Mechanization in Tree Care, one of the things I criticize is the TCIA.

Leading to something quite unexpected.

An update on those TCIA articles we talked about last month:

We’re publishing neither in their magazine. One was quasi-approved, and the other was rejected on account of being ‘too short’.

I explained in that most recent video that I think it was rejected on account of conflicts with advertisers. So I turned that rejected article into that video and it was easily our best performing video. A lot of engagement, and a lot of views, especially for such a niche topic.

I know better than to read most of the comments, but when I skimmed them, I saw good things. You know me, I don’t advocate people do much tree-talk on the internet lmao.

I do, however, see a 99% like ratio on the video in our YouTube Analytics. Happy about that.

Regarding the article the TCIA did approve, Sam Finco and I wrote it together. The Public Mistrust of the Tree Care Industry was recommended at the end of that recent video; but in hindsight, I think the video overshadowed the article.

After TCIA’s approval of that article, I didn’t hear back for over 4 weeks (which is abnormally long for them). I sent a few follow-ups; got nothin’.

But history told me I likely wouldn’t be happy with their edit, given the article’s critical and provocative nature. So I instead published it on the Tree First website, and let TCIA know not to publish what they had.

I plan to do more promoting of that article, but I think right now the arborist-algorithms are inundated with ice-storm clean-up. My promo might either be a nice break from that, or get swept under the tide.

My hunch is to wait on it. But I’ve linked it above so you can check it out in case you’ve missed it. Feel free to share it if you dig it.

Us Michiganders get ice-storms pretty frequently in late winter. But these recent storms haven’t iced us; we’ve been hit with extremely cold windchills instead. Called a few days off on account of negative 25-degree windchills.

It’s been a pretty uneventful month in the field. Both Jake and Jack are quite bored. Heck, even I am feeling it a little bit too.

Running out of steam on some of these creative projects though. Need a bit of a change-up, at least for a bit.

(This is ordinarily where I’d spoil what I’m currently working on, but instead I’ll just vaguely foreshadow)

Aight last thing. The unexpected thing I mentioned in the first paragraph. Among the several emails I got following that video, one of them was from a member of the board of directors at TCIA.

How funny is that?

Is that a good cliffhanger to leave this newsletter on?

LOL

See ya next time,

Tree First forever