Harness shackle

Equipment and Gear Inspection

Regardless of the increase in mechanization on the production-arborist job site, many tasks still require the fundamental equipment of rope, harness, connecting link, mechanical aids and other various pieces of climbing and rigging equipment. As such, basic equipment inspection is still a prerequisite skill for arborists working in the field. As with many fundamental skills, […]

Snow on a roof man with long yellow pole

Preparing for and Performing Storm Work

As arborists, it is our job to make sure the interface of trees and our society, with all its infrastructure, is functional, and that trees and our society coexist. Mother Nature often stresses this relationship! When storms hit, arborists must clean up the mess and repair the trees that are left. Therefore, storm cleanup is […]

Many hands on a trunk of a tree

Philosophical Strategies to Help Deal with a Tough Job

Production tree work can be complex. The demands on our time and physical and mental energy can be great. At times, the list of tasks we need to accomplish can force us into what I call a “feeling of overwhelm,” a feeling that, no matter how hard we try, the tasks will never get done. […]

Knotting Really Matters

As working arborists, ropes are a vital part of our daily work. From climbing to rigging, rope is a ubiquitous component of our systems. As soon as you give a rope a job, it becomes a line, and a line requires a connection to something to do its job. While there may be many ways […]

Seven Great Reasons to Relocate Your Lowering Device

As production arborists, we are often in a position where rigging is needed to lower tree parts. Whether we are preventing damage to the tree or the surrounding landscape or property, making the job more efficient by cutting larger pieces and/or lowering them into a more convenient place or managing risk, rigging is an intrinsic […]

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