What is a tree arborist?

An arborist is a person who specialises in the care of trees, so if you need someone to take a look at an unhealthy tree, for example, you should call an arborist. They are sometimes called tree surgeons, arboriculturists, tree loppers or tree doctors, but what sets them apart from everyone else is that they are qualified in their particular field. 

So if you call one of our arborists, you won’t get a guy with a chainsaw and a truck turning up ready to cut down your trees. You will get someone who is highly experienced in the care of trees and is fully capable of giving you a complete report on how to manage your tree problem. Lopping might be one course of action, but an arborist makes sure that it’s the best option for your trees. 

So arborists are professionals in the tree industry, some of them have degrees and others will have certificates, but they are all qualified to do their job. Another difference between qualified arborists and everyone else is that they are trained to follow the industry’s best practices. This means that they’ll consider whether the maintenance of the tree or its removal is the best option, given the impacts of both actions on the ecosystem and the local community. 

What does an arborist do?

Certified arborists work for local councils, organisations, landlords, property developers and investors, homeowners and anyone who needs their assistance to deal with trees on their property. They can assess the health of a tree and identify any disease or pests that might be causing harm to the tree. They can devise a treatment plan to bring the tree back to its optimal health or decide to lop a few dead, damaged, unhealthy or unsafe branches. They can even decide that a tree is too far gone to save and needs removing, as well as identify unsafe trees that may be healthy but still need removing. They can prop up large weighty branches of old trees that should be saved, securing these branches so that they don’t fall and endanger anyone walking underneath the tree.

A certified tree arborist can provide a comprehensive assessment report on the health of a tree and the required actions, whether that’s treatment or removal. Councils regularly employ arborists to check the health and safety of trees in public spaces, alongside roads and footpaths and in public parks. In this role they help to keep the community safe and our trees healthy. They may decide to lop off a few overweight branches to provide more stability to a tree in a park and can be seen regularly pruning trees around power lines to ensure that the community is kept safe.

Arborists are also trained to scale trees and work with a roping system and chainsaw to trim or remove trees from the top down. Some of these trees are huge (up to 50m or more) and should only be tackled by experienced arborists. This is the type of work that shouldn’t be taken on by amateurs or even homeowners who can be very handy with a chainsaw! There’s too much that can go wrong, particularly if you’re climbing a tree with a chainsaw!

At the end of the day, if it’s at all possible, arborists will do everything in their power to maintain the health and integrity of your trees, rather than resorting to removing them, which is always their last option. So if you need any help at all with your trees, your best course of action is to call an experienced arborist.

How do I become a certified arborist?

If you’re interested in caring for trees in Australia you can usually find a traineeship with another arborist and then start studying for your qualifications. The minimum requirement for this type of job is a nationally recognised certified arborist training course, which is a Certificate III in Arboriculture, but you can also go to university and study for a bachelor’s degree in horticulture. You can also study for a Diploma in Arboriculture or Certificate II in Arboriculture, and then there are certificates in chainsaw safety and working at heights. Once qualified, you can apply for an Australian Arborist Industry Licence that recognises your qualifications and can be used as proof of your qualifications. 

What services does Kiwi Tree Lopping offer?

At Kiwi Tree Lopping, we provide lopping, trimming, pruning, stump grinding and removal services, as well as expert specialist arborist services in Brisbane, Logan City, Redland Bay and the Gold Coast. Our team has all the right insurances, qualifications and experience to perform a quality job safely and quickly. We can scale the tallest trees, lop or prune them, even remove them from your property if necessary. When we are removing or lopping tall trees we make sure that the branches land exactly where needed, keeping houses, people, pets and farm animals safe from injury. We can also leave the mulch with you or take it away, and grind the stump or remove it completely, leaving your property safe and tidy and minus one tree!

We also provide emergency 24/7 tree services, so if a tree falls over in a storm or a branch falls on your house or car, we can be there quickly. We’ll assess the situation and either remove the tree then and there or make the area safe and come back at a better time to do the work. 

• Tree removals, trimming and pruning
• Mulching and chipping
• Stump grinding and removal
• Specialist arborist services
• Emergency tree services 

We provide our services to homeowners, property developers, shopping centres, golf courses, local councils and everyone who needs their trees cared for and maintained. So if you need help with your trees, whether that’s regular maintenance, removal of trees or help with an unhealthy or unsafe tree, you can’t go wrong calling the experts – Kiwi Tree Lopping!