The Municipal Arborist
Episodes
61 - Eric Petersen- ArboRisk
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Petersen has been helping great tree care companies become extraordinary for over 20 years. Using ArboRisk’s exclusive risk management approach...
60 - Dennis Fallon - Utility Arborist Association
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fallon is a Utility Arborist and Executive Director of the Utility Arborist Association. Prior to his current role he was responsible for leading vege...
59 - Dylan Daisuke Loy Saito - City of Portland, Oregon
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan Daisuke Loy Saito is from Portland, OR & Vancouver, WA and is a PNW-ISA Member (former Editor-in-chief), ISA Certified Arborist & TRAQ q...
58 - Colette Copic - Chicago Region Trees Initiative/Morton Arboretum
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the Chicago Region Trees Initiative Manager at The Morton Arboretum, Colette Copic stewards national and state funding opportunities for healthier ...
57 - Casey Jogerst - City of Portland, Oregon
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Casey Jogerst is the Permitting and Regulation Manager for the Urban Forestry Division in the Parks and Recreation Bureau at the City of Portland, OR....
56 - Paul Filary - Kramer Tree Specialists
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Filary is the Director of Operations for Kramer Tree Specialists and is the Commercial Director for the Illinois Arborist Association. Paul holds...
55 - Randy Krouse - City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Randy Krouse has been the Urban Forestry Services Manager for the City of Milwaukee since 2019. He is responsible for directing forestry operations, w...
54 - Nathan Schuettpelz - Wachtel Tree Science
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan Schuettpelz is an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist, ASCA Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualified, ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist, an...
53 - Ian Brown - City of Madison, Wisconsin
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ian Brown is the City Forester for the City of Madison. He joined Madison in 2023 after over 15 years with the City of Milwaukee. He has worked on...
52 - What Has Been Going On?
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I provide some updates on what I have been up to working with the:Illinois Arborist Association International Society of Arboriculture...
51 - Steve Lane - Great Lakes Urban Forestry
25 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Steve Lane joins us again! Steve is an Urban Forestry Consultant with Great Lakes Urban Forestry management where he specializes in GIS based tree s...
50 - Protect Our Urban Forests
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This special episode features a few of my favorite friends and colleagues including Village Forester Kevin Sorby from Wilmette, Illinois and Streets S...
49 - Michael Collins - Village of Riverside, Illinois
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Collins has been Riverside's Village Forester for 19 years. Prior to his arrival there, he worked at Cantigny Gardens as a Grounds Arbori...
48 - Kellie Schmidt - Illinois Landscape Contractors Association
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kellie Schmidt is the Statewide Director of Development for the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, maintaining an office in Springfield, IL. ...
47 - Derek, The Chocolate Botanist
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Following in the footsteps of notable black plant researchers and scientists like George Washington Carver and Percy Julian is no easy task, but Derek...
46 - Aaron Schulz - Oak Bros Tree Care & Removal
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron Schulz is the Plant Health Care Director & Consulting Arborist at Oak Bros Tree Care & Removal. He has a B.S. in Agricultural Science ...
45 - Welcome to 2024 featuring Rylan & Lilly
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This lighthearted introduction to 2024 features my two kids!_________________________________________________________________________Patreon: http://p...
44 - Leslie Berckes - Urban & Community Forestry Society
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leslie Berckes is the Executive Director of the Urban and Community Forestry Society (formerly the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA). The UCFS is t...
43 - Jason Cutler - Arbor Cutler, LLC
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Cutler developed a love for trees at an early age. As a freshman in high school, he was invited to be a part of a Forestry Career Development Ev...
42 - Miguel Reyes - City of Des Plaines & Migarey Tree Corp.
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Miguel Reyes is an ISA Certified Arborist and TRAQ qualified & has also completed the Illinois Arborist Association (IAA)Â Advanced Training Doma...
41 - Melissa Custic - Chicago Region Trees Initiative
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Custic manages operations for the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI)—a collaboration of regional partners working together to improve th...
40 - Scott Grams - Illinois Landscape Contractors Association
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Grams has served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) since 2008. ILCA is the leading non-profit t...
39 - Stephanie Adams, Ph.D, BCMA - The Morton Arboretum
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Stephanie Adams is a Tree Pathologist and an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist who serves as the Plant Health Care Leader at the Morton Arboretu...
38 - Aaron Schauer - Gateway Technical College
16 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron has been a practicing arborist for over 20 years. He began his career completing his BS in Urban Forestry from UW-Stevens Point. After grad...
37 - Jim Flott - Community Forestry Consultants
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Flott is President of Community Forestry Consultants, Inc. (CFC). CFC providesTreeWorksâ„¢ tree management software; inventories and appraisals; m...
36 - John Wayne Farber - Hoppe Tree Service
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Wayne Farber is the Director of Operations for Hoppe Tree Service, is a Board Certified Master Arborist, a TCIA Tree Care Safety Professional (CT...
35 - Frank Calvello
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Frank is the Village Forester for the Village of Schaumburg, Illinois though when we recorded this he was with the City of Berwyn, Illinois. Frank has...
34 - Steve Ludwig
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Steve was the first guest ever on the show and I am so glad to have him back for another discussion! Though he has retired from his previous role as t...
33 - Brandon Dobnick - Vertical Services Tree Care Professionals
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brandon Dobnick is a Certified Arborist, CTSP, and a 13 year veteran to thearboriculture world. He is a production arborist through and through where ...
32 - Beau Nagan - Cantigny Park
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode’s guest is Beau Nagan who has worked in the tree care industry for over 20 years. He has two associate degrees from Juliet Junior Colle...
