The Sky’s the Limit for Women in Arboriculture
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(May 15, 2022) If you regularly watch our show, you already know Megan Kacenski. You’ve seen her in commercials for our primary sponsor, Bartlett Tree Experts. She is an unabashed advocate for women in arboriculture. Since Bartlett is, too, that’s a good match. On today’s show, she talks about her journey into the trees. Our buddy Skeet from Bartlett joins us, too. He will bring us up to date with local tree issues.
Kacenski grew up in southern Connecticut, close to Bartlett Headquarters. But she wasn’t always interested studying aboriculture. It was only after interning for Bartlett that she began to think about a career in tree care. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Bachelor’s Degree in Resource Economics and Arboriculture. She already told this story in the preview video for today’s show, but I’ll make her tell it again. Eventually, Kacenski became a Bartlett arborist representative. She is also an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist, Certified Tree Care Safety Professional and Penn Del ISA Board Member.
Bartlett encourages women in arboriculture. In 2018, the company held an event called Women in Arboriculture: Maximizing Talent. It was the first event of its kind in the tree care industry. ISA also encourages women through its Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop (WTCW), which it has run since 2009.
And Skeet, too!
Meanwhile, Skeet reports on what might generously be called an inconsistent spring. How does lurching from cold, wet to hot, dry weather affect trees, especially as they’re leafing out? He also highly recommends that you subscribe to a couple of great horticulture newsletters. One is the Plant Health Care Report, published by The Morton Arboretum. Here is the latest issue. The other is the University of Illinois Home, Yard & Garden Pest Newsletter. I agree with Skeet. Both publications provide a lot of useful information for gardeners.
Diveheart…the movie
Somehow, I think I used to be a lot funnier than I am now. At least that’s what I thought when I read my own writing from a couple of years ago. I was describing how I met Jim Elliott, the founder of Diveheart. It’s a volunteer-driven organization focused on building confidence and independence in disabled children, adults and veterans through scuba diving. If that seems familiar, it’s because we run their public service announcements on our show. Their catchy tune often invades my head as an ear worm.
And now comes Diveheart documentary! Adapting To Dive premieres at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Classic Cinemas Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave. in Downers Grove. Order tickets at this link. Here’s a brief summary of the film.
Join Los Angeles film maker David Marsh as he embarks on a transformational, life changing journey with a group of adaptive divers while they experience zero gravity. His film making process began several weeks before the trip. Little did he know that just a week before the trip with the non profit Diveheart and eight adaptive divers with a variety of disabilities, his son who had been struggling with an opioid addiction would come to his house on Thanksgiving, enjoy a family meal, overdose and die.
Today Diveheart Executive Director Tinamarie Hernandez returns to the show to preview their world premiere.
The Green Dispatch
We live in a sad world. It just got sadder with the death of Chicago’s beloved piping plover Monty of Monty and Rose fame. However, there is an up side, as Patty Wetli writes at WTTW News. The Green Dipatch alerts you to a few other stories as well. Unfortunately, many of them are sad. Welcome to the world of environmentalism in the 21st century.
Monty the Piping Plover Is Dead, Birding Community Stunned and Mourning – WTTW News
Haboob? Derecho? By Any Name, Plains Dust Storm Was Strong. – The New York Times
Chicago was hotter than Death Valley this week as heat wave surged north – AccuWeather
Armadillos have arrived in downstate Illinois and are heading north — yes, you might someday see an armadillo in your backyard – (Please note that the buffoons at the Chicago Tribune put this story about climate change under “Entertainment.” I am not entertained.)
Slimy Jumping Worms Again Wreaking Havoc On Soil, Illinois Gardeners – Patch Highland Park
Coming this Summer: Spiking Electricity Bills Plus Blackouts – Inside Climate News
Plants have been grown in lunar soil for the 1st time ever – CNN
Recycling plastic is a total bust, industry critics say – CBS News