looking for something to do after uni (sustainable development degree) and have been thinking about tree surgery. i like the outdoor, active, aspect of the job, and am more than happy to have a practical job, rather than some nameless office working for some meaningless company…

obviously i'd be starting very low in a company, and would need quite a bit of training in tool use, rope work, chemicals, fertilizers, safety etc.

i also like the sustainability aspect (well, according to the web sites i've read, it has one), of maintaining tree health etc.

anyone got any real experience of it? whats it like? good work?

dunno if it would be a life-long career, but certainly something i might be interested in doing for a while at least. ultimately would love to move abroad and work, i imagine tree surgery is a pretty internationally available job?!

I thought about it, but found I couldn't stand the sight of sap…

Sorry – old joke…

hard, physical work at the basic level. chainsaws are dangerous, climbing trees is dangerous, climbing tress with chainsaws….
clearing up is the big job.
best bet is to try and get some work alongside a few tree surgeons, and see what they do and how they work. they're everywhere, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Swamped market for which you would be viewed as over qualified for and would take a bit of work/lying to get foot in the door as a degree holder.ie they know they will invest training in you and youll jump ship

Speaking as someone who used to labour for a tree surgeon

one of the most dangerous jobs going i believe.

falling out a tree that you are attched to by to a rope with a chainsaw attached to you by a rope is not my idea of fun!!

Does everyone reading this thread have the 'Nationwide Mulcher Hire' advert over there? —>

I want that machine.

Does everyone reading this thread have the 'Nationwide Mulcher Hire' advert over there? —>

yep i have it!! looks good bit of kit

If you want a career in arboriculture:
Merrist Wood College possibly has the best reputation for arboriculture.
http://www.guildford.ac.uk/CourseInformation/CourseSearchResults.aspx?CommandArray=SR%7cCourseTitle__ShortCourseDesc__Keywords%7cLIKE%7carboriculture

Or

Even if you just want a job with a chainsaw then you will need NPTC certificates Basic chainsaw maintenance, felling small trees , crosscutting etc (just to be insured)
http://www.nptc.org.uk/latest-news/detail.asp?dsid=444

hmm, interesting, thanks. have been considering getting a chainsaw license, just for the hell of it anyway.

after the stress of uni, i just want something where i'm not in a high pressure/stress job, working outdoors for a bit.

will have a think.

after the stress of uni

🙄

after the stress of uni

Hahaha!!haha!!lol!!!hahaha….

aaaah…… <<sniff>>

<<wipes eyes>>

<<cleans glasses and regains composure>>

Ahem. Sorry about that.

Edit: D'oh – too slow 😀

after the stress of uni

Been on stressful uni courses, been on easy ones.
Had very stressful jobs, had piss easy ones.

lol.^

Your outlay for the (basic) chainsaw course (NPTC CS 30/31 if i remember right) will be several hundred quid, not including some decent safety gear (another few hundred quid) and a saw (a few hundred quid), so doing it for the hell of it will be an expensive hobby. Then once you've done the basics course you have to do quite a few more courses and tests before you are "qualified"

If you want to go out on your own as a business i'd imagine you need millions of pounds worth of personal and public liability cover too..

stress is all relative. one of the longest dissertations in the uni, one of the top universities, new course at the uni which has been recognised as one of the best of its kind in the uk, and as such is very demanding.

plus depression

plus a whole host of other issues related to the caring of another person

=

stress.

Being a labourer with a chain saw is not really comparable to being a treesurgeon / arborist.
Even to be a labourer you might need to have experience of tractor driving etc.

Want some of my Citalopram? I've got loads.

Sorry HM. I (we?) do not mean to mock, but having been through Uni and then spent the last 20+ years in the workplace, give me Uni any day.

Sorry HM. I (we?) do not mean to mock, but having been through Uni and then spent the last 20+ years in the workplace, give me Uni any day.

Depends how seriously you take it and how much effort you put in. I did more hours/week at uni and had more critical deadlines than I've ever had in work since.

Reasonably seriously…

BSc Hons, Computer Science, late 80's

Currently a Tech Architect for a large outsourcing company. Spent the last 20 +years working through the ranks.

Strangely, I also looked into tree surgery a few years ago as a route away form the IT industry. What better things in life than climbing trees and chainsaws? Apart from them both at the same time…. and getting paid for it! 8)

Couldn't afford to do it though (mortgage, wife, kids etc)

I gave up IT to become a tree surgeon: went to uni again, got an ND, then a apprenticeship and so on.

I've just gone back to IT after a broken collerbone, followed by an AC joint separation on the same shoulder in a short space of time prevented me from climbing competetively.

I've just managed to squeeze myself back into the IT market and while I'm glad to be able to go home and go for a ride cause I'm not physically exhausted from climbing all day, I don't regret a single day of the eight years I was in the trees (well, apart from the one I stuck my saw into my cheek and needed over 100 stitches, but thats another story).

If you're really keen/interested, get over to arbtalk and start making some friends, they'll be plenty of people willing to help out if you're keen enough, but beware, you'll have to work hard for not much money to start.

Damion.

how about stone walling/hedgelaying – its something I have always fancied.

