TCIA offers two scholarships for travel and related expenses for women in the industry to attend TCI EXPO and take part in the Women in Tree Care (WITC) Pre-Conference Workshop held there each year. The winners for TCI EXPO ’24 were Jabeen Ratanshi of Ontario, Canada, and Katie Kranich of Delaware.

The Raven Tree Care crew after just having finished a job together. From left, Hannah Winters, Vic Byers, Shay Marois and Jabeen Ratanshi. Photo courtesy of Jabeen Ratanshi.

We caught up with Ratanshi after EXPO ’24 in Baltimore, Maryland, to talk about her experiences and the career path that brought her to where she is today. Ratanshi is a climbing arborist and owner-operator of her own company, Raven Tree Care & Wildlife Preservation Services, based in Toronto.

How did you get into the tree care industry?
“I was previously deeply involved in my career as an animal control officer for the Ontario SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), as well as a wildlife educator and handler for a zoo for rescued exotic animals,” says Ratanshi. “I was finding that my work was taking too much of an emotional and mental toll on me and had to step away.

Jabeen Ratanshi will do removals, but says her preference and the focus of her company is preserving trees.

“Shortly after, there was an ad posted for an arborist ground-worker training program that was paid for by our local government, to help people gain basic experience to enter the world of arboriculture. It included five weeks of hands-on chain-saw use and safety training, tree science and identification, proper use of forestry machinery and basic everyday ground operations.

“I fell in love with arboriculture immediately when I began the program, and I never looked back. From there, I went on to graduate from my arborist apprenticeship program and began my own all-queer, all-female tree care company.”

What is a typical workday like?
“On a typical day, we dive into pruning and tree education. Preserving trees for future generations is of importance to me, so it is the focus of my company,” Ratanshi says. “We also provide removal services for clients who have sick or dead trees. As we are a small company, we outsource our stump grinding and plant health care to partner companies.

“In addition to working on trees, we provide wildlife habitat installations and educate clients about the importance of coexisting with wildlife and how to do it successfully. Our company also provides volunteer tree work for a couple of local wildlife-rehabilitation facilities, and free cat rescue.”

What motivated you to apply for the scholarship?
“I was prompted to apply for the scholarship when I saw that people who look like me are missing from the industry. While the number of women in the arb industry is growing, there is still a void when it comes to queer women of color – and even more so, women of color running their own tree care businesses that are built from the ground up,” Ratanshi emphasizes.

“I wanted the opportunity to show others that women like me have the power to create something different, to create a company that follows proper tree care standards, that cares for the wildlife affected by our work and that provides a safe and inclusive space for everyone who wants to be in the industry.”

“The expo provided me with so many opportunities I would not have been exposed to had I not attended,” says Jabeen Ratanshi. “I would highly recommend this experience to everyone, and strongly encourage all the female arborists to apply for the scholarship every year!”

Where do you see your company headed in the future?
“Right now, we are very small. I’m not even sure if we are a blip on anyone’s radar. One thing I do know for sure is that I want my company to keep pushing forward and be seen. This year, I am working on putting together wildlife harm-reduction workshops tailored to arborists, in collaboration with one of the wildlife rehabs we volunteer for.
“I want wildlife education to be available to everyone, and I want to emphasize the value of prioritizing the protection of wildlife alongside of prioritizing making a profit from tree work. I am hoping that in the near future, I can speak at small conferences about these values and educate arborists about how we can all work together to provide more care and consideration for our local ecosystems.”

What was your experience at TCI EXPO ’24?
“Overall, I had the most amazing experience at TCI EXPO. I had the opportunity to meet a few of the arborists I have acquainted myself with through social media over the last couple of years. It was very invigorating to meet them in person, as well as meet other arborists and attend the women’s networking event. To have met Bear (LeVangie) and Melissa (LeVangie Ingersol, founders of the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop) was truly an honor, and I look forward to the day I can attend a Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop.

“The expo provided me with so many opportunities I would not have been exposed to had I not attended. I also took advantage of exploring a bit of the city while I was there, and it was truly mesmerizing. I would highly recommend this experience to everyone, and strongly encourage all the female arborists to apply for the scholarship every year!”