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Keeping Science
By Kim Coder, ISA President-Elect
There is a crisis of science occurring. Do you keep
science in your professional practice?
Throughout history, innovations have ushered in revolutions and positive
changes. A mechanism for innovation is science--a practice of skepticism, testing, and
discarding of myth. Myths do not have to be old. We are surrounded by myth. Science helps
provide the discipline for identifying myth.
More than 75 years ago at the founding of ISA, the shared insights of the
members helped each be a better professional. Scientific discoveries helped propel tree
care and improved the quality of life for trees and professional tree care providers. The
old traditions were held up to clear view as damaging, short-sighted, or not biologically
effective--in other words, tree illiterate.
Over the years, ISA has cultivated science to better serve the profession and
the trees. ISA helped slay the many untruths and misconceptions about how trees work.
Science, however, does not age gracefully. Scientific discoveries are soon corrected,
modified, or debunked. Knowledge that everybody absolutely knew was "correct" often becomes
the sign of an "ignorant old-timer."
We all have heard the harsh words and felt the professional shock about some
old technique that most practitioners discarded decades before. Outdated ideas are ridiculed
along with the holders of these ideas. As time progresses, science marches on, and concepts
and changes evolve. We celebrate cutting-edge technology and venerate new science guides,
until they too must be discarded.
Our jobs require us to continue to search out new answers. Professionals can
never be satisfied with standard answers, especially when such answers do not cover all the
results we see across the landscape. It is easy to become more short-sighted with time. We
may see this as being pragmatic, smart, wise, or efficient. Actually, as we age
professionally, we can slip into a swamp of old wives' and husbands' tales, myths,
traditions, antiquated policies, and comfortable solutions from which we might not escape.
To keep from being drowned by the past, we must embrace the future.
Science is both the product and method for maintaining our profession. We
discard things shown not to work, and we pick up techniques and products that have been
proved to work. But science is not a democracy. Ideas held by the most people are not
necessarily correct. Being part of a professional mob does not mean you are right. The
farther from science you travel, the easier prey you become for believing snake oil and
silver bullets will help trees. The science of how trees and their sites function must be
part of your professionalism--otherwise everything is magic! If you do not understand the
principles of what you do, then you perform illusions and trust the trees to perform well.
Are you a sorcerer or a scientist--a medieval alchemist or a modern
arborist?
In some trades, innovative thinkers are shunned and considered threatening. Are
you threatened by new ideas? Is science just a marketing tool? Professionals know changes
will occur in their professions and will continue to better themselves against the darkness
of ignorance. Suggestions: Old and new science should always be suspect. Fully trust no
expert. Do not expect to see full results of any treatment in a season--regardless of what
we want, trees are not agronomic annuals. Treat causes, not symptoms. It's not about money
but about facts. Invest in your own education (you're worth it!). Keep science as a weapon.
And finally, enlist to help other professionals, clients, and the public win the battle of
understanding trees and tree care--a science that is cloaked in easy myths and comfortable
traditions.
We are better than we have ever been; we will be better tomorrow. Science must
be our guide, so keep science close.
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International Society of Arboriculture
