What you know as tree care is known as arboriculture in the tree care industry. . It includes the following services that you are probably familiar with — planting, pruning, removal, plant health care, diagnostics, pest ID, emergency care and preservation. But it also extends beyond that to the science behind trees. What is commonly thought of as tree care is just a small part of arboriculture.
An arborist is the person you think of as the tree care expert — the person you hire to prune or deadwood your trees or the person a city or other interest hires to care for trees in public places.
Consulting Arborists are often consulted by other arborists, businesses, legal and governmental entities, environmental organizations, communities and individuals as the voice of authority in complex cases. Our expertise goes beyond routine care to the science of arboriculture. From tree names, the flora and fauna that live in and around trees, to the most complete knowledge about disease, Consulting Arborists are the authoritative experts on the life and death of trees.
Every consulting arborist in the American Society of Consulting Arborists database is an ASCA member, which means they have at least five years experience in arboriculture and a minimum of a four-year degree or the equivalent in arboriculture or a closely related field or a minimum of 240 continuing education units (CEUs). Those with the RCA after their names are Registered Consulting Arborists® , who have also completed the rigorous Consulting Academy. The Academy sharpens their consulting and communication skills, skills in developing effective written reports, increases their ability to carry out professional and legally defensible forensic investigations and enhances their professional roles in contentious situations. In order to maintain membership status, all ASCA members must be committed to continual education and earn 30 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every two years.
In all cases, when you hire an ASCA Consulting Arborist, you know you have the very best. With years of comprehensive experience and the most analytical and up-to-date skills, you'll have the right tree expert for your job! Consulting Arborists are called upon to provide many services. If a tree has damaged property and there is a court case involved, we would be called in to investigate and testify. Or an insurance company might call us to determine the value of a damaged tree. Communities might want us to determine how a new development will impact the environment or someone might need advice on how to plan a park. Consulting Arborists are even called by homeowners and businesses owners to counsel them on long-term planning for existing trees or new plantings
Whenever you need an authoritative expert, call on a Consulting Arborist. Whether a single consultant or as part of a team of professionals, we bring extensive knowledge. We’re adept at handling complex and involved situations, such as legal issues, environmental impact studies, preservation and historic issues, appraisals, damage and causation, as well as counseling and educating others on planning, preservation and maintenance issues. The more complex the situation, the more you need a Consulting Arborist.
When hiring a Consulting Arborist, there are a few things you can look for. First, look at their education did they attend college or a program specializing in arboriculture? Are they a member of a professional organization? The association for Consulting Arborists is called ASCA. Are they a graduate of the ASCA Consulting Academy? Do they have a professional designation? The official designation is RCA, which stands for Registered Consulting Arborist. You don’t have to find all of these credentials to find a good Consulting Arborist, but if you meet someone who can say all of these things, you know you’re dealing with the best.