Happy Arbor Day!
Written by Leah Kelm, Executive Assistant
Certified Arborists are individuals who have achieved a level of knowledge in the art and science of tree care through experience and by passing a comprehensive examination developed by some of the nation’s leading experts on tree care. Certified Arborists must also continue their education to maintain their certification and adhere to a Code of Ethics. Therefore, they are more likely to be up to date on the latest techniques in arboriculture.
Becoming an Arborist
Brad Bateman had already been maintaining and planting trees at All-Terrain for four years, before he decided to take the necessary steps to become an arborist. His instructor during one of his Master Gardener classes suggested he take up studying arboriculture — Brad, the overachiever, is a Master Gardener too. Among the instructor’s suggestion, appeal of career advancement, parental encouragement, and thought of bettering himself, Brad decided to give becoming an ISA Certified Arborist a shot. It’s reasonable to think that prior hands-on knowledge of tree care would have made the three hour, multiple choice certification exam easy for Brad, but that was definitely not the case. When I asked him about the level of difficulty he replied, “It was super hard. It is the International Society of Arboriculture, so the questions dealt with trees from all over the world.” The exam preparation required weeks of studying note-cards, but it was worth the struggle.Being an Arborist

- Plants Trees – Selecting a tree species to plant is based on more than aesthetics. Climate and terrain are considered before a hole is dug for a tree to take root.
- Prunes Trees – Pruning is the process of removing weak, dead, or diseased branches with strategic and precise cuts in an effort to improve form and reduce risk.
- Diagnoses Trees – When a tree is damaged or stressed an arborist first identifies the tree, then identifies if the problems are threatening to the health of the tree or if are purely cosmetic, and finally evaluates the possible options to resolve the situation.
- Performs Risk Assessments – A tree risk assessment is a standardized process of identifying defects and conditions that could be potentially dangerous to property, people, or the tree itself.
Quick Facts