31- Decoding Municipal Ordinances Q&A
14 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I answer questions that were submitted during webinars hosted by PlanIt Geo titled "Decode Municipal Tree Ordinances" where ...
30 - Kelly Bougher
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kelly Bougher is a Certified Arborist with a background in conservation and natural resource management. Her appreciation of the natural world paired ...
29 - Robyn Flakne - Village of Glenview, Illinois
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since 2000, Robyn Flakne has been the Natural Resources Manager for the Village of Glenview. The position has allowed her to be involved with restorin...
28 - Robert Hendricksen - R.W. Hendricksen Tree Care (Part 2)
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2: Bob has been working with R.W. Hendricksen Tree Care since he was able to use a rake and follow his dad around on the job. His dad and uncle...
27- Norm Hall
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Norm shares with us a few stories from his lifetime career in the tree care industry . He is a climbing arborist, a passionate educator, volunteer, ...
26 - Robert Hendricksen - R.W. Hendricksen Tree Care (Part 1)
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bob has been working with R.W. Hendricksen Tree Care since he was able to use a rake and follow his dad around on the job. His dad and uncle started...
25 - Tricia Bethke - The Morton Arboretum
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tricia conducts statewide outreach and training on invasive forest pests in Illinois. This includes identifying and training key stakeholders about in...
24 - Dan O'Brien - Russo Power Equipment
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dan O'Brien is a Certified Arborist, the Arbor Supply Supervisor with Russo Power Equipment and the Vice President at the Illinois Arborist Assoc...
23 - John Paul McDonell -SavATree
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
John Paul McDonell is a Consulting Arborist with SavATree and shares with us his journey from municipal forestry to the private side and everything in...
22 - Elizabeth Schulte - PlanIt Geo
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Schulte is the guest on Episode 22! Elizabeth is the Marketing Director of PanIt Geo and she was a pleasure to talk to.Questions or commen...
21 - Scott Jamieson - Bartlett Tree Experts
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Episode21 of The Municipal Arborist features Scott Jamieson!Scott Jamieson is the Vice President of Community Business Partnerships and Midwest Divisi...
20 - Joseph McCarthy - City of Chicago
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I am proud to have Joe McCarthy on as the guest of this episode!  Joe McCarthy is a Senior City Forester with the City of Chicago Bureau of Forestr...
19 - Lee Mueller - Davey Resource Group
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Municipal Arborist is with Lee Mueller from Davey Resource Group and we discuss a wide range of topics including his path in urban...
18 - Arbor Day Special with Fan Mail!
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode I talk about Arbor Day, Tree City, USA and how we educate the public daily in ways many people wouldn't immediately imagine...
17 - Bob Burdick - Aspen Fuels
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Todays episode is with Bob Burdick the Director of Business Development with Aspen USA, Inc. Bob has 35 years in the outdoor power equipment industr...
16 - Scott Altenhoff - City of Eugene, Oregon
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I sit down with Scott Altenhoff and we discuss how construction impacts trees and the politics sometimes involved with it. We al...
15 - Casey Selner - Arbsession
27 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I sit down with Casey Selner from Arbsession and Selner Tree & Shrub Care! I also announce the winners of our Instagram contest!...
14 - August Hoppe - Hoppe Tree Service
12 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to this episodes sponsors:https://planitgeo.com/Municipal-Arborist-Podcasthttps://www.aspenfuels.us/Today I sit down with August Hoppe from Hop...
13 - Matt Koepnick - City of Racine, Wisconsin
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to this episodes sponsor: https://planitgeo.com/Municipal-Arborist-PodcastIt's episode lucky number 13 and I sat down with Matt Koepnick w...
12 - Todd Kramer - Kramer Tree Specialists
13 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to this episodes sponsor: https://planitgeo.com/Municipal-Arborist-PodcastFor the 12th episode I sit down with Todd Kramer from Kramer Tree S...
11 - Daniel Miraval - Green Extraction Technologies
23 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to our sponsor:Â https://planitgeo.com/Municipal-Arborist-PodcastIn this episode I sat down with Daniel Miraval of Green Extraction Technologi...
10- Ian Hanou - PlanIt Geo
01 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I sat down with Ian Hanou the founder and CEO of PlanIt Geo in a hotel room in Louisville, Kentucky.  We discussed GIS technolog...
9 - Eric Petersen - ArboRisk
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we sit down with Eric Petersen the founder and President of ArboRisk. We discuss insurance for tree care companies, building compani...
8 - Steve Lane - Graf Tree Care/Great Lakes Urban Forestry
19 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss public speaking, the use of technology in tree care, potential liability issues, ordinances, resident issues and other arbo...
7 - Zac King - Graf Tree Care/Great Lakes Urban Forestry
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Zac King and I discuss tree decline, planting and selection, identification, GIS technology, tree inventories and how how he got here....
6 - Elected Officials & Urban Forestry
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss what it can be like working with elected officials on urban forestry issues. We will discuss tree preservation ordinance ...
5 - Peggy Drescher - Education & Safety In Arboriculture
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Peggy Drescher is the guest on our 5th episode of The Municipal Arborist! Peggy has been in the industry for a few decades and has experienced a lot...
3 - Nick Kuhn - Being the First Arborist in a City....Twice
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features Nick Kuhn who is the Operations Manager at the Forest Preserve District of Cook County located in Illinois. Nick is a man who ...
2 - Steve Ludwig - Creating Success
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we have Steve Ludwig who is a Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Arborist and Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist. He is...
Episode 1 - An Introduction
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the introduction episode of The Municipal Arborist. As you can imagine, this will be a brief introduction into who I am and what I am try...