President's Perspective - Fall 2025

By Tracey Takeuchi on Wednesday, October 1, 2025

The Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture is the largest among the ISA’s component members. How does it feel to be part of something greater than yourself? Pretty amazing, right? The Western Chapter has routinely led the way to increased competency in the field of arboricultural science, practice, and environmental sustainability through our development, adoption, education, and implementation of the most current science available. We have the greatest diversity among our membership and states, with California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawai?i being disparate enough to each have their own cultural flavor, while being proximal enough to support one another’s growth. You could say the Western Chapter is the “Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors®” of arboriculture. Diversity brings us new perspectives that increase our effectiveness in caring for our trees.

Diversity and a willingness to accept differences is a key component of what makes our chapter great, if not the greatest in the industry. I know that I am biased. With difference, there is growth. Growth requires commitment. Growth is not passive, though it looks different for each of us. We have seen industry growth as arboricultural science becomes increasingly accepted as a “true” science. We have seen growth among our industry participants, the core of our industry-the members. We have adopted many new industry trends that reflect the growth mindset of the Western Chapter, from the early days of certification, as an arborist, to TRACE evolving into TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification), Board Certified Master Arborist, Prescription Pruning in partnership with the Florida Chapter (TPAC), Plant Appraisal, and increasingly, new fire-related qualifications that are evolving. While these programs are “owned” by ISA, without acceptance by the Western Chapter they would be far less successful industry wide. We are the innovators.

Despite that, change is hard. There remains controversy among the professionals within our industry regarding the implementation and application of some of the available certifications and qualifications. Discourse is healthy when it is respectful and focused on improvement. Our goal is always to increase and improve our Industry through application of scientific principals and practices, while recognizing that there is also art and skill in the everyday practice of arboriculture. Learning within our industry has no end game—it is a career long pursuit. Not linear – it is circular in nature.

There is always something new to learn. It can be exhausting to remain abreast of the changes that science has brought and continues to bring to our industry. Name changes can be confusing and daunting (Gone again – Corymbia and Angophora! Hello! – subsuming them back into Eucalyptus). Not only must we remain proficient in the names changes for trees, but insects and pathogens as well. Oh my! I’ll admit that I have not always been generous to those that didn’t keep up with changes – especially when they were responsible for public instruction (seminars). To me, it reflects professionalism to remain as current as possible on those pesky names, using them correctly, (perfect and imperfect stages of fungi, as an example) until I started instructing as a lecturer at California State Polytechnic University (Calpoly), Pomona, where I served as an adjunct faculty for 12 years in the department of Plant Sciences. In that capacity I tried to remain as current as possible in all manner of biological and tree related topics. I found it challenging and somewhat disheartening as the responsibility of simply teaching consumed my time. I wonder if you feel that way, too? Life consumes you, leaving refreshing your information in the climbing bag with expired rope. Yet, we continue to strive.

On the one hand, it can be exciting and stimulating to engage with change. On the other, attempting to remain professional in the rapidly changing environment of our industry might feel, to some, discouraging. Ever the wheel of time rolls on in a never-ending circle. That is the idea I would like to encourage you to consider—the Circle. How do we remain engaged? The Circle. How do we avoid professional burn out? The Circle. How do we attract new, vibrant, energetic people into our industry? The Circle. Not every arborist is a professional scientist. Not every arborist is able to attend industry meetings—small or large. Not every arborist has the resources to attend significant conferences—despite the importance of travel in expanding one’s viewpoints. Yet, each arborist receiving this publication has an opportunity to participate in the Circle.

What is that Circle? It’s seed-tree-seed. You were once a seed in the industry or perhaps you are a seed now. Then you grew. You grew strong roots, wide, well-spaced branches, and a full crown. Your arborist friends advised you when your bark was becoming included, helping to subordinate those bad habits and grow stronger. As your competency within the industry increased you became veteran tree. As most of us know, trees become reproductive at various ages depending on the tree family, even its genus. It may take a decade or more before a tree is capable of reproducing. That circle of life is not complete until the next generation has gone from seed to tree — back to producing seed—growing a new tree. The Circle. Who are the trees that are reproducing? Those that choose to become mentors. They are the trees that result in new, professional, competent arborists within our industry. Mentors appear in various ways; some appear naturally, fluidly, while others are more like Ailanthus altissima – a bit invasive, challenging, and not at all appreciated by everyone equally. Some mentors do not even know that they are in the Circle; they don’t even realize that they are mentors, others are obvious to many of us — think Kevin T Smith.

Being in the Circle means leaning in to share what you have learned with those around you. Teaching. Being in the Circle is volunteering at the State Fair in California or the Los Angeles Fairplex where the TreeCircus with Timmy Womick, Grayson Keating, and Chad Brey engage with young and old alike teaching “What Trees Give Us.” Being in the Circle is attending a seminar and returning back with new information that is shared with your co-workers and friends. Teaching. Being in the Circle is representing our industry at your child’s school, talking to children about your job, why its important, and how they too can climb trees for a living. Teaching. Being in the Circle is volunteering to participate on a committee and being willing to dedicate your knowledge and time to service on the Board of Directors. If you think you aren’t or can’t be in the Circle, you’re wrong.

Let me let you in on a secret. I am a neurodivergent introvert. I was happily living in obscurity doing my consulting and pesticide work when an associate suggested that I assume a vacant position on the Board of Directors as the Board Secretary. I was compelled (read: dragged) into service. I worked as Board Secretary for several years before being compelled (read: dragged) into running for the board. My thought was “Eh, I’ll run, lose, and then return to being secretary or fade back into the forest of obscurity.” Much to my surprise the industry elected me to the board! Now, several years in, I write to you as your incoming Board President! WHAT! I was pulled into the Circle. I was compelled. I was compelled to teach at the university. As an introvert being in the public eye challenges me every day. My mission, now, is to compel you to recognize your own place on the Circle, your own place in advancing our industry through mentoring, your own place in ensuring that our industry continues to move forward in science and professionalism. Why? Because we were all once seeds just trying to germinate. Little seeds that survived changing environmental conditions, undaunted, continuing to grow. Little seeds that developed into strong trees that now distribute their own seeds. Water the seeds. Even the introverts. Show up even when it feels scary, hard and foreign. Care for the new seeds so that they become the tree that is the inspiration to future arborists. Teach. Complete the Circle. Full Circle Arboriculture.  

If you don’t know where to start, ask me... the Introvert.

Tracey Takeuchi, President 2025-26