“What’s it like, being an arborist?”
As Ottawa arborists, we get asked this question quite a bit.
Being an arborist isn’t just a job for us, after all, but more of a passion and lifelong interest.
That’s why we decided to put together this article for you, to give a glimpse into the life of an arborist, both the day-to-day arborist duties and highlights as well as what goes into being an arborist.
Whether you’re a homeowner or property manager looking for the services of an arborist in Ottawa, or you’re looking to move up (pun intended) to a career in arborist services, we hope you find this both educational and entertaining.
Why Become an Arborist?
The more obvious answer to the ‘why’ and ‘who’ questions about becoming an arborist involve an interest in and passion for trees – and for arboriculture, as it’s called professionally.
Do some people’s love or passion for arborist work begin with loving to climb trees?
Actually, yes, it often does.
Think back to when you were a kid (if you’re still a kid at heart, even better!). Wasn’t climbing trees a hoot? Did you love getting high (in elevation, not in a mood-altering way!) and enjoying the view from that perch?
If so, that’s a pretty good start right there. Though being an arborist goes well beyond climbing trees.
If you love the outdoors, if you have a keen interest in taking care of plants, trees, hedges, flowers and the like, then there could be a natural step to becoming an arborist.
What Does Being an Arborist Entail?
Beyond a love for natural life, trees and the outdoors, being an arborist also entails serving people.
After all, as much as we enjoy being amongst trees on public lands (such as those found around Ottawa & the Outaouais, e.g. the glorious Gatineau Park), arborists make their living serving people such as homeowners, property managers and anyone who owns or manages land with trees.
Being an arborist in Ottawa and across goes hand in hand with being a people person.
At Croft Tree Experts, we love being able to help people, and it’s our pleasure to serve people in Ottawa and surrounding communities through arborist services such as tree planting, pruning, tree removal, hedge trimming, stump grinding and much more.
On a given day being an Ottawa arborist, from around April through October our schedule is filled with client projects, from tree removal and tree pruning to stump removal and much more. In the winter months it’s slower, of course, but there are still some jobs and we’re also planning for the upcoming busy season.
We take pride in listening to what our clients need, rather than offering some sort of one-size-fits-all prescription. We inspect every site before we offer a quote. Sometimes people think that a tree is beyond saving and tree removal is their only option, for example, but it turns out that (through a site visit) we realize we can save the tree with some TLC.
So as you can see, being an arborist in Ottawa really does mesh people skills with a love of trees.
Becoming a Certified Arborist
Many arborists got their start with a base of education in fields including:
- Environmental science
- Horticulture
- Natural resources
- Conservation
- Geosciences
… as well as many others.
Whatever your background, the next important step is getting certified as an arborist.
The ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) is the gold standard in earning and maintaining globally recognized standing as a certified arborist.
At Croft Tree Services in Ottawa, arborists are ISA certified, meaning we have been recognized as having the prerequisite education, knowledge and experience necessary to serve clients at the highest level of arborist services in Ottawa.
ISA certified arborists also have to undergo periodic recertification, meaning we’re staying current, up to date and on the (sorry, we couldn’t resist) cutting edge of tree care.
If you’re a homeowner looking for Ottawa arborist services such as tree planting, tree pruning, tree removal or other tree care, please contact us today.
If you are interested in becoming an arborist, we’ve added a few videos below that you may want to watch. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Here’s a well-produced video from Stihl on a Day in the Life of an Arborist:
Short film entitled The Arborist:
And an episode of Everyday Humans featuring an arborist:
Thanks again for stopping by, and for your interest in Ottawa arborists!