Posts Tagged ‘in the media’

Bryan White, a certified arborist with Arborilogical Services, Inc., was recently interviewed by NBC DFW.

As part of the Dallas Mavericks overall Guard the Planet initiative, the Mavs, PwC US, a Big Four accounting and consulting firm, and Arborilogical Services Inc, The Experts Your Trees Deserve, teamed up to plant a tree for every three-pointer the club made at home during the 2010-11 regular season as part of “Trees for Threes.” The program launched October 27th and will end April 13th. On March 25th, volunteers from the Mavs, PwC, Arborilogical Services, Inc. and City of Dallas staff members planted over 300 trees at Lake Cliff Park in Oak Cliff and T&P Hill at White Rock Lake. Haywood and Brewer will plant the final three trees at T&P Hill in the ceremonial plant.

Special thanks to PwC, Arborilogical Services Inc, Staff, Dallas Parks and Recreation Department, Citizen Foresters, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, Friends of Oak Cliff Parks and For Love of the Lake for their support of this program.

Please note: Event is not open to the public, but media is invited to attend.

“It’s never been about the money for me,” says Arborilogical owner Steve Houser. Despite 30 years as a successful business owner, he says the majority of his actions are driven by one goal: “I want leave my children a better world,” he says.

To that end, Houser promotes sustainability at nearly every opportunity. He’s long advocated responsible ecological stewardship for regional planning committees; he teaches Master Naturalist and Master Gardener extension programs; and, perhaps most importantly, his company encourages sustainable tree care to homeowners. “When we preserve more trees through proper care, there’s a dramatic positive effect on our air, soil and water,” Houser says.

For customers like J.R. Estes of Rowlett, Texas, the trees-first approach makes a positive impact. “Trees are a big investment in the long-term value of a home,” he says. “[Arborilogical's] arborist was terrific in answering all my questions and offering solutions.” Separating profit from proper tree care is a core company value, Houser says. “If a client wants something that’s not in the tree’s best interest, I don’t want my name on it,” he says. “Any work we do is going to be something we’re proud of.”

For Rhonda Krasselt of Fort Worth, Texas, that value translated into great customer service. “Their communication was great,” she says. “They made me believe that not only they know what they’re doing, but they actually care about customer service.”

In business since 1981, Steve Houser’s Arborilogical Services has garnered the Super Service Award every year since 2005.

Houser also practices what he preaches. His arborists use biodegradable chain-saw oil to minimize harmful environmental impact, recycle tree trimmings, and, if safe, encourage homeowners to leave dead trees on their properties to promote ecological diversity. Off the job, Houser’s east Texas ranch house is totally off the grid, powered by solar panels and warmed by an energy-efficient geothermal system.

Arborilogical Services, Inc. provides services to the community above and beyond the commercial services for which it is renown. To name a few: there are radio talk shows; published topical information and articles; an informative newsletter; agriculture, horticulture and urban forestry event participation; non-profit public education programs and consortiums; public-sector lobbying for tougher “green” laws and legislation; and many, many more.

If you are a member of the press and would like a quote or comment for your story, please call us or drop us a line.

One of the most youthful pastimes was handed over to the adults at a Plano park for much of Saturday.

Twenty-seven of the most skilled tree climbers — all but a few from Texas — gathered at Bob Woodruff Park on Friday and Saturday to scale, scamper and swing their ways around timber towering nearly 100 feet.

The competition was sponsored by the state chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. The winner competes in the international contest to be held this summer near Chicago.

WBAP Interview with Steve Houser: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

01:23 PM CDT on Sunday, May 23, 2010 By JEFF MOSIER, The Dallas Morning News jmosier@dallasnews.com

The finals featured plenty of veteran competitors. One finalist, Jimmy Prichard of Fort Worth, made it to the finals four out of the last eight years and comes from a family of arborists.

“Every man I know in my family with my last name is an arborist,” said Prichard, who owns Integrity Tree Care.

Another of the four finalists, Jimmy Saucier, who traded in his oil patch job to scale and prune trees in Amarillo, was immediately competing for state championships when he switched careers in 2002. He said this was his third or fourth finals.

On Friday, the men gathered in an orchard of trees that’s been around for centuries to compete using skills they need every day, or in some cases hope they’ll never use. They were timed in speed climbs, rated on accuracy in hurling throw lines used as guides for their climbing ropes, and judged on mock aerial rescues that they sped dozens of feet up a tree to perform.

On Saturday afternoon, the top four scorers scaled a 90-foot pecan and had to ring four bells in different sections.

Miguel Pastenes was the second to climb Saturday afternoon and part of a championship heritage that began with his boss. Steve Houser, owner of Wylie-based Arborilogical Services Inc., helped organize the games in the 1980s. The championship cup — made of wood, of course — bears Houser’s name and has gone to his employees every year since 1999.

That string was broken Saturday when Abram Zies, owner of Arbor Care in Fort Worth, finished first.

Pastenes, who finished seventh in last year’s international competition in Rhode Island and nearly broke a world record in one contest there, sped up a rope into the pecan as family, friends, colleagues and the curious watched.

Within 14 seconds, he was about 50 feet up. The crowd let out of chorus of “woos” as a strong gust whipped through the park and made the branches holding Pastenes sway as he reached 65 feet.

A few moments later, he had moved so high that he was almost invisible to the audience. Minutes later, he was moving with a gymnast’s ease on to a branch to ring one of the bells.

Swinging from one section of the tree to the other got Pastenes enthusiastic applause and admiration from those on the ground.

Cheering on his employee, Houser said the crowd appreciates a bit of flare. But he said participants are also serious about safety, which has become an increasing priority for the tree-trimming industry. The contest wasn’t held from 1987 to 1989 because organizers couldn’t get insurance. The insurance industry rates their jobs as among the nation’s most dangerous.

“You may only get one chance to make a mistake in this business,” Houser said.

Another person in the business nodded his head vigorously when he heard this. He pulled up the leg of his blue jeans to show a scar stretching at least 6 inches along his knee and calf.

John Hayman of Dallas said he estimated the branch limb that crushed his knee weighed 300 pounds and left him needing nine surgeries.

“I couldn’t walk for a year,” he said.

But Hayman said he still climbs. If he needs to clear his head, he said, he grabs a chain saw and goes to the top of a tree that could use some trimming.

Even with the dangers, Houser said there’s an allure to scaling trees that never goes away for some. He said he remembers explaining his career choice to his mother.

“Look, Mom,” he remembers saying. “I found a way that I never have to grow up.”

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