There is a quiet, solid presence in our lives that monitors the seasons, provides a roof, for our children's play, and allows for birds to greet the dawn. It's the trees on our properties. They are not simply landscaping they are the history of the natural world, natural monuments to time. Just like any living thing, the trees need care, and sometimes they present us with difficult situations. Knowing whether to nurse a tree back to health, prune it for strength and beauty, or finally call it quits, is a burden that belongs with every homeowner.

Caring for trees isn't just about landscaping. It's called stewardship. And when it becomes too big, to dangerous, or too complicated for you to do it with a ladder and a handsaw, that is when you will probably call on professionals, arborists and tree care providers who are actually stewards of both our urban and suburban forests across the United States.

More Than a Lumberjack: Understanding Arborist Tree Services

It is important to state clearly, there is an enormous difference between the guy with the truck and chainsaw and a professional arborist. A guy with a chainsaw will be your less expensive option. A professional arborist will be investing in the health of your property, more importantly, the safety and welfare of your family.

An arborist is a trained professional in the art and science of the process of planting, caring for, and the health and maintenance of individual trees. Trees are to arborists what cardiologists are to the heart—a highly qualified professional who possesses a detailed knowledge of a complicated living organism.

The best arborists hold the credential certification from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) which requires continual education and an ongoing commitment to the practice. Employing a true arborist means you're hiring a doctor, not just labor; they will look at a tree and see the story that tree has to tell—they will see the subtle discoloration of a leaf that means soil deficient; a crack in the crotch leaves the branch vulnerable; fungus on the bark is a sign of decay; and so on. This distinctive way of seeing is the first and most important step of providing tree care to a tree.

The Seasons of Care: Timing of the Work with Trees

Most homeowners aren't aware that trees, like many of us, have preferred schedules. There is a rhythm to proper tree care that mimics nature's calendar. Understanding the trees preferred schedule versus ours is often the difference between a tree that performs well and struggles, or dies.

Winter: The Sleeping Giant

From January to March is referred to as the "dormant season," and it is a prime time for most pruning work. The tree is truly asleep, racked energy stored in its roots and no leaves on the tree allow the arborist to clearly see the tree's structure. Pruning a tree in the winter is like performing surgery on someone under anesthetic-there is less trauma and anxiety.

I have always observed crews in February working on enormous sugar maples with the crisp air echoing with the noise of chainsaws and the satisfying Thunk of branches hitting the frozen ground. The tree isn't bleeding sap (like might happen when pruning maples and birches while they are dormant) and there is no danger of disturbing nesting birds. Usually, tree companies are also slower that time of year and may also better pricing.

Winter work is also more than just His time. For example, oak trees winter pruning is very important in many climates for controlling Oak Wilt (a deadly fungus spread by beetles that track to open wounds). In Texas, for example, it is basically ringing the dinner bell when you prune oaks from February to June.

Spring: The Awakening!

As sap begins to rise and buds begin to swell, what we are thinking about changes. This is the time period where we will see the first flush of new growth and issues begin to present themselves. That dead branch you weren't sure about in winter becomes quite obvious as everything else leafs out but that limb.

There are many tree diseases and pests that come alive in the spring. A capable arborist will be there looking for tell-tale signs of disease like the small bronze colored leaves of an ash tree infected with Emerald Ash Borer, or a leaf curl that indicates the tree is under attack by the aphids. Early detection can mean the difference between a treatable issue and a death sentence!

Summer: The Season of Growth & Stress

Like the hot months have their own issues. Trees are working hard, photosynthesizing at capacity; however, they are also experiencing heat stress and often drought. It is at this time of year that we see the most emergency calls in which branches are unexpectedly failing because they could not support the additional weight of full foliage, or the tree simply gave up under the environmental conditions.

Summer is also the season for storms across most of the country. Ranging from microbursts that can take down entire neighborhoods in minutes, to the longer duration, slower moving tropical storms that can saturate soils and cause root systems to become unstable, summer weather keeps tree services busy. I have seen oak trees that have stood for a century come crashing down in a fifteen-minute thunderstorm, with their large canopies acting like sails under the wind.

