MAA Member Spotlight
In this spring issue , we catch up with Deborah Howe , longtime MAA member , arborist , landscape architect and allaround tree enthusiast . Deb will be moderating the Innovation , Technology , and the Future of Tree Care seminar at ArborEXPO later this month . Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us , Deb !
How old were you when you decided you wanted to work in tree care ? I was in my early thirties when I started practicing landscape architecture , my primary profession . I had worked in nurseries from high school through grad school , mostly with shrubs , annuals , and perennials . Woody Plants , taught by Bob Mower , was my favorite course at Cornell . I wanted to learn more about trees , one of the primary elements in most well-designed landscapes . Joe Camilliere ’ s Arboriculture class at the Arnold Arboretum fed my interest . I went on to get my ISA certification and then my ISA TRAQ certification .
What was your first paying job in the tree care industry ? I was Wellesley College PM for Carol R . Johnson Associates in the mid-90s , and had an interesting set of problems to solve . I made a number of tree-safety decisions , had to figure out how to deal with a former lawn that had been invaded by a black locust colony , and for one project , I tagged three American elms for planting along College Drive . It was a risk , and the College removed one after a few years , but the remaining two have grown beautifully and are thriving today . Selecting three juvenile trees with good structure was a challenge ; American elms were then rare in the nursery industry , so I had to “ ungrow ” a mature elm in my mind to figure out what to look for at the smalltown nursery that sold us the trees .
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work ? Carl Cathcart , Matt Foti , Mike Furgal , and Scott McPhee have been so generous with their time and expertise . Henry Davis was a treasured mentor ; his travels in Europe especially gave him a breadth of tree knowledge that he brought to all his work , and he was kind enough to share lessons from his long experience with trees even after he had retired and moved to the Pacific Northwest .
What energizes you at work ? Having an idea for a space , showing it in two-dimensional drawings , and then working with the landscape contractor
Deborah Howe , ASLA , ISA Principal Lighthall Company , Inc ., Lincoln MA
and arborist crew to pop those drawings into a threedimensional space that feels vibrant , alive , and welcoming . I have been fortunate to have had a lot of good , receptive clients , too . Working with an engaged client can really make a project !
Favorite thing to teach ? Whenever possible , I teach my clients about the plants on their property and give them tutorials on shrub pruning . Sharing the science of how woody plants respond to pruning cuts and showing clients how to make some cuts themselves ( on forgiving shrubs ) gives them a firmer connection with their own landscapes , and I hope fosters greater respect in them for the plant world .
What ’ s your favorite plant or tree ? Why ? Tough question – I have so many ! I love seeing a tree thriving in its best situation and living into its best habit . I like oaks for their great durability , willows for their resilience , sassafras for their charm , hemlocks for their majesty , American elms for their grace , and yews for their overall toughness and patience with human intervention . The list goes on .
What ’ s something you ’ re good at that most people wouldn ’ t know ? I ’ m a good sailor . There ’ s nothing like balancing a boat between wind and water and going somewhere fast without a motor .
Best book you ever read ? Most memorable fiction : I read Moby Dick while sailing on a research schooner in the Gulf of Maine . Most memorable tree-focused books : Sprout Lands , by William Bryant Logan and Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard .
( continued on p . 15 )
SPRING 2023 MAA NEWS 13