We invest a good amount in making our landscapes beautiful, safe, and healthy. Developing a relationship with someone who will take the time to understand your needs, your landscape needs, and finding a balance between the two is the best way to make this investment last. This takes a special person who has dedicated themselves to science and art regarding trees in our urban landscapes.
There are numerous certifications and qualifications a professional can achieve to distinguish themselves as experts in the arboricultural field. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is the main credentialing platform in which many aspiring arborists work through to obtain these certificates and qualifications. Every qualification and certification builds off the first ISA certification. Becoming an ISA certified arborist requires a level of field experience and schooling to qualify to apply for the test. This means you would not meet a certified arborist who does not have field experience in the industry. Certified arborists will be able to discuss many tree/shrub issues and be able to write their work orders in a way a qualified arborist would understand. A qualified arborist is someone who has shown proficiency while performing best management practices while aloft in the trees or working from ladders on the ground.
These are the people who are doing the actual work. Once certified, a professional can continue with their education and obtain a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) and Prescription Pruning Qualification (PPQ). Someone with TRAQ is qualified to analyze and determine a risk value for a certain tree while PPQ is an in-depth, specific pruning prescription for how they want the tree pruned, focusing on structural integrity and longevity. If you are worried about storm damage potential, these qualifications carry some weight. Additionally, you may find these professionals will hold state-specific certifications such as the Massachusetts Certified Arborist.
As we continue our professional journey, staking up years of experience, additional certifications and qualifications, hours with our noses in books, eventually we may apply to obtain our Board-Certified Master Arborist. This is the highest level offered by ISA and requires an advanced level of understanding of a broad range of issues trees may face in our urban landscapes.
The last one to discuss are those who are a Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA) issued by the American Society of Consulting Arborist (ASCA). If you need legal advice, formal written documents, objective reporting, or even appraisals, these are the professionals you will need to talk to.
Finally, all these certifications require experience, testing, and proof of continuation education. We cannot pay a fee at the end of each year; we must show that we continue to educate ourselves in arboriculture. If you are looking to remove, preserve, or are curious about your trees, a certified arborist is a good person to know.
