On Becoming an Arborist

5/19/23

When I was a kid, I used to think that trees just behaved themselves— that they knew somehow not to extend their limbs into busy highways, or drape their leaves over the roofs of houses. I had no idea that there was a craft dedicated to the care and maintenance of trees. Back then I was lucky if I had one “tree thought” a day. At most, I might have noticed a cracked and uneven sidewalk, briefly marveled at the roots that caused the damage, then forgotten all about it a moment later. But as I’ve gotten older, I see that unconsciously I was always drawn to trees. Whenever I could be outside, in the woods at the end of my dead-end street, I was there: under the leaves, walking the trails, enjoying a sense of peace that I wasn’t able to fully appreciate until I got a little older.

      I’m not alone in my inclination toward trees. I think we are all drawn to them, whether we know it or not. They play many roles in our lives, constantly affecting us in big and small ways. They are ever-present, even when they’re only in the background, lending their character to the passing moments. Hopefully we all know the simple pleasure of watching swaying trees through a classroom or office window, of being struck— if only for a few seconds— by the majesty of that tangle of branches and rustling leaves.

     As I’ve progressed in my profession, I have come to believe that a big part of an arborist’s job is to remind people of their closeness to trees— remind them that trees are not just a commodity, a decoration, a potential hazard, or (on occasion) a nuisance, but living beings, with a grand and quiet dignity. They each have their own individual nature that is worth preserving, and ought to be cared for thoughtfully when coexisting with us. 

      So while my work consists largely of pruning residential trees, I see my calling as being one of tree advocacy, and I can think of few roles more fulfilling than being a voice for a form of life so vital and so often overlooked, life that is always speaking to us in its own way, whenever we are willing to stop and listen.

-Nick