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EPISODE OF LABOR OF LOVE.TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE AN ARBORIST.
WE'RE OUT AT THE NATURE AND RETREAT CENTER WITH MARK BALDWIN PLANOS, URBAN FORESTER.
HE'S THE ONE HELPING GUIDE HOW PLANO CARES FOR ITS TREES.
NOW AND FOR THE LONG HAUL, WE'RE GONNA PRUNE ON THIS TREE.
I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO PRUNE CORRECTLY.
BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DO NOT PRUNE CORRECTLY.
HOW HARD WAS THAT? IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT, BUT I'M ALSO WEAK
RIGHT AWAY, I'M FINDING OUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TECHNIQUE INVOLVED.
YOU WANNA TRY TO CUT ONE MORE? IS IT LIKE THIS ONE? YES.
LIKE IF YOU WERE GONNA CUT MY FINGER OFF, YOU WOULD GO STRAIGHT ACROSS FINGER.
TAKE THIS BRANCH WITH YOUR OTHER HAND AND PULL IT TOWARDS YOU.
DO YOU THINK I HAVE GRIP STRENGTH IN MY LEFT IF I BARELY HAVE ANY IN MY RIGHT NOW? SWITCH IT.
FEEL HOW EASY? MUCH EASIER IT IS WHEN YOU PULL ON IT.
AS AN ARBORIST, YOU'RE PROTECTING ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST VALUABLE NATURAL ASSETS.
RIGHT? SO REALLY PRUNING,
THEN WE MOVED ON TO THE HAND SAW AND THAT'S WHERE IT REALLY STARTED TO FEEL LIKE WORK.
IT'S HARD, RIGHT? IS THERE A TECHNIQUE TO TODAY? YES.
SO I WOULD NORMALLY START FROM THE TOP.
YOU'RE HOLDING THIS STILL AND YOU'RE HOLDING THAT.
YOU DON'T WEAR GLOVES WITH THIS OR SOMETHING? NO, NEVER.
I'M REALIZING THIS IS THE KIND OF WORK THAT TAKES PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE.
IS YOUR ARM BURNING LITTLE BIT? YES.
THINGS COULD ONLY GO UP FROM HERE.
I KNOW IT'S AWKWARD, RIGHT? IT'S GOING.
SHE GOT A A BARK IN HER MOUTH.
IT'S NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO CLOSE HER EYES WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT.
SHE STARTED WITH A LITTLE ASSISTANCE, THE BRANCH FINALLY FELL OFF.
YOU'D HAVE THE STRONGEST ARMS.
LATER WE TALKED ABOUT HOW MARK ENDED UP IN THIS LINE OF WORK.
WELL, I GOT A JOB, UH, WORKING AT A COUNTY NURSERY IN MARYLAND.
WE HAD ABOUT 30,000 TREES AND JUST LEARNED HOW TO PRUNE WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
BECOMING A CITY OF PLANO ARBORIST REQUIRES EXPERIENCE.
TYPICALLY A COUPLE YEARS WORKING IN FORESTRY AND BEING COMFORTABLE OUT IN THE FIELD.
DO YOU NEED TO HAVE A PASSION FOR TREES TO BE IN THIS FIELD? YEAH.
I WOULD SAY THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
SO I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE CITY OF PLANO AND I LOVE WHAT I DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY ARBORIST IS AN URBAN FORESTER.
BUT EVERY URBAN FORESTER IS AN ARBORIST.
SO WHILE MARK MAY TAKE ON A BROADER ROLE FOR THE CITY, BEING AN ARBORIST STARTS IN THE SAME PLACE, HAVING A REAL PASSION FOR THE WORK PULL TOWARDS YOU.
THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EPISODE OF LABOR OF LOVE.
WE'LL HAVE PLENTY MORE TO COME.
THIS IS LABOR OF LOVE WITH THE CITY OF PLANO.