Does a certification mean the person working on my tree knows what they are doing?

It means they passed an exam covering tree biology, pruning standards and safe work practice, and that they have kept up the continuing education needed to hold it. That is real and worth asking about. What it does not certify is judgment — in my experience reading a tree's prognosis accurately is one of the most difficult parts of the work, and no exam measures it. Training is how the knowledge stays current; watching what someone volunteers about your trees before they mention price is how you judge the rest.

Who on the crew is certified?

All managing arborists hold ISA certification, and we require pruning crew foremen to acquire ISA Tree Worker certification. We pay all certification-related expenses for employees and encourage everyone to hold the highest level they qualify for. Maintaining any of these requires ongoing education, which is most of why this page exists.

What is the difference between a Certified Arborist and a Certified Tree Worker?

They certify two different halves of the job. A Certified Tree Worker demonstrates proficiency and safety on the production side — climbing, rigging, cutting. A Certified Arborist has to show a broad knowledge of tree health, pruning standards and best practice in tree care. Board Certified Master Arborist sits above both and is a separate exam. A crew doing good work usually has both kinds of person on it.

Is this training something you sell?

No. Nothing on this page is a service offering. It is here so you can see what stands behind the crew that shows up, and because certification and continuing education are things you can verify directly.

Company Training & Continuing Education

Continuing education and training are crucial to keeping our staff safe and working in accordance with accepted best practices for the arboricultural industry. Austin Tree Experts participates in a number of educational and professional development programs.

ISA Sponsored Conferences and Trainings

The Texas chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture hosts an annual multi-day conference every fall. They also offer additional trainings throughout the year. Our certified arborists and tree workers attend these events to stay on top of the latest in arboricultural research and proper pruning and climbing techniques. In addition, many of our employees volunteer with ISA in a variety of capacities to help encourage quality and professionalism throughout our industry. Members of our pruning crews compete in the annual Texas Tree Climbing Competition.

Internal Training

One or more of our senior arborists leads weekly training sessions for the other arborists and technicians. These sessions cover a variety of seasonally appropriate topics, including pest and disease diagnosis, plant health care, and compliance with state laws and regulations related to pesticide application. These sessions also allow our employees to share with each other what they’ve noticed in the field and get feedback from each other.

Quality Control Arborist

Austin Tree Experts has a full time quality control arborist who follows up on all pruning work to make sure that it was performed correctly. This allows us to address systematically any problems or shortcomings that we notice and schedule one-on-one training with individual climbers or crews who may need work in a particular area.

Outside Experts

We will occasionally bring in outside experts to supplement our internal expertise. Jose Mercado is a bilingual ISA Certified Arborist / Certified Tree Worker who has been in the tree care industry for over 20 years. We bring in Jose periodically from California for private classes.

ISA Certification

The International Society of Arboriculture is the certifying organization for our industry. Individuals can achieve certification as both (among others) Tree Worker and Arborist, as well as Board Certified Master Arborist. Tree Workers must demonstrate proficiency and safety in the production side of arboriculture. Certified Arborists must possess a wide range of knowledge related to health, pruning, and best practices in the care of trees.

Austin Tree Experts aggressively encourages all employees to seek and maintain the highest level of certification for which they are qualified. We require our pruning crew foremen to acquire tree worker certification. All managing arborists are certified. Maintaining certification requires ongoing education. Austin Tree Experts pays for all certification related expenses for our employees.