Steve Charles—I spent a gorgeous autumn afternoon this week with Jud Scott ’80, one of only two registered consulting arborists in Indiana and founder and CEO of Vine and Branch, Inc. in Indianapolis.I’ve wanted to interview Jud ever since a press release about one of several awards Vine and Branch has won alerted me to his vocation several years ago. But I wanted the story to be accompanied by photos taken in the fall, when the trees Jud takes care of in Indiana (several of the most historic trees in the state) are at their most beautiful, and it seems like every fall something would come up and we’d be into the winter before Jud and I could get together.
Not this year.
Jud was kind enough to take time on short notice to show me one of his favorite trees, the 150-year-old oak in front of the President Benjamin Harrison House in Indianapolis (in photo). Also drove up to Crown Hill Cemetery to see two species I’ve never seen before—an ironwood tree (the largest in the state) and a cucumber tree.
We also took a look at the city from the hill that gives the cemetery its name, and Jud noted that “Indianapolis really is a green city; that’s something people often miss. But you can look 360 degrees here and see trees spreading out in every direction.”
As I’m writing this, I realize I missed that photo. But it’s a gorgeous view I recommend it if you haven’t taken it in. And Jud’s right—an impressive amount of green space in that city. Changes the way I think of Indy, and I lived there for 15 years.
Jud’s path from Wabash history major to professional arborist is a true Wabash story, and we’ll have it for you this spring. For now, here are some photos from that afternoon.
Will also throw in a few from Wabash on a late Friday afternoon, about dinnertime, wind tossing rain-soaked leaves onto the ground.
Remember these kinds of days?
