It was with profound sadness I learned of the passing of my dear friend and mentor Joseph Schneider, co-founder and owner of Pacific Tree Care in Calistoga, California. For those that knew Joey, you can wad this article up and chuck in the garbage can. For those that never met the man, well, you missed out. He was a tree’s best friend as well. Joe taught me everything important about trees, and then some. His eager willingness to educate and inspire was without peer…
Besides being intuitive to detail, he had a way of relating that gift to anyone that would listen. His mission in life was to teach, and some would say, preach.
The “tree preacher” extraordinaire! If you saw him just walking down the sidewalk, you would never guess. If you called him for a consultation about your tree or forest, you would NEVER look at a tree the same way again…
When you call me to look at your tree, it is not me talking, it is Joe…
I was fortunate to have had him take me under his wing, and I try to repay the world of trees for that gift. The only time he didn’t have an answer to the hundreds of questions I had for him will have to go unanswered for the rest of time.
He single handedly upped the bar for tree care worldwide. He taught so many the importance of “touching trees.”
He is responsible for the success of many of the best arborists on the planet.
The trees of the world will never be the same with the passing of Joe, but then again, the trees he touched will never be the same either.
Tree care has many facets. There is a mechanical facet to trees, and sadly, some arborists never made it past that stage. Until they met Joe.
He could have just kept it all to himself and rode the wave, but he happened to be the most selfless guy you could ever meet.
He built a comradery to arboriculture, and all of us are genuinely and forever grateful. Joe wasn’t particularly religious, but he was devoutly spiritual, and this is, in my opinion, the essence of understanding the basic needs of trees.
I once asked Joe why does the failure rate of trees plummet when the canopy just barely and gently touches the ground. “Because they are grounded,” he answered. You know what? Until someone comes up with a better answer, I’m just gonna go with that.
Joe was important.
As always, plant high and often.
