My Priorities:  Care, Honesty, Awareness

I believe in a science-based, best-practices approach to arboriculture.  I assess every tree as a unique individual and take a holistic approach to its care.  Trees are highly-evolved apex organisms.  Much like human patients, trees are poorly-served by one-size-fits-all treatment common in the production-focused green industry.  Their life support systems rival the human body in complexity - and even within a single species there is a range of variability in structure, vigor, morphology, susceptibility to disease and more.  That variability requires awareness and sympathy to navigate.  I strive to provide the most well-informed, thoughtful tree care I can.  To that end, I carry and maintain Certified Arborist and Climber Specialist certificates from the International Society of Arboriculture.  I am committed to continuing education and am bound by the ISA’s code of ethics to provide the highest-quality treatment from the tree’s perspective.  I promise never to "top" a tree, spike a tree that's not being removed, or otherwise intentionally perform bad arboriculture.

Whenever feasible, I recommend preservation of a tree.  However, trees have significant impact upon their immediate plant, animal and human community.  Cultivated and natural stands are sometimes best-served by removing a few individual trees.  Similarly, when trees have been selected and sited poorly, or are allowed to grow in unsuitable locations, they may come into conflict with a homeowner’s values.  In the case of aging or unhealthy trees, they may present a hazard to life and property.  When it becomes necessary to remove a tree, I believe in doing it cautiously and safely.  I am careful to protect nearby structures and valued plant material, using rigging techniques and precision felling to prevent damage.  I will never rush through a removal.  I maintain my calm and never take a “good enough” approach to safety.

Click here for an explanation of why hiring a certified professional to take care of your trees makes good sense.

Certification number RM7365AT

Services I Provide

Pruning and removals

--large-stature deciduous and evergreen structural pruning

--retrenchment pruning of trees in decline phases of life

--fruit tree

--ornamental and "character", including bonsai-style pruning

--restoration pruning following storms or line clearance


Preservation

--cabling and bracing

--periodic inspections


Consulting

--Preventive care plans - ahead of construction or site modification

--preventive pruning

--preservation strategies

--risk assessment

--species selection and placement

--landscape planning advisement


Fire Mitigation

--defensible space planning

--thinning and firebreak clearing