Fall: Preparation and Assessment

As leaves begin to fall and trees start their retreat into dormancy, it is assessment time. This is when many home owners start to really see and evaluate the structure of their trees ... only to realize that "something needs to be done." This is also when many tree companies are booked solid due to clearing things off of homes, and wanting tree work done before winter sets in.

Fall is planning season. Smart property owners hire their tree services to inspect their trees and schedule tree pruning in the winter months. Fall is also when you will see many tree companies out "deadwooding" getting rid of the branches that did not survive the growing season, which could create a hazard in the winter storms.

The Art of the Trim: Pruning with Purpose

Trimming, or pruning, is the most common service provided as well as the most misunderstood. Pruning is not saying, "hey - let's go out and hack off a bunch of branches to make the tree fit some shape we are looking for." Pruning is an intentional and deliberate action with a particular aim in mind.

Why We Prune: The Reason for the Cut

Health & Hygiene: Pruning a tree is exactly like deadheading flowers to promote new blooms. We remove dead, dying, or diseased limbs for the same reasons—with the intent of limiting the spread of decay organisms into the main trunk, to allow the tree to spent energy on healthy growth, and to improve air circulation through the canopy, thereby decreasing the likelihood of fungal disease.

Safety: This one is a given. Any branches that overhang roofs, power lines, or play structures are accidents waiting to happen, especially in the wind of a summer thunderstorm or the heavy, wet snows of a nor'easter. Pruning eliminates opportunities for hazard.

Structure & Strength: For young trees, pruning is like orthodontics—strategic pruning guides until they adapt to growth patterns you want to shape. For the most part, we are trying to develop a single, strong leader and a decent space of scaffold branches generating a high-quality structure. An early investment can lessen major structural issues—and major costs—later on.

Aesthetics & View: Let's be honest, we prune for aesthetics. We want shape, or we want height to allow more sun to a patio or back yard, or we would like to preserve a gorgeous view of a distant mountain or lake by carefully thinning branches.

The Techniques: It's More Than Just a One-Size-Fits-All

An experienced crew will not just start cutting. Rather, they will employ techniques depending on the species of the tree, the age of the tree and your reasons for having work done.

Crown Thinning: This is for small, interior branches to create crown removal selectively. The purpose is not to alter the tree's size or shape but to decrease the density. It will not hold as much weight, will let wind through more readily, and will let sunlight get to the ground below the tree crown. A properly thinned crown still appears full, but much lighter.

Crown Raising: This is done by removing the lower branches of a tree to give clearance for buildings, vehicles, pedestrians, or to enhance that view you once had! The goal is to raise the crown of the tree in a gradual way; don't remove an excessive amount of lower branches at one time, or risk shocking the tree.

Reduction Pruning: This would be considered a more experienced technique that is used when a tree has simply outgrown its location. Although this would discard a blocks worth of branches, it is not topping, which is typically an unhealthy way to prune. Topping is commonly the action of cutting the top of the tree off and is a big "no no" for any bad tree service. With proper reduction pruning one would prune the branch leaders and branch lines to lateral branches and smaller limb extensions to take over as the terminal. Not all trees can handle reduction pruning; however, those that do do a better job of maintaining their natural shape and, reduce the height and lateral width of the tree.

The Science of the Cut: The Biology of Trees

Every cut that is done to a tree creates a wound, and trees do not heal like humans do; trees rebuild the area with new growth. In the 1970's Dr. Alex Shigo made a significant discovery that provided individuals with a different way of thinking when it comes to tree pruning. The proper cut is always just above the branch collar area, which is thickened area where the limb meets the trunk. This collar includes specific cells for assisting the tree with closing the wound properly. If the cut is too close, you damage those cells, and if the cut is too far away, you leave a stub and allow decay organisms to enter.

The three-cut method for removing heavy limbs is a practice used among professionals. First, a cut is made underneath the limb where they (limb) are about a foot beyond the collar to prevent bark from stripping. The second cut is made from the top way out on the limb to remove the weight. The last cut is made right outside the collar to make the proper healing surface.

