Arborist
Arborists plant, grow, maintain and remove trees. For some employers, an arborist may also have responsibilities for the sale of trees such as preparing estimates for clients and potential customers. Additionally, they help to identify health of tree species and determine and prescribe needed care.
What Responsibilities Will I Have?
- Use ropes, saddles, climbing equipment and/or rigging to safely trim or remove trees
- Prune trees in an appropriate and aesthetically pleasing manner
- Ensure all equipment is properly maintained and safely operated, checked on a daily basis and maintained regularly
- Collect data on the size, age and health of trees
- Identify and determine the health of tree species and prescribe needed care
- Identify detrimental insects or plant diseases and manage their removal
- Operate a variety of mechanical equipment in a safe manner
- Enhance soils by fertilizing, irrigating, mulching and aerating
- Prepare estimates for clients and potential customers
- Provide advice on trees and woody plants to residential, commercial and government representatives
- Apply chemicals, if certified or under the supervision of a certified applicator
- Successfully manage and protect forests in various stages of health
Recommended High School Courses:
- agricultural education
- plant science
- biology, botany
- ecology
- earth science
- geography
Education/Training Required:
A bachelor’s degree in arboriculture, landscape architecture, urban forestry, environmental conservation, plant science, horticulture, biology or a related field is usually needed.
