ISA Certified Arborists on staff

What is an Arborist?

An arborist is a specialist in the care of woody plants; primarily trees but also including bushes, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants used for landscaping or shade. An arborist's work is known as arboriculture.

“The work of an arborist is distinct from that of a forester, logger, or a faller. Arborists focus on health and safety issues of either individual trees or treed landscapes, rather than managing forests or harvesting wood.”

Arborist Services

Typical services provided by arborists include:

  • Tree Core Sampling – An arborist is used to determine the health (both past and future) of a tree.
    For more information please see ⇒ Tree Core Sampling
  • Hedge Trimming – Yes, arborists know as much about hedges as they do about trees. If your hedges are not growing well, or if they are just in need of trimming, it may be time to call an arborist.
    For more information please see ⇒ Hedge Trimming
  • Pruning – An arborist can determine if and when pruning is necessary in order to maintain or improve the health, appearance, or safety of the tree or it's surroundings. Pruning is often necessary in order to:
    • remove branches interfering with or causing damage to wires, roofs, chimneys, or other structures or pathways
    • eliminate branches interfering with one another or proper growth of the tree
    • remove weak, dead, or broken branches that may affect the health of the tree or pose a threat to safety
    • remove diseased, insect-infested, or weather damaged portions of a tree
    • improve structural integrity and safety by decreasing wind resistance
    • train young trees
    • remove portions of a tree in order to improve aesthetics or visibility of the surroundings, or increase light penetration
    • Shape the tree for beautification
  • Tree Removal – Tree removal is discouraged wherever possible in favor of trimming to control growth but unfortunately in some cases there are no alternatives. Cases such as:
    • the tree is dead or dying
    • weather or other damage has rendered the tree hazardous and irreparable
    • the tree has grown to the point where it (either height or root structure) is a danger to it's surroundings or is likely to cause catastrophic damage in the likely event that at some point in the near future it's support collapses.
    • the tree is causing an obstruction that is impossible to correct through pruning or other measures
    • the tree is overcrowding or otherwise interfering with the proper growth of it's surroundings.
    • landscaping, construction or other factors require removal of the tree
  • Emergency Services – when storms or accidents cause entire trees or significant portions thereof to collapse, an arborist can assist in assessing the safest way to clear the fallen limbs while minimizing the likelihood of any further damage.

Arborist Certification

A ‘Certified Arborist’ is a professional who has had over three years work experience and has passed a rigorous written exam from the International Society of Arboriculture. Arborist certification is not permanent like a degree or diploma, but in order to maintain certification arborists must continue to work in the field and continue their education.

Other designations for arborists include:

  • Municipal Specialist
  • Utility Specialist
  • Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA)

Verifying Certification

To verify ISA Arborist Certification ISA provides a lookup service online which can be found at ⇒ Verify ISA Certification

Code of Ethics

In June 2009 an Arborists Code of Ethics was established by ISA. The document (in PDF format) can be viewed here ⇒ Arborist Code of Ethics

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