Hiring a “certified arborist”, as opposed to an “arborist” can make a huge difference in the outcome of any tree care services you have done.

Put simply, an arborist is a specialist in the cultivation and management of trees and shrubs.  There is no particular requirement needed to call oneself an arborist, and so there is no effective method of verifying the skill or experience of those calling themselves arborists.  On the other hand, hiring a certified arborist will guarantee that the individual is dedicated to the profession and has at least a minimum amount of tree knowledge.

“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.”

There are various types of certified arborists, each focusing on different aspects of tree care services, such as consulting, climbing, or diagnosing.  There are also a number of internationally recognized institutions that grant and maintain the certification status of arborists. Some of the more common include the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), and the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA).

Below is a list of some of the workshops and seminars one of Ontree’s ISA certified arborists was involved in over the past few years as part of maintaining a certification status:

• 0-8 ton Crane operation
• Adventitious Roots: Occurrence & Management
• American National Standards Institute: It’s about saving lives
• Benefits of Trees: Watershed, Energy, & Air
• Biology and Assessment of Callus and Woundwood
• Can Trees Get Too Fat?
• Classified: Conifers and Yews
• Damage & Disorder: Steps to Proper Diagnosis
• Diagnosing Problems of Woody Plants
• Essential Practices For Healthy Soil & Healthy Trees
• First Aid/CPR & WHMIS Training
• Golf Course Arboriculture
• How Critters Use Bark and Wood as Food
• Keep Your Tools Sharp: Honing Your Diagnostic Skills
• Lightning Damage in Trees: The Spark of Death
• Limbing & Bucking Felled Trees
• Making Space for Roots: Tree Planting Options in Urban Areas
• Managing Roots
• Managing Trees During Construction
• Plant Health Care (Pesticides and Regulations)
• Plant Health Care: A More Proactive Approach
• Providing Good Customer Service
• Qualitative Tree Risk Assessment
• Rigging Knots
• Sap Rot: It Will Let You Down
• So long, Organochlorines and Hello Neonicotinoids
• Soil Biology and Compost Tea
• Soil Nitrogen: The Agony and the Ecstasy
• Soil Science for Dummies
• Soils and Urban Trees
• Symbiosis of Parasites and Epiphytes
• The Arboricultural Misfits: The Biological Classified
• The Benefits of Trees
• The Cost of Not Maintaining the Urban Forest
• Treatment Options for Insects and Diseases
• Tree Fungi
• Tree Lightning Protection Systems
• Tree Nutrition & Fertilization: Practical Considerations
• Tree Risk Assessment:
• Tree Sex: Just Say Yes!
• Working the Five-Step Felling Plan

** Taken from ISAO website

In order to maintain a certified status, an ISA certified arborist needs to obtain a minimum of 30 credits every three years.  One credit is generally equal to one hour of workshop, seminar or academic training. In addition, most certified arborists will have achieved a University degree, or a College Certificate.

Just about anyone can be themselves an arborist.  But it takes a professional to be certified arborist.  Don’t let just anyone look after your trees.  Instead, call the professionals at Ontree.

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