Adkins Named True Professional of Arboriculture

Richard Adkins (‘84 B.S. in forestry), forestry supervisor for the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, has been named one of seven “True Professionals of Arboriculture” for 2011 by the International Society of Arboriculture. The True Professional recognition program honors arborists and tree care professionals for their positive impacts on the industry in and around their communities.

Adkins is credited with established a memorandum of understanding that designates how Phoenix’s city and utility crews share the responsibility for removing and replacing trees near power lines. His Right Tree in the Right Place initiative helps homeowners choose the right tree for the desert climate and avoid future utility line conflicts. Adkins’ Tree Care Academy and Brown Bag Lunch presentations educate city employees on how to properly manage the urban canopy. “The importance of managing trees and the urban forest resource for the economic, environmental, and social well-being of our cities is often not clearly understood by both city administrators and the public,” Adkins explained. “Trees are an important design tool for the sustainability of our urban environments. I try to teach and reiterate this point daily.” Adkins also conceived the Shade Phoenix 2030 Master Plan, a program designed to help the city become a role model in tree and shade management.