Did you know that the combination of trees and power lines account for roughly 30% of all power outages? Yeah, that is a lot. Power companies like Portland General Electric do a lot to try to minimize outages from trees. They keep tabs on...
Although we’ve got a pretty solid idea of how Americans and Oregonians like to celebrate the season, Christmas is celebrated in a slew of different ways around the world, many with fascinating Christmas tree traditions. Here’s the...
Well before Christianity, the holiday known as Christmas or Christmas trees were things, people used evergreens as winter decorations. Many believed that boughs of evergreens hung above doorways could prevent witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and...
Last week, after an epic wind storm hit the gorge, Interstate 84 in Oregon was shut down and 3 people were killed in Washington as a result of fallen trees. Most were caught by surprise, and it was a good reminder that it is always better to...
Some love to deck the halls and the yard with holiday lights! Others do it out of guilt, and others simply to please a spouse. No matter what the reason you find yourself wanting to know more about how to light up your yard for the holidays...
The Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905 put Portland on the map and opened the door to a lot of new things for the city. The expo even started the ongoing trend of everyone and their brother moving to Portland. There was a huge surge of...
Halloween may be over, but don’t put your chainsaws down just yet! Chainsaws are a fascinating bit of machinery that have transformed the timber and construction industries. Heed my advice and read the rest of this post to learn some factoids...
Ever wonder why the guy pruning the tree in the backyard looks like inspector gadget? Well, frankly speaking, it is because being an arborist requires a lot of specialized tools. Just like a rock climber wouldn’t ascend a cliff face without...
Today we answer a life’s persistent questions – Why is a 2×4 not actually 2″x4″? This is enough mystery to drive some people up a wall, but today we’ll shed a little light on just how this conundrum came about. That...
Are you ready for this? Oregon timber is a HUGE part of our economy and has been from the day anyone knew the word “Oregon”. The first sawmill was built in 1827 followed by our first shipment of timber to China in 1833. Oregon is the 9th...
With hundreds of species of birds in the pacific northwest and millions of individual birds it’s easy to imagine that tree friendly neighborhoods like the ones found all over Portland would be home to diverse groups of birds. That is simply...
It’s undeniable: Portlanders love their trees. They add beauty and value to a home that can take years to come to fruition. Of course, with mature trees also comes potential hazards if they are not properly trimmed and cared for as they grow...