The Dark Side: What Bad Tree Work Looks Like

The tree care industry has its share of cowboys and con men, and recognizing bad work can save you thousands of dollars and avoid damage that can't be fixed.

Topping: The Tree Care Sin

There is nothing that makes a certified arborist cringe more than a topped tree. Topping, which is removing the top of the tree or cutting large branches back to stubs, or, possibly, the worst thing you can do to a tree. However, it continues as ignorant homeowners think it makes the trees "safer," or it is something a scam operator can do, or just simple-to-do care for trees.

Actually, a topped tree is more dangerous than before. The large, rapidly growing limbs that develop from the cuts are weakly attached and are more likely to fail. The natural taper and shape of the tree has been compromised, creating wind-catch points that originally weren't there. The large open wounds rarely seal properly, allowing decay to enter that can eventually kill the tree.

I have seen many neighborhoods where well-meaning, albeit misinformed, homeowners topped every single tree in their yard, transforming it into a landscape that resembled a field of telephone poles. These trees will never recover any semblance of their natural beauty, and most will die within a few years from the stress and diseases that often follow.

The Lion's Tail Effect

Another commonly made mistake is "lion's tailing"—removing all the interior branches and leaving only the tuft of foliage located at the end of the branch. While this may look neat and tidy, it effectively concentrates all the weight of the tree at the ends of its branches, increasing the likelihood of branch failure. It also removes the smaller branches that help to dissipate wind energy.

Over-Pruning: Too Much of a Good Thing

A tree needs its leaves to photosynthesize, creating the energy it needs to survive. If a tree's crown is removed and excess foliage is removed beyond 25% in a single year, the tree will likely be stressed, and will become vulnerable to insects, diseases, and environmental conditions. Yet, I have seen contractors who will prune 50% or more of the foliage from a tree either out of sheer ignorance or simply because it is much easier than selective pruning.

The Final Resort: The Difficult Decision to Remove a Tree

Nobody who has an affinity for trees wants to cut one down. This is a decision that needs to be made carefully and, ideally, with input from a certified arborist, who, because they are being paid, does not have an economic incentive to do so. Removal is the last resort, and removal is contemplated only when the tree is dead, dying, dangerous or posing an irreversible risk to its environment.

Knowing When to Say When

How do you know you have a tree at the end of its life cycle? Here are some of the indicators arborists look for:

Major trunk damage. A deep/gaping crack, a cavity going into the trunk, or major decay can all have compromised the structural integrity of the tree beyond repair.

The lean. To some degree, many trees in nature lean. A sudden change in lean, however, especially after a storm, or soil heaving at the base, can signal a major trunk or root failure. At that point, it is truly a hazard.

Fungus at the base. Shelf fungi (like mushrooms) originating from the base of the trunk could signal serious internal root rot & decay.

One-third rule. As general rule of thumb, if 50%-plus of the crown is dead or dying, the tree's chance for survival and health is considerably reduced, and likely beyond saving.

Construction damage. If a tree's root system is vastly damaged by construction and/or the soils have been compacted to the point of no aeration, the tree will begin a slow decline and ultimately be a hazard over many years.

The Silent Killers: Root Problems

So many tree failures begin below ground, where the problems are even more difficult to detect. Root rot, usually caused by fungi in poorly-drained soils, will decimate a tree's anchorage system, while the crown is still seemingly fine.

Construction damage is particularly insidious—heavy equipment compacting soil over roots, grade changes that bury root flares, or trenching that severs major roots can sentence a tree to a slow death that may not become apparent for years.

Innovative diagnostic equipment is changing the way arborists assess the health of trees. Resistograph drills measure the resistance the tiny drill has as it penetrates the wood to determine the internal decay. Ground-penetrating radar can survey the root systems without digging. Air spades utilize compressed air to excavate the root zone while minimizing root disturbance, while also giving arborists a clear view of the conditions underground.

