Don Tobi (Jericho Tree Warden)

Don Tobi

Jericho Tree Warden

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Don Tobi was well acquainted with Jericho’s tree issues long before he became Tree Warden. He and his family had already spent 24 years living at and managing the UVM Research Forest off Tarbox Road. In 2011, when Tobi saw the town doing some work cutting trees along the road, he offered his assistance. That’s when he learned that the tree warden position was open since the previous warden, Scott Moreau, had moved. He was hired shortly thereafter and six years later, he was also hired to be the Tree Warden of Underhill.

Tobi works with Jericho’s Road Foreman, the Town Administrator and the Select Board to choose, plant, and ensure the health of Jericho’s trees. He also consults with the Conservation Commission and the committees overseeing Mills Riverside Park and Mobbs Farm. He prunes trees in Jericho Center and along sidewalks. While he is only authorized to take care of trees on town properties or in the right-of-way, he is willing to talk to landowners about tree issues on private property. He is the front man for disputes between the Town and adjacent landowners for trees in the right-of-way.

Tobi said the job of tree warden has evolved over the years. In the past, tree wardens had the final say on any tree on town property. Their decisions could override the Select Board. That has changed and now, tree wardens must get permission from the Select Board before acting unless the town has drawn up a Tree Preservation Plan which delineates the exact responsibilities of the tree warden. This is a new requirement and very few towns have had the time to establish these plans, including Jericho and Underhill.

Tobi is involved in developing a town tree nursery. He credits Sabina Ernst for getting the ball rolling for the property which will be by the old town garage. There is already a fenced-in area around what used to be a radio tower. Tobi, Ernst, and Tom Baribault have been gathering supplies with grant funding and Baribault is currently holding some saplings at his house while they prepare the land. The plan is to grow the trees to five or six feet before moving them to town properties.

Tobi works to ensure that the trees on the Town Green remain healthy. He performed a health assessment which included some trees that were actually in people’s yards, thanks to a quirk in the right-of-way in Jericho Center. Although the town had to take down some trees, they replanted red maples and hackberries. Tobi noted that he has managed to obtain some tree donations over the years including red flame maples and crabapples from Branch Out Burlington.

Right now, Tobi is concerned about the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, having written the town’s EAB Preparedness Plan. He oversees the treatment and/or removal of affected trees, as well as assessing other town trees for insects or diseases. Tobi said there are roughly 2,200 ash trees in Jericho rights-of-way. The problem is that OSHA guidelines require that afflicted trees must be taken down by vehicles with enclosed cabs, something most foresters don’t own. The reason is that ash become very brittle when they die and pieces can come off and injure people and cars. Tobi noted that the disease acts very quickly. Diseased trees found on Schilhammer Road last year have already died.

Tobi was recently honored for his work with the 2025 Hamilton Award from the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program which is given to a tree warden who “has significantly advanced the goals of urban and community forestry through successful forestry practices, effective conservation planning, increased citizen engagement, and active public education.” The award was particularly meaningful to Tobi since he knew Larry Hamilton, the man for whom the award is named.

“I’ve always been the kid who liked the outdoors,” Tobi said. “Growing up, I was outside every day.” Tobi enjoyed fishing and later began hunting. In high school, he worked for a friend’s father’s landscaping firm on weekends. At UVM he studied plant and soil science, specializing in soil, and forest entomology and pathology. Afterwards, he got a master’s in forest entomology while working in the forest pathology lab.

Tobi spent almost 30 years running the UVM Research Forest while also working in the forest pathology and entomology labs at UVM. He also worked on the side as a consulting forester, at one point assisting 100 clients with 10,000 acres. When a part-time position as the wood procurement and environmental compliance forester at the Burlington Electric Department opened, he applied, cutting his hours a bit at UVM to make time for his new job. He finally retired from UVM at age 55 but continues to work for BED and do private consulting work.

Tobi enjoys his work in Jericho and Underhill and has certain trees that he has watched closely over the years. One is the unofficial town tree, an elm near the Essex border on Route 15. Tobi worries because the tree is so close to the road that some of its roots must be under the pavement. Nevertheless, it has not been affected by either European Elm Bark Beetle or Dutch Elm disease. “It’s a beautiful tree,” he said. “It’s healthy and big.”