What is an Arborist?
Have you ever heard of the term ”Arborist” and wondered what that is? Read on to learn about the tree care industry and the role of an arborist.
An arborist is a person that works with trees. They might be a consultant, tree climber, plant health care specialist, or general tree care worker. Calling oneself an arborist is kind of like saying “gardener” or “landscaper”. Pretty much anyone can claim to have the skillset involved but there are certainly some individuals that are more, or less, qualified to make that claim.
A certified arborist is a person that became credentialed through the International Society of Arboriculture. This means they met the basic experience and educational requirements, then passed a written test that demonstrates knowledge in a number tree related fields such as biology, climbing knots, and basic disease identification. A certified arborist is the first step in proving you have the experience and knowledge to perform a higher level of tree care.
There are additional credentials that can be gained, but let's not dive into that in this post.
Some tree workers are more or less qualified regardless of any third party certification. It could be compared to the field of auto mechanics. They also have certifications that prove competency but there are many highly skilled mechanics that are more able than those that completed coursework and certification.
The bad thing is that it can be really challenging for the average person looking for a qualified individual to perform specialized and dangerous tree work. There is not a standard marker for this which is one reason why the tree care industry is so segmented. Word of mouth is the single biggest marketing device that promotes many tree businesses. Doing good work and gaining a reputation for that is what keeps businesses around.
The second tricky thing about “good work” is that most tree work is subjective. Just like how the term arborist is only beginning to get a foothold in the minds of the general public, performing best practices for the trees and what that actually looks like is slow to develop.
This is why many poor pruning practices are still being performed, and why some people value big tree removals more than quality tree health care work.
An arborist is not a salesperson or simply a tree cutter.. They are your advisor for your trees. The role should be one of respect and service. The goal should be to educate and inform. Arborists should be advocating for tree longevity and health while balancing risk and liability.
If you feel that you need someone to help guide your concern, curiosity, and questions regarding trees, ask a local arborist! Be wary of anyone that strongly advocates for removing trees or doesn't suggest alternatives. The conversation should typically revolve around the tree owner's goals and level of acceptable risk, not how much money can be made from selling work.
