Monika Buczko, CTSP, conducting safety training for one of her clients. Photo courtesy of Jack Morvin of Morvin Tree Pruning.

Monika Buczko. Photo courtesy of Redwood Consulting Arborists.

If you ask Monika Buczko what a typical workday looks like, she’ll laugh and tell you there isn’t one. “That’s one of the reasons I love what I do,” she says. “Every day brings a new assignment, a new client and a new challenge. I’m always learning.”

As the principal of Redwood Consulting Arborists in Pennsylvania, Buczko’s days may include leading weekly safety training, meeting clients on job sites, conducting tree diagnostics or working behind the scenes on legal cases. Safety is the common thread running through it all.

Buczko entered the arboriculture industry in 2007, founding and operating her own tree-service company with a strong emphasis on safety. She earned her Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) credential in 2015, reinforcing her belief that safety must be intentional, consistent and led from the top. As she continued earning advanced credentials and building field experience, requests for consulting work grew – and, in 2021, Redwood Consulting Arborists was born.

Finding her footing as a forensic arborist
A significant part of Buczko’s work is as a forensic arborist and expert witness, which places her in a very small, specialized subset of consulting arborists in the United States. Attorneys and insurance professionals rely on her to investigate cases involving tree failures, injuries or property damage. Initially hesitant to step into this line of work, Buczko quickly found her footing. “After my first case and testimony, I fell in love with the challenge,” she says.

Forensic arboriculture may include analyzing tree conditions, reviewing maintenance history and work practices, PPE use and compliance with industry standards. Many of Buczko’s cases involve safety failures and injuries, making her CTSP background especially relevant. In one case, she spent three years investigating a work injury to determine what caused the incident.

A passion for training
Training has always been central to Buczko’s career. With a degree in special education, teaching comes naturally to her. Becoming a TCIA Qualified Trainer allowed her to combine her passion for education with arboriculture and learn a training framework specific to the tree care industry.

“Workers may not receive enough foundational training, while seasoned workers can become overly comfortable or complacent, even with routine tasks,” she says. “Safety training is essential to reinforce hazard awareness, prevent shortcuts and maintain a strong safety culture for all levels of experience.”
She now delivers weekly safety training, helping crews build strong safety cultures, comply with regulations, enhance their team’s expertise and lead effective tailgate meetings with both one-on-one instruction and customized staff training programs.

Monika Buczko doing a tree inspection for a consulting project. Photo courtesy of Allison Buczko.

Buczko encourages those new to the industry to take safety seriously from day one. “Ask questions,” she says. “Never assume experience replaces training.” And for anyone looking to grow as a leader, she strongly recommends the CTSP credential. “The goal,” she says simply, “is for everyone to get home safely at the end of every day.”

Tracey Miller is the manager of content and communications for TCI Magazine.

Monika D. Buczko is an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist and ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, is ASCA Tree & Plant Appraisal Qualified (TPAQ) and ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ), is an FAA Licensed Drone Pilot, a CTSP and a TCIA Qualified Trainer. She will be teaching TCIA’s Crew Leader course on April 20, 2026.