The Removal Process: A Dance of Skill and Power

To the untrained eye, tree removal may appear to be utter chaos held together by brawn about to lose control. To a professional crew, it is tremendous forethought and preparation that leads to this organized operation. It is more than cutting down a tree, it is about cutting down the tree while keeping safety in mind not only for themselves but for the surrounding people, plants, and property - often in tight, congested spaces in increasingly complex urban environments.

Addressing a large tree that is hanging over a structurally significant historic house, with limited clearance to other structures and first responders is a challenge for a problem solver, like an engineer. That is where rigging comes into play. Arborists and tree climbers, do not merely let a large piece of wood fall after making the final cut - ropes, pulleys, and new-age friction devices interlace the process by lowering branches and sections of the tree in a more controlled manner and to a predetermined drop zone, while a ground crew assists the whole time. It is a remarkable testament to teamwork and team building.

For the largest or most dangerous trees, crane assistance is often the best option. Cranes can remove whole sections from the tree and lumber yard, out of the airspace above the home or property while eliminating a considerable risk of property damage and speeding up the removal process - although a little more expensive.

But let's not forget the stump. Once the tree is down, regardless of outward appearance, it now stands as a reminder to its former presence. The typical method for getting rid of a tree stump is stump grinding, which involves the use of a machine with a rotating wheel tipped with carbide to chew the stump down to below the grade level of the surrounding grade. The waste produced is wood chips that can be used as mulch, and after the stump is gone you can backfill the area with soil and seed it down for grass.

The Price of Removal: The Importance of Size

Tree removal is driven by many factors, but size is usually the major reason. A small ornamental might be a few hundred dollars while a large oak threatening multiple structures can be thousands of dollars. Keep in mind that height is not the only important measurement. A short stump with a thick diameter can be just as difficult as a tall skinny height. Access is also a big factor. A tree in an open backyard is a straight shot. A tree between two houses, over power lines, or surrounded by expensive landscaping is a completely different problem to resolve. Everything has to be rigged down carefully and every cut planned right, and then you have to be considerate of surrounding exposures whether is your customers house, landscaping or even a neighbors tree.

The Storm Chasers: Understanding Emergency Work

Natural disasters always brings out the best and the worst in the tree care industry. After major storms you will have legitimate companies working all day and night to provide debris removal, and tree removal from homes to restore safety in the community, but it also attracts opportunistic operators to prey on desperate homeowners.

After the Storms: What to Expect

The priority in the hours directly following a major storm event is life safety. The first priority will be ahead of many other priorities will be to clear trees off of or on the intersections that could obstruct the roads or emergency access routes. Next are the trees on houses, but the aim here often entails just stopping the further damage, e.g. get the tree off the roof, and not necessarily getting every branch cleaned up.

Typically, insurance covers storm damage to trees, but there are limitations and certain aspects to cover. In general, you may expect insurance to cover the cost of removing trees that damage covered property. Your insurance provider may not cover removing trees that just "fall" in your yard. Knowing your coverage before you need it may save some confusion, and additional cost after your injury or property damage.

Red Flags in Emergencies

• Door-to-door solicitations requesting a payment upfront.
• Quotes that sound too good to be true (they usually are)
• Crews not able to show proof of insurance immediately.
• Companies that "were in the area".
• High-pressure tactics and immediate demands for a decision.

Contractors that are providing emergency services will provide written estimates, proof of insurance and local references. These companies understand that you are stressed and will not pressure you into quick decisions unless there is imminent threat.

Navigating the Industry: How to Find the Right Service for You

The tree care industry encompasses a vast cross-section of service, everything from small, family-owned businesses that have deep ties to the community to enormous corporate franchises recognized throughout the country. Finding a fit for you is important.

The Credentials That's Important

1. ISA Certification
2. Insurance, Insurance, Insurance: A trustworthy company will always carry Liability Insurance (to cover any damage to your property) and Workers' Compensation (to cover any injury to their employees while on your job). Do not—under any conditions—hire a company who cannot provide you with both. If an uninsured worker gets hurt on your property, you could be liable.
3. References and Reviews: A good company will have a history of their work, and should be more than happy to provide you with references. If you look online for reviews, take them with a grain of salt. Look for the general feeling or positive/negatives in the feedback.

