(Newswire.net — October 15, 2020) — Bear and Melissa LeVangie, who are twins and also both arborists (tree doctors), have reported an increase in the need for more certified arborists. Given their profession and personal interest, the twins spend most of their time around trees. In their childhood, they lived in a forested area of Massachusetts and grew up surrounded by trees.
“Our mother would say, I don’t want to see you until it is dark. We would climb an 80-foot — it seemed like a 100-foot then — white pine and hang out and not think twice about it.” Said Bear LeVangie.
“I would never have anticipated how fast things are declining,” said Melissa Levangie. She currently works as a tree warden for the city of Petersham in Central Massachusetts. She works for Shelter Tree, a tree care supply firm.
According to the twins, trees are fairing very poorly in the face of rapid climate change. The challenges trees are facing are changing the course of most arborists’ work. With the current weather and climate changes, the trees in the United States’ Eastern forests are more prone to negative changes and damage.
As climate change accelerates, arborists spend more time felling dying, diseased, or infested trees than ever before. Many arborists have reported felling more trees affected by severe storms and weather.
“We are a heavily treed state.” And, “we are having more tree problems that require lots of arborists, and there is a shortage of arborists,” mentioned Kristina Bezanson, an arborist and a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This highlights the scarcity of tree care in our forested areas.
Today, most trees are adversely affected by drought or heavy rain. Climate change is clearly altering the seasons and temperature extremes in general.
Likewise, human activities contribute to air pollution and invading forested areas, causing the displacement of forests and wildlife. A tour around any New England town reveals the sad deteriorating condition of the area’s trees and plants.
Bear LeVangie, who works for Eversource, travels to 35 cities in Connecticut. She oversees crews who trim, prune, and remove hazardous trees, including those at risk of dying.
Bear and Melissa spent a long time working on a diseased maple tree that was +/- 150 years old. The tree had multiple fungi species growing mushroom conks from its trunk.
Melissa made the decision not to cut it down. Her intent was to permit it to have a gradual death and be a part of the community for as long as possible.
The two arborists visited an oak tree that had barely grown during the growing season due to drought. The effects of the month’s long drought have put the trees and wild-land in the state at risk of wildfires.
Ron Yaple from Race Mountain Tree Services in Sheffield, Massachusetts, mentioned there are trucks, equipment, and specialized vehicles ready for use inside his firm’s warehouse storage.
“I have the tools for a second crew. However not the individuals,” said Ron.