What is an Arboriculturalist?

An Arboriculturalist is an amenity tree specialist. Arboriculture deals with all aspects of the growing, maintaining and removing of woody plants for any reason other than as a timber crop.

Arboriculturalists work in the towns and cities as well as in the countryside. Because Arboriculture is not limited to timber crop trees, the variety of species and situations the Arboriculturalist must be prepared to assess and understand is almost endless. Arboriculture is a service industry, seeking to reconcile the fears, needs and aspirations of people to the impacts, liabilities and constraints of the trees around them.

Trees are recognised as very important for both the landscape and the townscape. However, whilst the benefits of trees are recognised within legislation to far outweigh the problems of management and maintenance they create, it is not necessarily quite so easy to believe that statement when you are the person living under the tree. Arboriculturalists can find ways to ease the conflict between trees and people.

We live in an increasingly litigious society. More and more people seek someone to blame and sue for every accident in life. Encouraged by ambulance chasing lawyers, being the victim of a minor accident is likened by some to winning the lottery. That said, the dangers associated with trees can be very significant, and responsible tree owners should not neglect their condition and take risks with other people's health and safety. A suitably qualified and experienced Arboriculturalist can assess trees and judge whether the risks associated with their retention are reasonable or otherwise.

The relationship between trees and buildings - present and future, existing and proposed - is a massive subject area for Arboriculturalists. Trees may be a major factor in Planning Applications and Building Insurance matters. The Arboriculturalist needs a very thorough understanding of the relationship between living trees and built form, sunlight, daylight, moisture management and physical impact.

Trees are a massive part of our heritage and history. Understanding the history, and an individual tree's place in it, is important for the Arboriculturalist if our historic landscapes are to be recognised and protected.