What is a certified arborist?
Arborists, also known as tree surgeons or tree doctors, are professionals who work with trees. While at first thought pruning and cutting down trees might seem simple and straightforward, the truth is anything but. Trees are complex organisms which can be damaged by improper interventions and thrive when they have proper care. Arborists, specifically certified arborists, are experts trained in the art and science of caring for individual trees. They have the knowledge, training, and equipment necessary to work on your trees. So, what exactly makes an arborist a certified arborist?
Certified arborists are tree care professionals who have a minimum of three years full-time experience working with tree care, and who have passed an in-depth examination covering all aspects of arboriculture. The International Society of Arboriculture, or ISA, is the governing body and credentialing organization for arborists in Canada and abroad. Certified arborists must always continue their education and adhere to a strict code of ethics in order to maintain their certification. Only certified arborists truly know how to care for your trees and what kind of work is necessary.
Arborist work is an investment
Arborists are tree care specialists which means they are dedicated to ensuring that your trees are healthy and thrive. And while keeping trees healthy is our passion, it may not be your primary motivating factor. But working with an arborist has a number of advantages for property owners, even if they aren’t as passionate about trees as we are.
Trees can add value to a property, that is if they are properly cared for. According to MoneySense, trees can raise the average home’s value by more than $19,000 on average. By letting your beautiful trees on your property die, you are throwing away that money. Having an arborist work on your tree is a solid investment in the value of your home, which will pay dividends down the line.
Arborist work can be dangerous
Another reason why hiring an arborist to work on your property is because of how risky (and often illegal) it is to do the work yourself. Apart from the fact that in most cases felling a tree on your own is not permitted, it is a very dangerous task to undertake. Arborists have years of training on the job and have passed exams about how to care for, work on, and remove trees. Private individuals do not have the training to safely remove trees on their own. Even pruning trees can be very dangerous. The tools used by arborists are designed to cut through trees which are much more solid than limbs and larger branches themselves can cause serious injury or death if they are not removed properly.
Risks to your health and safety are just the beginning when it comes to doing tree work yourself. If you are attempting to prune a large tree, or cut down a tree of any size on your own you run the risk of damaging your home, vehicles, taking out power lines, blocking the road, or more. And all this without any insurance. When you work with arborists, on top of having the experience to prevent accidents they are insured so that if anything does, you are covered. Don’t risk injury and significant damage to your property, protect yourself by working with a certified arborist today!
Arborists have authorization to do work others can’t
One of the most practical reasons why you should work with an arborist is that sometimes you have no other choice if you want to remain on the right side of the law. In the City of Ottawa for example, the intervention of an arborist is required at multiple points when removing a tree.To get a tree on your property removed, you must receive a Distinctive Tree Permit. To get such a permit, first an arborist will be consulted to determine whether or not a tree on a property can and should be removed. Afterwards, they will produce an Arborist Report which will be submitted to the city. Upon approval a certified Arborist will proceed with the tree felling and removal. The City of Ottawa, barring a few specific exceptions, does not allow that private individuals remove trees from their property at their own discretion and by themselves, so even if you wanted to take on all the safety and financial risks yourself you would not be able to.
When it comes to trees, it is best to leave their care and removal to the professionals. Arborists will make tree care easier and safer all while increasing your property value and ensuring you remain within the law. If you need an arborist to do work on your property, contact us today! We are happy to help!