Be forewarned: Every shop has at least one jerk. Don’t sweat him, seniority will eventually pave your way.
Hey, I have one of these in my office now... : )

There is another side to tree work. . .
If you have a B.S. or better, there is a scientific/research side. That’s a lot different than “production” work.
That would be my dream job...crawling around the canopy studying epiphytes or something... I do have a B.S., but I imagine these types of jobs are few and far between...

I think I'm going to keep it in the recreational vein for now, try to hone up my skills and meet up with Tim down in Oregon at some point. Maybe try to pick up some small pruning jobs here and there...

You can have a great time doing pruning and light removal work without dedicating your life to it. Additionally, there are large private gardens frequently located in or near many of our cities which have a professional arborist on duty full time. If you can climb and have your own gear, you could probably hire-on as an assist for a while.

I don’t imagine you would earn much money but it’s got to be better than the grueling production work of a commercial arbor outfit.

The added plus: Climbing with others, especially ISA guys is always a learning experience. The more I climb with real arbor workers, the more I realize I don’t know crap. And they're a good bunch of guys from what I have seen thus far.

I like being a rec-climber, but I certainly do appreciate the pros.
Electrojake

P.S. Oregon eh? I’ll bet they have some great timber out there!

Hi There

How are you doing on your quest on becoming an arborist? Are you still looking for an opportunity to work in the field?

Treegirly