Rescue is a vocation, profession and a lifestyle. An arborist is a person who combines all these components rescuing trees from death. The main quality of such specialist is primarily love to nature. What else do you need to join the ranks of specialists of the new eco-profession of our millennium? You will find it in our new material.

The profession of arborist (Lat. Arbor – tree) is a little bit similar to the work of a greensman, a forester and landscape designer but is fundamentally different from them. However, the arborist is a radically new profession. And while a greensman puts in trees and plants, a landscape designer thinks over a framework concept of their planting, and a forester simply saves woodland, an arborist treats every tree individually carrying on a follow-up examination (monitoring). Arborists like a doctor make a diagnosis and treat. And in complicated cases they save a tree from death. His duties include seasonal sanitation pruning, training of crown, wound cleaning, strengthening of the tree with bracings, etc.

Arborists often have to climb the trees (for instance, to cut the brunches) during the work. To make this they need special equipment – alpinist’s equipment are not appropriate and use of bucket lifts is not always possible. That’s why in more recent times a so-called creative arboriculture—an extreme sport similar to alpinism gains popularity. It intends climbing trees on high levels and even living on the crones of trees. However, the climbing for a professional arborist is not an end in itself. The health of the tree is much more important.

They say it is very easy to distinguish a real arborist from a nonpro: a real specialist will never cut a tree for a financial report. His priority is to save the “green friends”, help, strengthen and cure them. And only in extremis if there is a risk to people’s life the arborist will adopt extreme measures. And therefore, an inseparable arborist’s quality is, of course, love to the nature and all flesh.

Undoubtedly, corresponding preparations are needed besides the moral principles. For instance, in order to identify the seeds of disease and death of trees and, let us assume, find out the reason of roots rot you must possess serious knowledges in this field. And a mountaineering is needed for banal (as it seems to be) climbing the trees.

There are no such faculties because the profession is quite new. But there are special courses for arborists in universities for everyone. Also knowledges about arboriculture can be included into the course syllabus of landscape designers. And finally, some companies specialized on taking care of the trees give their own lessons for new workers.

Popsop has got acquainted with modern arborists in Instagram social media network.

Jerome (Instagram — @iamtreesus) is a certified arborist from Ontario, humanist and nature lover. And this is true, because his account is full of professional photos of the work process.

Esther Livesey (Instagram — @estherlivesey) is an arborist from Great Britain (Lake District). He is a worker of tree service company, a real professional in this business capable of breathing new life into trees even in challenging situations.

Annalize Wright (Instagram — @annakins_tree_walker) is a woman arborist from Great Britain, a tree lover, an alpinist, and, in addition to other duties, shopaholic and a mother of two. This woman really combines incompatibles such as man work and woman predilections.