RECAP - CW 16/2025

This is your weekly summary of the Talking Trees podcast – exploring everything from microbiomes to medicine. Here's what we uncovered this week:

🌱 Monday 135 - Street Trees and Soil Microbiota
We opened the week underground, exploring how microbial life in the rhizosphere supports urban street trees. Bacteria, fungi, and endophytes form biochemical alliances that boost tree health, immunity, and resilience.

🧷 Tuesday 136 - Groundie
We celebrated the essential role of the ground worker in tree care. Groundies are the backbone of every crew, providing safety, support, and coordination on the ground. Inspired by Jeff Jepson's book, this episode is a tribute to skill and teamwork.

✂️ Wednesday 137 - Lightning and Trees
Midweek struck with energy as we examined lightning's impact on trees. From decay to habitat creation, we discussed how lightning shapes ecosystems and when arborists should install protection systems for vulnerable trees.

📋 Thursday 138 - Trees and Cancer
Could trees help prevent cancer? We explored emerging research linking green spaces to reduced cancer risk, including lower breast cancer rates in urban areas. Though evidence is still evolving, the episode makes a strong case for trees in public health.

✨ Friday 139 - International Society of Arboriculture = ISA
We highlighted ISA's century of dedication to tree care. From launching Arboriculture & Urban Forestry to advancing certification and research, ISA continues to lead global arboriculture into the future.

🐝 Saturday 140 - Trees Pharmacological
We closed the week by stepping into the world of medicinal trees. Discover how ash and white willow produce compounds with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects – and how sustainable use could shape future medicine.

From microbes to medicine, this week showed how trees touch every layer of life. Keep listening and growing with Talking Trees.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Talking Trees
• 1:56 Soil Microbiology: The Hidden Heroes
• 3:39 Groundy: Life as an Arborist
• 5:11 Lightning Protection for Trees
• 6:28 Green Spaces and Cancer Research
• 7:23 Arboriculture Journal's 50th Anniversary
• 8:06 Medicinal Properties of Trees
• 9:12 Call to Action and Closing

Transcript

Roger: 0:02

Talking Trees with Lillian Jadd. Welcome to Talking Trees, your weekly overview of the world of urban forestry and arboriculture. This week we bring you a rich tapestry of insights. On Monday, we explore the intricate bond between soil, urban trees and the hidden microorganisms that fuel growth and defense. Tuesday spotlights the role of the groundworker in arboriculture, inspired by Jeff Jepson's book Groundy, and reveals the daily challenges and rewards of working the land. Wednesday dives into lightning protection, from its surprising impact on tree evolution to practical strategies for safeguarding both nature and structures. Thursday examines the emerging link between green spaces and cancer, reviewing studies that highlight nature's potential influence on our health. Friday celebrates a milestone with the 50th anniversary of arboriculture and urban forestry and introduces the global network of the International Society of Arboriculture. And Saturday unveils the pharmaceutical promise of trees, exploring research on fraxinus and white willow for their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Join us as we uncover these diverse stories shaping the future of our urban forests. Welcome to Talking Trees of our urban forests. Welcome to Talking Trees.

Jad: 1:29

Welcome back to the Deep Dive. This week we are going to be looking at talking trees.

Lilly: 1:33

Okay, sounds good.

Jad: 1:34

And, as an arborist, I know your time is valuable. So we are going to be going through this week's episodes and picking out, like the the highlights yeah, the highlights, yeah, the important stuff that you need to know.

Jad: 1:44

So this week they covered everything from soil microbiology to lightning protection and even some new research on medicinal uses for trees. That's right. So it's a lot to cover, yeah, so let's jump right in. Okay, monday's episode really got down to earth, exploring the world of soil microbiology, and they talked all about the 2020 research of Miguel Anco Sierra Castellanos.

Lilly: 2:06

Right.

Jad: 2:07

And it's really easy to forget about what's going on beneath our feet.

Lilly: 2:12

Yeah, absolutely, especially in urban environments. You know we are dealing with compacted soil, pollution, all sorts of stuff that trees don't really face in their natural habitats.

Jad: 2:21

Yeah, and you know, what he found was that those little microbes living in the soil bacteria, fungi, the whole crew, all of them. They're essential for tree health. They're like the unsung heroes. Yeah, they aid in nutrient uptake, disease resistance.

Lilly: 2:36

Help them deal with stress. Yeah, it's pretty amazing.

Jad: 2:38

And it really is like a symbiotic relationship.

Lilly: 2:46

The trees provide the home and the nutrients for the microbes and the microbes.

Jad: 2:48

Help the trees thrive. Help the trees thrive.

Lilly: 2:50

Exactly yeah, and as arborists working in urban settings, it's like.

Jad: 2:53

It's like a secret weapon.

Lilly: 2:54

Yeah, like this whole world that we can tap into. Yeah, for sure.

