Planting seeds of opportunity

My education in the care of trees began when I was 21 years old. A friend asked me to help him and his father remove a tree in his side yard. I quickly climbed it and started to remove the tree. I thought I was doing an awesome job. In reality, I was all over the place. Two friends, who were independent contract tree climbers and had been working in the neighborhood, stopped by. They wasted no time in telling me to come down before I injured myself ... and I wasted no time taking their advice. They were kind enough to finish taking the tree down for me at no charge. I’m here to tell this story thanks to my good friends. These two men inspired me to learn more about the care of trees.

My career in arboriculture has ranged from being an industrial climber to serving as an expert witness in a courtroom. Education is the key to success in any field, and in the tree care industry, education can save lives and save trees. For the professional arborist, opportunities for continued education are endless. My career wouldn’t be where it is today if I hadn’t taken advantage of the educational programs that ISA offers.

Reaching out to a whole community to specifically offer a career in arboriculture and urban forestry is rare. Here in Memphis, an organization called The Works, Inc. has accepted the challenge and did just that. They applied for an Urban Community Forestry grant to be applied to a Workforce Development program. This Workforce Development program will be identical to a college semester with classes ranging from First Aid and CPR

by Wes Hopper, Tennessee Director

training to Pre-Employment Readiness with tree care and urban forestry mixed right in. This program will be held in the fall and is intended to help students learn a new career path to better serve their communities in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry.

Another upcoming program is the Memphis Urban & Community Wood Academy which will have a strong emphasis on the end-use of the tree/wood that is removed in the urban forest to keep this renewable resource out of landfills. The target community for this program will be the tree service industry.

The longest-lasting program is the Urban Forestry Advisor Class sponsored by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council West TN Chapter and the Memphis Botanic Garden. This program got up and running almost 20 years ago and is intended to educate the public how to understand their trees and to understand how to hire an arborist. This program offers two scholarships, usually given to students or someone dedicated to a non-profit organization associated with urban forestry.

As a representative of the Southern Chapter, I am very proud to be involved with all of these programs, not only as an instructor but to be a part of providing this service to my city. The opportunities I have received from the ISA’s continuing education programs have been an intricate part of my career.

It’s a good season to plant seeds of opportunity for the next generation. A quote from Matshona Dhliwayo,“It only takes one seed to plant a forest.”

Reasons to support ISA Certification

Companies and managers have numerous benefits when they support their team pursuing professional credentials in the field.

Increased confidence and knowledge

In the process of preparing to earn a professional credential, professionals gain insight and knowledge for tasks they already perform and more confidence when discussing work with clients and peers.

Better hiring and retention

Crew members value companies who are willing to invest in them and their professional development. Professional credentials can serve as an independent and standardized assessment of the knowledge and skills required for a job. Adding credentials and support for earning or maintaining a credential helps companies hire and retain competent professionals.

Greater productivity and safety

Professional certifications can help increase productivity as it allows team members to learn and implement industry-accepted best practices and standards and do their work safely and more efficiently while helping reduce insurance costs and accident rates.

Enhanced trust and public opinion

Owners and crew leaders are better able to meet industry standards of service and the work of their crews tends to be trusted in quality and consistency with less interventions. Studies have shown a higher preference by the general public for certified professionals.

What are employers saying…

“The ISA Certified Arborist credential is recognized as the standard for professionals in the tree care industry. Our clients gain confidence in our services when they know our employees are qualified and well-trained, and our employees recognize this as a rewarding step along their career path. By encouraging our employees to pursue ISA certification it helps us retain those employees that have invested in advancing their skills, and it also serves to attract new employees who seek rewarding careers.”

- R.J. Laverne, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® (NE-0282B) Manager of Education and Training, The Davey Tree Expert Company

“Credentials and credentialing programs such as ISA’s help our teammates to continue developing in their careers, as well as demonstrate to our clients and industry their mastery and qualification to perform the many services required in arboriculture.”

- Scott Prophett, ISA Certified Arborist and Tree Worker Climber Specialist (MA-0103AT) Director of Safety, Bartlett Tree Experts