In many social circles, the term arboriculture is often unknown. In my experience, I am lucky if half the people in an average conversation even know what the term means. The ones that are familiar with the term may recognize that it has to do with tree trimming and removals. Up until recently, Microsoft didn’t recognize the term arboriculture; it underlined the word in red as if misspelled. The lack of awareness of arboriculture leads to a general misunderstanding of what it means to professionally care for trees and the importance of what that means to our urban forest and our health.
According to Merriam-Webster, arboriculture means “the cultivation of trees or shrubs especially for ornamental purposes.” Wikipedia, surprisingly, goes a little more in-depth and defines it as, “the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants” and that the science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and in the environment. This expanded definition really does start to paint the picture of arboriculture and the individuals who study and practice it professionally.
Now, most connect those who prune trees or provide tree pest management applications with arboriculture. They also associate arboriculture with the consultants who diagnosis a tree’s condition in order to create a plan to ensure the best opportunity for the health of the tree. Then, there are also those who work in the realm of consulting arboriculture. These are experts on assessing the condition of the tree in relation to the societal and economic impact, they identify inherent risks a tree may pose to the public and even assess the value of a tree if it were inadvertently removed or impacted. Yet there is so much more.
What you may not think of is that the wide world of arboriculture continues beyond those career paths specific to the field. Arboriculture creates opportunities in logistics, client service, and fleet maintenance. Those roles are represented here at Kramer Tree along with others such as Human Resources, Safety Specialists and Information Technology. However, the industry struggles to attract professionals to partake in the quest to enhance our urban forests. Perhaps a better understanding of arboriculture can make the difference.
In the end, arboriculture is so much more than pruning, removing or planting trees. Arboriculture is an industry made up of professionals in various roles who understand and care about the values that trees bring to our communities. Whether it’s in the field or in the office, these professionals are committed to how best to maintain and enhance our urban forests. So, help us spread the word of arboriculture to help build awareness and join our pursuit in attaining the values that a healthy urban forest provides.
–Paul Filary, Director of Operations