Getting The Estimate: What Should I Expect

A proper estimate should always be done in person. An arborist should see the tree, where it is located, and any challenges there may be. An experienced arborist should also walk you through his proposed plan, and go through the what and the why. The estimator should be able to answer your questions and articulate the answers while remaining professional and patient.

It is also important to be aware of door-knockers after a big weather event. These "storm chasers" tend to prey on scared homeowners, and will look to provide cheap or fast outcomes, and will demand a deposit or full payment. More than likely the production company doesn't have the proper credentials or insurance and the job will be done poorly, and/or not up to safety standards.

Understanding the Cost: Why is it so Expensive??

It is a fair question to ask. Getting a tree taken down properly will always SHOCK you. Knowing what you are paying for is always good:

• Expertise: You are paying for years of knowledge and experience.
• Labor: It is very demanding, dangerous work.
• Equipment: An equipped crew has an investment in trucks, chippers, chainsaws, stump grinders, and rigging gear, etc... that exceeds $100,000.
• Insurance: There is a reason why premiums are so high in this industry.
• Disposal: It takes time and fuel to haul away and dispose of tons of organic material.

The lowest quote is usually the least valuable. You are also investing in the safety of your home, the health of your landscape, and the health of the crew working on your property.

The Economics of Tree Care: An Understanding of the Business

Tree care is a capital-heavy business that brings with it its own issues. A truck for a professional crew alone may be $75,000, the chipper $50,000, a stump grinder $30,000 or more. That doesn't count the chainsaws, ropes, rigging gear or safety equipment.

Insurance pricing is staggering. General liability coverage for tree care companies for a small operation in today's world, can be $10,000 to $20,000 a year, workers compensation being a different large amount. None of this is optional, however, this is just a brief introduction to the cost of responsible business.

Then you need to consider labor. To have a certified arborist or skilled climber, comes at a premium wage to compensate for the hazards involved, the specialized skill set, and ultimately competition. It takes years to train a climber, and the best ones are worth their weight in gold. Turnover rates in this physically demanding field are high, so we are always recruiting and training new staff.

Equipment maintenance is always at a high cost. Chainsaws require constant servicing, the trucks take a beating hauling heavy loads across rough terrain, and the chipper blades need frequent sharpening and replacement. An equipment failure can grind a crew to a halt for days and cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Geographic Considerations: A Nation of Diverse Forests

The USA in this conversation is significant. Though defined, tree care is not a monolithic activity; it varies with the ecology.

Northeast and Midwest

We are dealing with old oaks, maples, and elms, frequently in densely located communities. Here, the risk is from many diseases such as oak wilt, or insects such as the emerald ash borer, which has devastated ash species. Ice storms are a main cause of damage.

And in New England, old trees combined with old homes create unique challenges. Numerous properties have trees that have grown several decades or even centuries prior to the house being built. These mature trees can often define the character of the property, but they are also prone to high costs to care for due to age and size.

The emerald ash borer has had a particularly adverse impact here. Whole municipalities have been forced to remove thousands of ash trees in a contractor's effort to mitigate problems, completely changing the character of historic streetscapes. The cost to the local economy is often in the millions.

South

The humid climate supports fast growth, but it also supports fast growth of fungi and insect pests. Hurricanes are a defining threat, requiring planned pruning and hazard management. Palms need additional professionals with specific care knowledge.

Each region's tree care is defined by extremes and, in the South, extremes in regard to heat and humidity. Hurricane season presents its own layer of difficulty as communities ready themselves for winds exceeding 150 mph. Assessing trees and pruning appropriately before a storm will often delineate minor cleanup from catastrophic damage.

The rapid growth in the South can be a double-edged sword. Trees will develop rapidly but usually with weak structure if they haven't been trained as young trees. The live oaks dripped in Spanish moss that are such a defining feature of the Southern landscape come with required specialized understanding to carry out the work safely.

