What does a arborist do?
You climb into a living structure on ropes and take it apart in an order that keeps it holding you up the whole time.
Also called: tree surgeon, climbing arborist, tree care specialist.
A day looks like
- 1You survey from the ground first — targets below, the state of the tree, where the pieces can go.
- 2You climb tied in to two things, because one anchor is one failure away from the ground.
- 3You take the tree down in pieces small enough to control, from the top, which is slower and is the job.
- 4Your groundie is the person who keeps you alive, and you talk to each other constantly.
Hardest part
You are the load. Every decision about what to cut is also a decision about what is still holding you, and the piece you are standing on is part of the structure you are dismantling.
Best part
Reducing a tree that everybody assumed had to come down, so it is safe and still there.
How you actually become a arborist
- At schoolHead for heights and chainsaw certification — the climbing tickets come after the ground ones.
- TrainingAerial tree work and aerial rescue certificates; arboriculture qualifications for survey work.
- How longA year or two on the ground before climbing, several more before technical dismantles.
- Your first jobGroundworker — feeding the chipper, roping down, learning to read the climber.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between an arborist and a forestry worker?
- Forestry fells trees in a wood, usually for timber and usually from the ground. An arborist works on individual trees, often near buildings and people, frequently while climbing them, and as much of the work is keeping trees alive as removing them.
- Why take a tree down in pieces?
- Because there is usually nowhere for a whole tree to go. In a garden or a street the only controllable method is to remove it in small sections, lowered on ropes.
- Is a groundworker less skilled than a climber?
- No — the groundworker controls the rigging, keeps the drop zone clear and performs the aerial rescue if one is needed. Climbers are consistently clear that the person on the ground is what keeps them safe.
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