Remember the joy of climbing trees as a child? Imagine being able to do that for a living every day! That’s definitely one of the highlights of being an Arborist – it’s certainly not your typical office job, that’s for sure. But being an Arborist isn’t all child’s play of course. It’s an extremely physically demanding job that requires years of study, training and experience to become fully qualified. If you’ve ever thought about climbing trees for a living, here’s what it takes to become a professional Brisbane Arborist.
What Exactly Is An Arborist?
An Arborist is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the study, management and cultivation of trees and plants. Different to a tree lopper who will literally just lop limbs, Arborists have highly specialised knowledge on individual tree species and best practices for their care and general health and wellbeing. Arborists are also referred to as tree surgeons or tree doctors because they are essentially just that – a doctor for trees, in that they can diagnose a tree’s illness and treat it.
What Does A Brisbane Arborist Do?
You might have thought that an Arborist is the person you hire to come and prune your trees, which would be correct, but an Arborist can do so much more than that. An Arborist identifies the particular tree species, assesses the tree and determines if there are any issues relating to its structure, nutrition and disease. Just by looking at the tree, they are able to identify if there is any damage, disease or decay and advise if a tree is safe or unsafe. Once this is determined, they can provide a comprehensive plan for the care, rehabilitation and management of the tree, to promote its health and wellbeing. Alongside routine jobs such as tree pruning and removals, an Arborist may be called upon to do a site and hazard assessment, a protected tree report for developers, provide expert advice on the care of at risk trees and much more.
Certification And Training
To become a qualified, recognised Arborist here in Brisbane, you will need to complete at least an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level 3 or Certificate III in arboriculture. To perform some of the more advanced tasks where highly specialist knowledge and skill is required and to be considered a Consulting Arborist, you would need to complete a Level 5 or Certificate 5. Undertaking this course of study will teach you about a raft of things pertaining to tree care such as – tree maintenance and pruning, working safely at heights, working safely around power sources, traffic management, tree felling techniques, complex tree climbing, preparing and applying chemicals and so much more.
Skills And Personal Characteristics
Being a good Arborist requires a number of skills and personal characteristics. Here’s our list of some of the traits we think you need to be great:
- Physically fit
- Calm under pressure
- Decisive
- Problem solver
- Quick thinker
- Good time management skills
- Good communication skills
- Leadership qualities
- A love of nature and trees
- Not afraid of heights!
If you’re thinking about becoming an Arborist, you may want to start by working your way up – starting from a Groundsman, usually you’ll need about two years to learn the ropes – and working your way up to a Climbing Arborist and finally a Consulting Arborist.
If you feel you have the qualities required to be successful and the drive to succeed, being an Arborist is a rewarding, challenging occupation where you can be a big kid at heart most days and get paid for it.
A Brisbane Arborist You Can Trust
If you’re looking for a trusted Brisbane Arborist, look no further than Aussie Tree Solutions. Our team are highly skilled, trained and experienced and will get the job done safely and efficiently. Whether you need to have your trees pruned, a tree removed, stump grinding or advice from one of our Consulting Arborists, we’ve got you covered. Call us today for a free, no obligation quote.