Knoxville Arborist Receives National Distinguished Achievement Award
October 12, 2026

W. Jim Cortese has received the 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award for Human Issues in Horticulture from the American Society for Horticultural Science.

KNOXVILLE - Longtime Knoxville arborist and forestry consultant W. Jim Cortese has received the 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award for Human Issues in Horticulture from the American Society for Horticultural Science.

The national honor recognizes John Muir Climbs a Tree and Other Tree Tales: An Anthology of Tree Stories, a 32-story collection edited by Cortese, who also contributed three pieces. Presented by the ASHS Human Issues in Horticulture Professional Interest Group, the award specifically recognizes the book’s “multicultural exploration of the human experience with trees.”

“For nearly 50 years, I’ve worked with trees, but what I’ve learned is that people rarely remember a tree only because of its species or size,” Cortese said. “They remember the tree they climbed as a child, the one in their grandparents’ yard, the one they planted for someone they loved or the tree that has stood in their community for generations. That connection between people and trees is what this book is really about, so receiving this recognition is especially meaningful to me.”

As the book’s editor and a contributing author, Cortese assembled a 334-page collection of 32 stories drawn from history, folklore, cultural traditions, personal experience and the natural world. Together, the stories explore the many ways trees have shaped human lives, landscapes, communities and memories.

The title story recounts naturalist John Muir’s extraordinary climb into a towering Douglas fir during an 1874 windstorm. The collection also includes Jean Giono’s The Man Who Planted Trees, Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Night Among the Pines and stories connected to John Appleseed, Daniel Boone, George Washington and the Evangeline Oaks.

Cortese contributed three pieces to the collection: Spencer’s House, Dogwood Legends and A Trouble Tree.

The recognition also reflects Cortese’s distinctive approach to horticultural communication. Rather than relying solely on technical explanations, he uses storytelling to translate arboricultural and ecological knowledge into narratives that are accurate, accessible and personally meaningful.

Within the collection, trees become more than biological systems or elements of the landscape. They are living witnesses to history, sources of comfort and wonder, symbols of resilience and bridges between generations and cultures.

By beginning with familiar experiences, the tree someone climbed, the one outside a family home or the one that helped define a neighborhood, the book provides an accessible entry point into horticulture for readers who may never encounter the subject through a traditional scientific or technical text. It encourages readers to notice the trees in their own surroundings, reconnect with outdoor experiences and recognize urban trees as important parts of community identity and shared space.

That approach grew from Cortese’s nearly five decades of direct experience with trees and the people connected to them.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee in Forest Resource Management, Cortese began his professional career in arboriculture in 1977. He served as president of Tree Injection Products Company and Cortese Tree Specialists and consulted on thousands of tree preservation projects and hundreds of tree appraisal matters across Tennessee and the Southeast.

Cortese is also a co-founder of the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, was a founding member and past president of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council and served for more than a decade on the Knoxville Tree Board, including 10 years as chairman. He has helped identify and document historic, heritage and champion trees throughout Tennessee and has lectured extensively on plant health care, historic trees and urban forestry.

Throughout her career, Cortese observed that people frequently connect with trees through personal stories before they engage with technical knowledge. That insight became the foundation of the book and its invitation for readers to remember their own experiences.

“This award reinforces something I have believed for a long time: trees are about much more than horticulture,” Cortese said. “They are part of our history, our communities and our personal stories. Almost everyone has a tree they remember. My hope is that this book encourages people to think about those trees—and perhaps tell their own stories.”

Cortese continues to speak to audiences at arboretums, libraries, bookstores, horticultural and nature organizations, civic groups and professional events about tree stories, historic trees, urban forestry and the connections people form with the natural world.

John Muir Climbs a Tree and Other Tree Tales is available in hardcover, softcover and e-book formats through major booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

To learn more about W. Jim Cortese, read an excerpt, schedule a speaking engagement or order the book, visit JimCortese.com.

W. Jim Cortese is a mostly retired longtime arborist, forestry consultant, and natural history enthusiast based in Knoxville, Tennessee. A graduate of the University of Tennessee in Forest Resource Management, he has spent almost five decades working in arboriculture, consulting on hundreds of tree appraisal, thousands of tree preservation cases and lecturing extensively on plant health care and tree biology.

Cortese, was the founder of both TIPCO, Tree Injection Products Company in 1977 and sold in 2022; and Cortese Tree Specialists sold in 2013.  He is a co-founder of the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum and has helped identify and preserve historic, heritage, and champion trees throughout Tennessee. His book John Muir Climbs a Tree and Other Tree Tales is believed to be the first anthology devoted entirely to stories about trees, bringing together historical narratives, legends, and reflections inspired by trees.

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science advances research, education, communication and leadership throughout horticulture. Its membership includes scientists, educators, students, industry professionals and others working to improve communities and the environment through horticultural science. Learn more at ASHS.org.