The West Coast

Home to the giants: Redwoods and Sequoias. Work on these monumental trees is a highly specialized career. The chronic drought conditions have stressed millions of trees that are now also vulnerable to bark beetles, creating an immense fuel load for wildfires and drones the development of defensible space as a primary motive for the removal of trees.

California's wildfire prone landscape has altered the objectives of tree work to become more of a fire preventative. "Defensible space" requires property owners to maintain clearances in the wildland interface and dead or dying trees are both safety issues and potential liability in the fire season. The bark beetle epidemic has left thousands of acres of dead/standing timber in highly combustible condition for wildfire fuel and has posed challenges in removal.

Work in the coastal redwoods requires specialized equipment and training. These giants can exceed 300 ft tall and live for 2000+ years. Every cut made on these irreplaceable trees must be done in the spirit of their long-term health.

The Mountain States

High winds, heavy snow loads and drought are usually the main concerns. Aspens are often subject to failure due to their shallow root systems. Trees at elevation have unique stresses. UV radiation intensity is higher, growing seasons are shorter and weather can be extreme.

Wind is a factor that cannot be avoided many trees on mountains will grow in a flag shape from the constant exposure to the prevailing winds. Snow load can break branches on trees that would have been just fine at sea-level. A local arborist will know these regional challenges all too well. They are familiar with the local soils, pests, and weather patterns that affect the trees in your area.

Beyond the Cut: A Continuum of Tree Care

The best tree services companies will offer a full suite of care for your property so that they may facilitate the health of your whole landscape.

Planting

The right tree in the right place. An arborist can help you choose suitable species, suitable to your specific strengths of soil and light availability without outgrowing their space.

Fertilization and Soil Care

Sometimes a tree's health problems start from the ground up. Often, soil compaction, poor pH, or nutrient deficiency may be found within your tree's root zone.

Cabling and Bracing

If your tree has a weak crotch or splitting limb that you do not wish to remove yet, you can install a steel cable or steel rods to supplement the tree until it is strong enough to live without support. Usually, it may happen that cables and rods can save a tree's life.

Emergency Storm Response

Most reputable companies will have dedicated crews, on call, to respond to a true emergency after a major weather event; the common-context emergencies involve hanger trees, trees that have fallen on homes, or trees that have fallen on roads or critical pathways.

Integrated Pest Management

Tree care is so much more than making cuts. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a best practice in modern-day tree care, relating to the health of the tree when managing for disease/pests that takes a holistic approach to achieve a sustainable pest control practice often combining biological, cultural, and chemical approaches to disease/pest management with the least impact to the environment.

This might entail releasing natural enemies or beneficial insects to manage pest populations, improving soil drainage to avoid root diseases, or applying treatments at specific times to affect insect life cycles. The object is to sustain healthy trees through biological resistance to problems instead of only relying on chemicals.

Plant Health Care Programs

Many companies have instituted complete plant health care programs to service trees throughout the year. These complete programs will typically include frequent inspections, soil testing, fertilization programs, and preventive treatments for the usual local problems.

For property managers and homeowners with a lot of money tied up in landscapes, these programs can be a great way to keep trees in good health and potentially fix problems before they start. Plant health care programs are especially valuable when trees grow on historic properties or in landscapes with specimens that can't be replaced.

Technology Revolution: How Modern Tools are Changing Tree Care

The tree care industry has embraced technology in ways that would shock most people. Trucks are often equipped with GPS mapping systems and computer-based routing systems to improve efficiency in the crews work activities in the field. Arborists can now utilize smartphone apps that use photo recognition software to identify problems related to diseases and insects in clients' trees while in the field.

Diagnostic Tools

The Resistograph allows for some amount of decay detection by simply drilling a tiny hole to determine the resistance on an applied surface. The air spade allows arborists to expose a root system using compressed air without damaging the tree being inspected. Ground penetrating radar, GPS mapping systems, and soil resistivity devices allow arborists to map and find a tree root system before construction. These tools give arborists access to detection of problems in trees that we could not see prior to tree fail.