Jad: 2:57

Yeah, so it's not just about picking the right tree, it's also about fostering that healthy foundation.

Lilly: 3:03

Yeah, the right environment.

Jad: 3:05

So that makes me wonder is there any way to assess soil health in the field without running expensive lab tests?

Lilly: 3:14

That's a good question.

Jad: 3:15

Because you can't be doing that all the time. Yeah, you can.

Lilly: 3:17

Yeah, no, can't be doing that all the time, but there are a few things that you can look for.

Jad: 3:21

OK.

Lilly: 3:21

Like you know. Look at the soil structure. Is it crumbly, Is it loose, Is it compacted? Yeah, it's really compacted and dense.

Jad: 3:28

Oh, okay.

Lilly: 3:29

You can also look for, you know, earthworms, beneficial insects.

Jad: 3:33

Right.

Lilly: 3:33

Those are all good signs.

Jad: 3:35

Good indicators, yeah, okay, so keep an eye out for that on the next site visit, for sure. Speaking of getting our hands dirty, tuesday's episode was all about Jeff Jepson's book.

Lilly: 3:45

Groundy. Oh yeah, I love that book.

Jad: 3:47

I will admit I laughed a few times listening to this one.

Lilly: 3:50

Yeah.

Jad: 3:51

It brought back some memories of my early days as a groundy.

Lilly: 3:54

It's a rite of passage? Oh yeah, for sure, I think, for a lot of arborists.

Jad: 3:58

Yeah, and it does a really good job of capturing the essence of that experience.

Lilly: 4:01

Totally the camaraderie, the hard work, the satisfaction of getting the job done.

Jad: 4:06

Yeah, and it doesn't matter what you're doing that day. If you're hauling logs, if you're chipping branches, you feel good at the end of the day.

Lilly: 4:12

Tired, but yeah.

Jad: 4:14

Yeah, Exactly, you feel accomplished and you know anyone thinking about becoming an arborist.

Lilly: 4:19

Yeah.

Jad: 4:20

Should read this book.

Lilly: 4:21

They should. It's a must read.

Jad: 4:23

Because it's a realistic look at what the job is actually like.

Lilly: 4:26

It really is.

Jad: 4:27

Both the good and the bad. Yeah, and you know he also talks about a lot of the practical skills.

Lilly: 4:31

Yeah.

Jad: 4:32

Like not tying safe chainsaw operation essential stuff, yeah, the basics. Yeah, and the safety.

Lilly: 4:37

Yeah, you know yeah.

Jad: 4:38

Which is so important, huge, but he doesn't just like preach it at you, right, it's part of the story, so it's much more engaging.

Lilly: 4:46

It is, and he's got those other books, the one on tree felling.

Jad: 4:49

Yeah.

Lilly: 4:49

And the one on knots.

Jad: 4:50

Yeah, have you read those?

Lilly: 4:51

I have. I have. They're out of print right now, which is a shame.

Jad: 4:54

Oh, that is a shame.

Lilly: 4:55

Because they're considered classics.

Jad: 4:57

I've heard that.

Lilly: 4:57

Yeah, so hopefully they'll reprint them at some point because Okay.

Jad: 5:05

So Wednesday's episode got a little bit dramatic, A little bit Talk about lightning protection.

Lilly: 5:09

Right.

Jad: 5:09

And I think we can all agree, this is so important. It is when you think about the damage a lightning strike can inflict not only on a tree, but on structures and people.

Lilly: 5:18

Yeah, nearby. Yeah, it's a big deal yeah.

Jad: 5:21

And what was interesting about this is they presented like two contrasting views. They did, but doesn't really help me protect my client's oak tree from lightning strikes. Yeah, you need something a little more practical. Yeah, so then they shifted to a practical discussion. Okay, and they looked at guidelines for assessing the lightning risk. Okay, and implementing some preventative measures. Like, what kind of stuff are we talking about? Well, they talked about the different types of lightning protection systems grounding techniques, even pointing strategies to help reduce the risk of a strike.

Lilly: 6:12

Okay. So even if you can't install a full-blown system, there are things you can do to minimize the risk. That's good to know.

Jad: 6:19

So Wednesday's episode was a lot of good information there.

Lilly: 6:21

Yeah, for sure.

Jad: 6:22

Thursday's episode was really interesting, talking about the connection between green spaces and cancer risk.

Lilly: 6:28

Oh, wow.

Jad: 6:29

Which is a really big topic, right?

Lilly: 6:31

now yeah, especially in public health. Yeah, exactly yeah.

Jad: 6:34

And they featured two studies.

Lilly: 6:35

Okay.

Jad: 6:36

One was a Spanish study that looked specifically at breast cancer Okay and proximity to green spaces Interesting and the other one was a 2022 systematic review.

Lilly: 6:45

Okay.

Jad: 6:46

That looked at the impact of green spaces on a variety of different cancers.

