Don Blair
began
climbing trees for a living in 1971 with The M.F. Blair Tree Experts, his
father's company, which was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1922. Don took
on the management of the company in 1975 and was active as a
residential/commercial contractor and consulting arborist through 1988.
Don is the sole proprietor of the Sierra Moreno Mercantile Company, an
arborist equipment, research and development firm. For his company, Don
has designed and developed products and techniques that are in use throughout
the tree care profession. Don has also been widely sought as a classroom
instructor and field trainer in such areas as rigging for removal, hazard tree
evaluation, pruning, large-scale tree climbing, cabling and bracing, and aerial
rescue.
Francesco Ferrini - PhD -
Full
Professor of Arboriculture at the Department of Agri-Food and Environmental
Sciences – University of Florence (Italy).
Research Interests:
-
Effect of water stress on
growth performance and physiology of urban trees
-
S
ustainable
urban of forestry (using compost to enhance organic matter content in the
soil and to improve tree growth performance
-
Planning the green city in the global change era: urban
tree functions and suitability for predicted future climates.
Francesco is a member of the ISA
Board, Past-President of the Italian Society of Arboriculture – ISA Italian
Chapter from February 2005 to February 2011, Senior Editor or Advances in
Horticultural Sciences, Associate Editor of Arboriculture & Urban Forestry,
m ember of the Editorial Board of Urban Forest & Urban Greening
From 1990 he has published more than
200 scientific and technical papers in international referred and
nationwide journals. He has given more than 100 talks in several international
and national congresses. He cares the Facebook page “Arboriculture and
Urban Forestry” and he is in the committee of the webmagazine aboutplants.eu In
2010 he has been the recipient of L.C. Chadwick Award for Arboricultural
Research Recipient
Robert W. Miller
is Emeritus Professor of Urban Forestry from the University of Wisconsin –
Stevens Point (UWSP). During his 29 years at UWSP he developed the
curriculum and supporting courses for their Urban Forestry Program.
Miller has published numerous papers in professional and scientific journals
and is the author of the book “Urban Forestry: Planning and Managing Urban
Greenspaces.” Miller, Dr. Richard Hauer and Dr. Les Werner from UWSP recently
completed a third edition of the book. Miller holds a BS and MS in
Forestry from West Virginia University and a PhD in Forestry from the
University of Massachusetts. Miller retired from the University in 2002
and currently resides in Oriental, NC. Currently Miller is chair of the
Oriental Tree Board, member of the North Carolina Urban Forest Council Board,
member of the Science and Technology Committee for the Albemarle-Pamlico
National Estuary Program, and a part time urban forestry and arboriculture
consultant
Gary Watson
joined the Morton Arboretum in 1986 and is currently a
Senior Research Scientist and Head of Research. His primary research interest
is in understanding how to maintain a healthy balance between the crown and the
root system of trees on difficult landscape sites. Gary is also Editor-in-Chief or Arboriculture
and Urban Forestry,
organizer of The
Landscape Below Ground Conferences and Editor of the Conference Proceedings,
and author of The Practical Science of Planting Trees.
Colin Bashford
has worked tirelessly for ISA since he joined in 1992. He has 13 years of
service with a near perfect attendance record to the ISA Board as the UK/I
Chapter Board Director. For the past two years he has served as ISA President.
Over the years, Colin has served on nine ISA committees
including finance, search and organizational review. He is also an Honorary
Life Member, Board Director, Past President and Executive Director of the UK/I
Chapter of ISA, and Executive Committee Member, Chairman and Administrator of
ISA (Europe) Ltd.
With more than 40 years in the arboricultural profession,
Colin was honored by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for his work with trees and was
invested at Buckingham Palace as a Member of the British Empire.
He has gained extensive tree
experience with a large private/royal estate, municipal authorities at town and
state levels, and with federal government. He has owned a leading UK
arboricultural consultancy practice for the past 20 years with clients from the
United Kingdom, Europe, Hong Kong and Lebanon.
Colin’s roles and his work with ISA,
the UK Arboricultural Association, the British Standards Institute, and as past
Chair of Governors at Merrist Wood College have given him a strong, continuing
interest in all tree matters. His interest in arboriculture is strengthened by
his work as a Registered Arboricultural consultant, and as an accredited expert
witness.