Climbing Technology

The climbing technology systems used today have changed the way an arborist climbs to a working position. Today, mechanical ascenders are used in place of climbing with a rope by pulling your body using a hand-over-hand method like from earlier generations. Climbing technology now allows for advanced rigging systems using mechanical advantage to safely lower huge pieces of trees.

Personal protective gear is dramatically different than it was in early areas in the industry, where mass and heaviness featured prominently.

Software Solutions

Tree inventory software allows municipalities and large property owners a way to track thousands of trees, schedule maintenance, and track health over time. Estimate software provides an automated "checkoff" system to ensure pricing remains standardized and nothing is forgotten. Customer relationship management systems allow companies to provide more current, improved service, while managing client relationships long term and improving communication.

The Environmental Impact: Trees as Carbon Assets

With the ongoing discussions around climate change, trees are viewed more and more as carbon assets instead of just resources for the landscaping. Throughout their lifespans, mature trees absorb thousands of pounds of carbon, thereby putting tree preservation as a priority for the greater good and the environment.

Managing Urban Forests

More and more cities throughout the U.S. are realizing the environmental and economic value of their trees and related urban forests. Urban forest management tools such as street tree programs and tree ordinances, along with urban canopy assessments are becoming widely adopted municipal practices in many cities.

The economic benefits from service-contributing tree canopy include reduced energy costs, increased property values, and improved air quality, quickly turn what may initially be seen as discretionary costs into need decisions for professional tree care. A number of cities are also creating new programs that require property owners to replace trees that they have removed and/or pay into tree funds designed to plant trees in community areas. The simple logic is trees are community assets, so the expectation is that all community members prosper from those assets.

Carbon Footprint

Several forward-thinking tree care companies also examine the impact they are having on the environment. This may mean using biofuels in their machinery, composting organic matter (instead of sending it to the landfill), or adjusting routes to reduce fuel use. Some have developed partnerships with biochar manufacturers who take wood waste and convert it into a carbon-negative soil amendment; others donate wood chips to neighbor community gardens for their use, while others utilize electric equipment when possible.

The Human Element: A Partnership with Your Property

After all, tree service is a partnership. Trust is at the center of that relationship. You are entrusting people with the living assets that define your properties character as well as the safety of everything you hold dear.

The whirr of a chipper, the smell of fresh-cut timber and the practiced arc of the chainsaw are delivery mechanisms of a conscious intervention. It all becomes part of the process of caring, stewarding, and occasionally letting go to some of these gentle giants that share our space with us. You recognize that you are not an owner of this land, rather you are a temporary curator of a landscape that will exist long after we are gone. By hiring knowledgeable, passionate professionals we affirm that obligation and ensure the trees that populate our towns and cities will provide their irreplaceable gift of beauty, shade, and life for generations.

Building Long-Term Relationships

The best relationships in tree care develop over years or decades. A good arborist gets to know your property, your trees, and your goals. They become partners in stewarding your landscape while advising and advocating for the best decisions that meet the immediate needs as well as the long-term objectives of the tree(s).

A relationship-centered approach pays dividends in the case of emergencies. If a storm rolls in and knocks over trees, you want to call someone who not only knows your property, but can triage the most important issues to address first. You want to trust someone when they tell you a tree can be saved and be there to evaluate when they tell you a tree is coming down.

The Next Generation

The tree care profession is facing elevated workforce challenges at this point due to retiring climbers and fewer younger individuals entering this space. Companies are innovating in training, safety equipment and career-path options for individuals interested in this profession. Some companies are forming partnerships with high schools and community colleges to expose students to arboriculture as a career option.

As this workforce evolution takes place, innovation in both safety and efficiency will follow. There will be competitive advantages for companies who invest in their workforce through training and retention of experienced climbers. It is certain this industry will continue to evolve through the entry of new technologies, changing climate conditions and increased environmental awareness. However, the mission remains unchanged from years past: to care for the trees that make our communities more beautiful, healthy, and livable places to call home.