Lilly: 6:49

Okay, so broader.

Jad: 6:51

Yeah, much broader approach and variety of different cancers. Okay so broader. Yeah, much broader approach and it's all still really ongoing, yeah, but I think it highlights the potential of trees to contribute to human health.

Lilly: 6:59

Yeah.

Jad: 7:00

In ways that we haven't really considered before.

Lilly: 7:02

That's amazing, really cool.

Jad: 7:04

It's not just about aesthetics and air quality anymore it's.

Lilly: 7:08

It could be about health.

Jad: 7:09

Yeah, it could be about public health. So let's celebrate a milestone. Friday's episode marked the 50th anniversary of the Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Journal.

Lilly: 7:19

Wow, 50 years.

Jad: 7:20

That's amazing, big one.

Lilly: 7:22

Huge.

Jad: 7:23

Yeah.

Lilly: 7:23

Yeah, what a publication.

Jad: 7:25

And it's gone through a lot of changes, wouldn't you say?

Lilly: 7:27

Absolutely. It's evolved right along with the field itself.

Jad: 7:30

Yeah, and one of the biggest changes has been the shift to open access.

Lilly: 7:35

Yeah, that's huge for making that information accessible Exactly To everybody.

Jad: 7:39

So arborists around the world who may not have been able to access that information before.

Lilly: 7:43

Right Students, researchers.

Jad: 7:44

Yeah.

Lilly: 7:44

Like anyone can get access to that now.

Jad: 7:46

That's fantastic. And, of course, you know we've got to acknowledge the International Society of Arboriculture. Of course, the ISA, the ISA, yeah, they're the ones behind the journal, yeah.

Lilly: 7:56

And they do so much for the field of arboriculture. It's unbelievable.

Jad: 8:00

Well said, yeah Okay. Saturday's episode we went on a deep dive into the potential medicinal properties of trees.

Lilly: 8:06

Oh, now we're talking, right. I love this stuff.

Jad: 8:08

So we always focus on the ecological benefits.

Lilly: 8:11

Right.

Jad: 8:11

And the aesthetic benefits Of course, yeah. But they also have this long history of being used in medicine.

Lilly: 8:17

Yeah, intradenal medicine.

Jad: 8:19

Yeah, and modern crisis started to back that up.

Lilly: 8:22

Yeah, and figure out why.

Jad: 8:24

Exactly.

Lilly: 8:25

What are the actual compounds that are responsible for these effects?

Jad: 8:29

And they focused on fraxinus.

Lilly: 8:31

Ash.

Jad: 8:31

Ash and salix alba.

Lilly: 8:33

White willow.

Jad: 8:34

White willow. So the freshness research was interesting.

Lilly: 8:36

Yeah, what did they find?

Jad: 8:38

They found that it has compounds that could be anti-cancer.

Lilly: 8:42

Wow.

Jad: 8:43

Anti-inflammatory.

Lilly: 8:44

Really.

Jad: 8:45

Antioxidant effects.

Lilly: 8:46

Oh my gosh, so many things.

Jad: 8:49

Right.

Lilly: 8:49

That's incredible.

Jad: 8:50

A tree that we see every day.

Lilly: 8:51

Yeah.

Jad: 8:52

Could be the key to fighting diseases.

Lilly: 8:53

That blows my mind.

Jad: 8:55

I know Right.

Lilly: 8:55

Yeah, that's so cool, it's pretty wild. I'm curious like how, how do they, how do they even study this stuff?

Jad: 9:00

Yeah, that's a good question.

Lilly: 9:02

Like how do they know?

Jad: 9:03

I don't really know anything about the chemical composition of trees.

Lilly: 9:06

Right, it's like how do you even start with something like that?

Jad: 9:08

The whole other world.

Lilly: 9:09

It is.

Jad: 9:09

But that's something I'd like to learn more about.

Lilly: 9:11

Yeah, me too actually.

Jad: 9:12

So, as we wrap up this deep dive, I want to challenge our listeners to take action. Okay, I like it what resonated with you the most from this week's episodes.

Lilly: 9:20

Yeah, what are you going to do differently?

Jad: 9:22

Exactly. Maybe it's trying a new pruning technique or conducting a soil test, or even just taking a few minutes to really appreciate the beauty of a tree.

Lilly: 9:31

Yeah, just that simple act of observation.

Jad: 9:33

So let's go out there and be advocates for trees, share our knowledge, our passion and our commitment to protecting them.

Lilly: 9:39

Well said.

Jad: 9:40

Thanks for joining us and until next time. Happy tree climbing.

Roger: 9:48

Thank you for joining us on this week's Talking Trees journey. If you enjoyed our exploration of soil, urban trees, lightning protection, health and the pharmaceutical promise of nature, be sure to subscribe to the full episodes at wwwheroherocom. Stay curious and keep exploring Until next time.