Again lots of courses covering these.
Less dangerous

I was an arborist for 5 years, before going on to electricity transmission towers. The job itself was the best especially if you like being outdoors. The pay was terrible. Nuff said! Bad weather working was awful, but summer weather was awsome and the views from a biggie are to die for. Councils generally pay more in my experience and don't have a limit on kit allowance!-) I loved it but got sick of the poor wage. I was taking home £250 a week as a chargehand at the council. Oh, and it's hard on the body too, no joke!

My brother is a tree surgeon – worked up from a YTS, got taken on by a particularly good 'climbing tree surgeon' (not many good climber surgeons) and grafted very hard. Worked for bigger companies and has been self employed for the last 15 or so years.
Very hard work, lots of kit, lots of insurance, long hours, often rubbish working conditions (outside is great, but all year every year). He has joint troubles from the cold damp conditions and physical nature of the work, his work has dropped off a lot and will be low to build back up – which brings stress etc. He is often undercut by transient unqualified types with no insurance etc. Saying that, he loves it – but it is certainly not for everyone.

Thatching ? Meant to be a 2 year waiting list on that.

thanks guys

thatching and stone walling… hmm… 🙂

A lot of Big Issue salesprofessionals do outdoors work.

The hnd arb is a good course, and get over to arbtalk and treebuzz. The photos on there will get you wanting to get up a tree for sure. And try to become an arborist rather than a tree surgeon!

My brother-in-law is a tree surgeon, works for a company that have big contracts clearing trees from pylons, railway lines, etc.
He's had enough – only in his mid 20s & knackered from the physical aspects of it all, having done it for 10years.
He's found (from the 2 company's he has worked for – council & private) that staff are treated like crud too…

Why don't you try fencing out and work with a fencing contractor I love it 🙂

Even though tree climbing/felling is dangerous it's kind of the easy part and seems to be the bit everyone looks at. It's the picking up,raking up,dragging bits of tree and chipping that is bloody hard work and can often be dirty wet work. And after working around a chipper all day silence IS golden.

Tree surgery is OK, but still pretty 'urban' at times….why not think about chainsaw work more generally – ie forestry !

Although most timber is felled by £300k harvestermachines these days, motor manual saw operators are still required for both the hairy and edge trees.

Real countryside, big views, probably a much harsher environment, but alot less restricted than being up a tree in someones garden ?

+1 for forestry – something I've really fancied but too late to change now. Trouble is you'd probably need another degree to get anywhere.

Actually – I mean forestry rather than man with saw.

I have just completed my chainsaw ticket. It is something that I use on a regular basis in my work(canals), although I don't do the climbing. The course was quite intensive but enjoyable.

since i seem to be the only one here who is an arborist then i guess i better reply!

Putting things simply these are the bad points

Hard work physically, unless you rock climb already it will take your body upto 2 years to be able to cope, and even then you regularly have exhausted muscles.

Repetative, you do lots of the same kind of work and that obivously gets dull

you will be a chipping bitch at the beggining, dragging brush around 8 hours in a day can be mind numbingly boring.

Rain, climbing in rain is miserable, your hands go soft and cold and things get painful. The ropes are wet and difficult to work with, and the bark very slippery. Working on the ground in the rain isnt so bad.

Good sides are a strong body, and having loads of energy bizarrely (maybe because your body gets used to the intensity), exciting days at work.

You really have to be able to push your ability, overcome fear almost daily, otherwise you wont get better. Chainsaws are terrifying at first but you soon get used to them and dont give it a second thought.

Its not a job for the clumsy, mistakes obivously can have terrible consequences.

Hope that helps

Im doing the opposite you you, I am going to uni this september to study Arboriculture in the hopes that i can teach. I really love climbing trees, but as soon as you are there to work it does take some fun out of it.

thanks guys, some really interesting points on here. i'll keep it all for later and have a think. got lots of options at the moment, but keep trying to find more, you never know what you might come across…

🙂

After 18 years as an Arborist all I can say is go for it. If you want it and enjoy it you'll do ok. Where are you based?

Chainsaws – best viewed with deep suspicion at all times. I'd second not for the cack handed.

Afraid its going to have to be the v-word from me – volunteer with one of the county wildlife trusts / national trust / national park see how outdoor work suits you. Sorry but there's less work around with some highly experienced people chasing it.

There are some good structured programmes out there that put you through various tickets as part of the package. Atleast you get something tangible for nothing.

Countryside work – its not highly paid, it can take a long time to break in but its worth it in the end.

You get to work with chainsaws

!!CHAINSAWS!! by god 😀 😀 😀

+1 for what treefingerlongboards said. Do the basics for 2 to 5 years then do a degree in arb. as you'll need a rest.

Hungry monkey, come with me, as soon as I've done with geoggers I'm off to Canada to become a lumberjack.
I'm seriously keen, I'm going to start a women only lumber company, but you can wear a wig.
I'm going to tie it in with my ice trucker venture, the company will fell and dispatch logs, it's going to be excellent.

Come with me and live the dream

Do the basics for 2 to 5 years then do a degree in arb. as you'll need a rest.

No dis'pect to the arb trade but having done a 4 year degree plus all that You'd probably want to be doing something a bit more lucrative. Just buy a chainsaw and some crampons and make it into a hobby. You could work for Defra if it doesn't contract massivley, I'm sure there are lots of out-and-about roles? Or just become a farmer, 20% are retiring in 5 years and the average age is now 55 so we need a few more! But then again we should all be growing our own food in mixed cropping in harmony with nature 🙄