More and more people are learning about what an arborist is within the tree care business. What most people don’t realize is that there are multiple types of arborists instead of just one. Here at Bradley Tree, we have ISA-certified arborists who can help you with your needs. They are the experts you need to know if your trees need healthcare treatment, pruning, trimming, or the worst case scenario, to be removed. They will want to preserve your trees as much as possible, but they know more than anyone if your trees have problems, and that can come from the different types of arborists that you can talk to.
In this blog, we will break down the different types of certified arborists and what they can do for you if you need trees trimmed, pruned, removed, and more.
Explaining Who Each Arborist Is and What They Do
There are a few different types of arborists that we want to run through and break down so that people understand who to ask for when they have questions. Because many of them have different roles within this profession, it’s important to distinguish what each one does:
Climbing Arborist
Photo credit: https://www.climbingarborist.com/
Have you ever seen those people who swing from the trees in harnesses? We know you have! They are called climbing arborists. They use ropes and harnesses to access and work on trees from within the canopy, and they’ll prune your trees, be called in for tree removal, or complete other maintenance tasks.
It’s a tough job and one of the types of arborists that could warrant a thorough checkup on your tree if there’s a bigger problem than you think. Let’s say, for example, that you notice that your tree is exhibiting a disease that looks to stretch across the entire tree. A climbing arborist will be best tasked with being the one you call for. Not all arborists are trained in this scenario, but they are the ones you go to for it.
Ground Arborist
Photo credit: https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/blog/arborists-art-tree-care
Let’s hop on down now back to ground level, as we have the opposite of a climbing arborist with a ground arborist. What they do is right in the name; they are arborists who assist with tree care tasks from the ground, and will look to inspect trees if you want their bottom portions to be inspected.
One of their tasks might be to actually assist a climbing arborist with their tasks, as well as preparing the job site, chipping brush, cutting wood, and performing the final cleanup once the job is done. These people will be working in all kinds of weather conditions apart from the rest of the crew who come in to assist with the job of trimming, pruning, or removing a tree, so don’t be afraid to call us for their help regardless of the conditions (as long as it’s not during a lightning storm… that would not be ideal).
Commercial/Municipal Arborists
Photo credit: https://sylvanscapes.com/staunton-commercial-arborist/
Certain arborists have different kinds of tasks to their own, but then there are the arborists whose tasks revolve around the locations where your trees are located. The words commercial (public or by the government) and municipal (privately) imply that they will go to locations like large public properties, such as office parks, golf courses, retail centers, or around sporting stadiums, for example.
They perform the same tasks as other arborists, but with the specific needs of businesses, cities, and other organizations in mind, to maintain property value and ensure safety. In some cases, that makes this type of arborist a much more stressful job. Commercial arborists, therefore, could be called in for more emergencies if something were obstructing a company’s ability to run its business.
Consulting Arborist
Photo credit: https://treeshepherds.net/services/certified-arborist-consultations/
A consulting arborist is more than likely the person you will need the most because they are the ones who give the most important information possible to know to make proper decisions on how you control your trees’ health. They are the ones who give expert advice if you want to learn more, give you honest and accurate tree risk assessments, and then write up the reports that help you know what to do.
They don’t necessarily even have to perform physical work to do their inspections; all they have to do is look at the trees and be given their insights that way. If you’re looking for the type of arborist who will give you impartial, science-based guidance, they are the ones you ask for when you give us a call. Planning for tree preservation, or evaluating something as specific as storm damage, while providing expert testimony on the issues, is what you can expect from them.
Utility Arborist
Photo credit: https://training.acrt.com/arborist-training/line-clearance-arborist-certification-class/
When mentioning arborists who deal with emergencies, utility arborists deal with the BIG emergencies that require a quick job. If you have trees that are coming down around power lines or other utility infrastructure, to ensure public safety and prevent service disruptions, give a utility arborist a call.
Regardless of who you are looking for amongst these different arborist types, it’s important to learn about what they do so that there’s no confusion. No matter who it is, they want to help you! They enjoy working in this job more than anyone, and Bradley Tree works with some of the best here in Buffalo and Western New York. If you want to learn more about our arborist services and get in contact with any of them, read our arborist page, and reach out through our contact form if you have questions or require any of these great professionals. We can’t wait to help!