What inspired you to become a tree surgeon? 

 

​Whilst working as a primary school teacher, my class were watching a tree team working in the school grounds, a group of girls where overheard saying that they would never be able to do that job because its for boys only.

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How did you get started in the industry? 

 

With a cheeky smile and some gentle persuasion with the tree team that were working at the school, they agreed to give me a few days so that I could shadow them, to see what the industry was all about. The couple of shadowing days turned into two days a week working the chipper, all the time saving money and applying for grants to gain my first tickets.

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Can you describe your journey or any pivotal moments that helped you grow in this field?

 

Once I applied for grants and was awarded them, I wrote to several leading retailers in our industry, seeing if anyone would be interested in sponsorship, and although I didn’t gain any, I was fortunate to meet an amazing person who gave me my first helmet and lots of support as I started. Without their encouragement and support I wouldn’t have been able to get pass some of the challenges that I have overcome in my first year of arb.

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What do you enjoy most about working as a tree surgeon?

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I enjoy the variety of work no two days are the same, we can be felling trees one day, Hedge-laying the next and then supporting other tree firms with TM. I have just passed my chainsaw in a tree ticket so I’m really enjoying climbing and working from the tops of trees. As a tree surgeon we get to see the world from viewpoints that not many people will every experience its a special sense of freedom. 

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Is there a specific part of the job you find especially rewarding, such as saving a tree, working in nature, or helping customers?

 

Firewood, its a part of the job that lots of people in the industry look down on and moan about. But for me if we are having to take trees down I like them to be used for a purpose and if they can help provide the customer with a source of warmth for the winter and lower their other bills then I feel a real sense of achievement.

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What aspects of tree care do you find most fascinating or interesting?

 

Pest and diseases, the lack of bio-security the UK compared to other countries which has led to us losing a lot of our native trees, and yet we still haven’t increased bio-security to a level that’s truly needed to protect our native trees from mass diseases.

 

 

What do you find most challenging about your work, and how do you overcome those challenges?

 

In the beginning it was the level of physical fitness needed and the misconception that people think muscle strength is more important, when it is overall physical and mental health of your body which is important. 

I overcame the challenges by not following the stereotypes of the industry and in turn listening to my body and building my fitness level to where it needed to be and doing on a timeline that suited me.

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Are there any memorable experiences or stories from your career that you feel really encapsulate the satisfaction you get from being a tree surgeon?

 

A memorable experience for me was after gaining my felling ticket, rocking up to my first woodland and felling over my first diseased Ash tree I turned around to see my teammates faces and how proud they were of me it made me realise I had chosen the right career to change into. 

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How do you handle the more physically demanding or stressful aspects of the job? 

 

Fruit tea and chocolate help whilst on the job, and effective communication between teammates, and lots of hot baths for achy muscles.

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Do you think the industry is changing in any way? What do you hope to see in the future of arboriculture or tree surgery?

 

The approach towards women in the industry is slowly changing although some of the bigger brands and associations could support and encourage more women into the industry by providing more equipment designed for them. At the moment PPE for women is very limited in the industry.

 

I would definitely like to see a more stringent bio-security system like Australia so that we are protecting our native trees and ecosystem as much as we possibly can.

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What advice would you give to someone considering a career as a tree surgeon?

 

Find a team who are interested and supportive of you as an individual and will help you grow and in return give that back to the team.