Apart from creating and maintaining an ecological balance, trees can offer numerous personal and community benefits as well. For instance, planting a few trees in your yard will purify your air, buffer out noises, and provide shade for your summer barbeques. But, trees can also prevent soil erosion, add value to your property and enhance its curb appeal.
Planting beautiful and healthy trees is a good investment that can give substantial returns to your environment and community. However, trees also come with the huge responsibility of proper maintenance and care. Poorly maintained and unhealthy trees can be a liability. Not to mention, they can often turn out to be a hazard.
If you choose to grow some trees on your property, make sure you opt for proper tree work. This is important because incorrectly conducting the maintenance of your trees can pose health risks to the tree as well as safety risks for the person doing the job. So, it is best that only trained and equipped individuals offer tree services to ensure tree health and human safety.
Serving many purposes in the local community, trees are a great investment. But pruning or removing trees is dangerous work that can also harm community members. One way to go about it is hiring an arborist. Trained arborists have the expertise, equipment, and experience needed to properly maintain the health of the trees and ensure the safety of the public.
What is an Arborist?
Terms like gardeners and landscapers are a common part of our vocabulary, but not most people have heard about an arborist. An arborist is a highly trained tree professional who is knowledgeable in the science of planting, maintaining, caring for, and diagnosing trees and shrubs, as well as other woody plants.
Their training allows them to take proper care of individual trees. These specialists possess extensive knowledge regarding the individual needs of trees and are trained and equipped to provide them with personalized treatment and care. They also offer expert advice about the future health of trees.
Certified Arborists
While arborists are trained individuals providing tree health care services, certified arborists are just the same. However, a certified arborist goes through a non-governmental and voluntary process to document their tree knowledge.
After appropriate guidance and training on the health and safety of trees, arborists take a comprehensive examination that is developed by some of the nation’s leading tree experts.
These rigorous certification exams test an arborist’s knowledge in tree health, care, and treatment. To pass the exam, arborists should prove that they’re informed about different arboricultural aspects, such as the growth of trees, natural processes, and trees’ response to cultural practices.
After passing the examination, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certifies the arborist. Once certified by the ISA, fellow non-certified arborists and local communities recognize these individuals as tree specialists with enough knowledge in areas such as the biology of trees, diagnosis, maintenance services, safety, and other practice areas and subjects within woody plants professions.
While certified arborists have enough knowledge and recognition in the art and science of trees, they continue to achieve education in arboriculture to maintain the ISA certification. They should learn new techniques and technologies every year if they don’t wish to lose their certificate.
This way, they are more likely to stay updated on the latest information, diseases, practices, and techniques in trees and arboriculture. It is crucial for an ISA-certified arborist to be up to date, carry on their job responsibilities and adhere to a code of ethics. The International Society of Arboriculture outlines this code of ethics to ensure fair treatment and safety of consumers, employees as well as the surrounding environment.
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ISA Certification
All arborists are trained tree care professionals, but certified arborists take the time and effort to go the extra mile. They acquire extensive training and education to pass the International Society of Arboriculture exam. This exam covers all aspects of tree knowledge, so each arborist taking the exam needs to take extra educational courses and training programs.
While arborists are well-trained to provide tree care services, becoming an ISA-certified arborist does not come easily. An arborist must first meet all the requirements to sit for the examination. While these requirements may be different depending on the level of certification that is sought, the common ones are:
- 2 years of full-time practical work experience in arboriculture
- 3 years minimum experience in arboriculture
- Evidence that proves an arborist’s training and education in various aspects of arboriculture
- Experience in tree services specialties such as tree removal, tree maintenance, or tree risk assessment
It’s likely that you’ll find landscapers who claim to be professionals at taking care of tree emergencies, but only a certified arborist can provide legitimate education-based care. These arborists receive training to create a care plan considering the specific needs of trees for the best possible and healthy growth of trees and shrubs.
Why Should You Hire a Certified Arborist
It is no easy job to sit for the ISA certification exam and clear it. ISA-certified arborists need a minimum of 3 years of experience in arboriculture before they can take the ISA examination. Not only do they take extensive training and education in order to clear the exam, but they continue to pursue their education in arboriculture in order to maintain their certificate. This suggests that certified arborists are up to date with all the latest technologies and techniques that are used to provide tree services.
So, you get a highly-trained, knowledgeable, and experienced tree care professional when you hire a certified arborist. Since these care providers have appropriate skills and experience, they ensure the safety of the tree, the people, as well as your property. Not to mention, these professionals can provide appropriate treatment for your trees’ health as well.
When you choose a certified arborist, you can rest assured that the tree care professional in your space will properly prune, trim, and provide care for your trees. What’s more? They will cause minimal damage to your property even if you’re getting a years’ old tree removed.
Wrap-Up
Certified arborists can provide the best tree care, maintenance, and other tree services such as removal, pruning, and trimming. They ensure the safety of your trees, yourself, and your property. Check out Payne’s Environmental Services or give us a call at 813-677-6822 to hire ISA-certified arborists for your yard.
