Meagan Hanna
Montreal Botanical Garden
Supervisor - Living Collections, Gardens and Arboriculture
Session kindly Sponsored by Husqvarna
SPEAKER BIO
Meg Hanna joined the Montreal Botanical Garden in 2017 as Supervisor of Living Collections for the Greenhouse Team. Since 2022, she has been managing the Garden's arboriculture programme and select horticultural operations. Meg is also a Sessional Lecturer for the University of British Columbia's Master of Urban Forestry Leadership program. Meg possesses a certificate from Laval University in horticulture and green space management. She is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and has completed the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ). Moreover, she has completed Bachelors and Masters degrees in the arts and social sciences. She has been serving as a volunteer for her local chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture for over a decade.
TALK TITLE
Extreme Climate, Reasonable Measures: Storm Preparedness and Response in the Nordic Urban Forest
ABSTRACT
The challenge is upon us, our climate, and our relationship with it, are changing. On a daily basis, arborists and urban foresters address numerous stress factors that trees contend with. Shifting temperature and precipitation patterns contribute to gradual changes in tree growth, development and resilience. But what happens when atypical and unforeseeable weather events occur? Meg Hanna, Living Collections Supervisor at the Montreal Botanical Garden, will share how one multidisciplinary team developed a concerted storm management response, in real time and exceptional circumstances.
How can professionals contribute to the sound management of our urban trees in the wake of extreme weather? What steps can be taken to prepare for extreme weather and how can arborists and urban foresters react effectively? Furthermore, how can arboriculture teams safely involve allied professionals in the storm response effort? What can we learn about trees, and how we care for them, during these episodes? The following case study intends to address these questions through a detailed account with examples of specific actions implemented and lessons learned. This talk will also share North American resources on emergency preparedness and management in the context of urban trees.
This presentation takes us to Canada where the southern regions of the provinces of Quebec and Ontario experienced a severe ice storm on April 5, 2023 causing two fatalities and leaving over 1.3 million people temporarily without electricity. This was the most destructive climate-related event in the area since Canada’s historic 1998 ice storm. This spring ice storm was particularly devastating as millimeters of solid ice accumulated on the branches and swollen buds of trees emerging from dormancy. Meanwhile, ice descended onto Southern Quebec following a significant rain storm leading to loaded trees in heavily saturated soils, creating rare conditions for distinctive tree failures.
The arboriculture and horticulture teams of the Montreal Botanical Garden were tasked with restoring safe conditions to this 120 acre outdoor museum, while working to preserve its diverse living collections. Follow the team through this experience and discover what’s next as they look toward the future!