Page 180 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2019

HOME urban forests
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos by Katherine Sowers and courtesy of Loftus Tree Service
Will and his father Joe Loftus.
What sets the landscape of the South apart from other areas is the diverse foliage – roads lined with ancient Oak trees, beaches awash with coastal grasses, and lush, green groves home to many native species.
Joe Loftus, owner of Loftus Tree Services, calls these “urban forests,” or trees that make up the greenscape of a community.
Joe and his son Will run the company together and are passionate about conserving trees.
As International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborists, they specialize
in the cultivation and management of trees. Arborists are especially valuable to homeowners and builders as they can help make sure that building designs account
for the amount of space that each tree’s root system will require. After all, the roots of a tree
are its most vital organ.
“People will often buy property because they love
the trees that are on it, but if an architect doesn’t take those trees into consideration they can be lost,” Joe said. “Even if it seems like the building won’t be close to the tree, it’s important to keep the root system in mind. If we are involved at an early enough stage, we can work with property owners and architects to find options to save the tree. Preservation begins before construction.”
Aside from the obvious beauty of trees, Joe says there are many benefits to consider. Not only are trees good for the environment, producing oxygen, intercepting airborne particles
and reducing smog, they add value to a property and offer shade, which
can reduce power bills. In fact, energy conservation studies have shown that the
evaporation from a single tree can produce the cooling effect of ten room-size, residential
air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.
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