Building a Solid Arboriculture Foundation at Bristol Aggie

I own a successful tree company near the north end of Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts. My interest in Bristol County Agricultural High School peaked with the arrival of one of their graduates at our company.

James Sharp started with our company immediately following his graduation from high school. We were all amazed/impressed with his knowledge, ability and ambition. Without much personal or recent information on the program, I asked James what the curriculum was like and how he had become so knowledgeable at such a young age. Through further exploration, this is what I found out about the small school in a small town.

In the center of the county is a small town called Dighton. This is where Bristol Aggie is located. The school was started in 1913, with the arboriculture program coming in 1969. One of the first graduating classes included well-known arborist and educator, Dr. Dennis Ryan, who went on to lead the arboriculture program at The Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts.

In 1994, Bristol Aggie’s program experienced staffing changes with the hiring of the fourth arboriculture instructor in its history, a young, energetic, knowledgeable climbing arborist and a Stockbridge grad, Melissa “Missy” Duffy. Through her tenure, Duffy has turned out several great arborists, many of whom I have worked with personally. They were knowledgeable and ready to work from day one.

A new instructor

In 2008, the program transformed yet again. A new instructor, Seth Cook, was hired. Seth is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, with a degree in forestry and in agriculture education. After college, Seth relocated and took a position working with the Chisholm family at Aspen Tree Expert Company Inc., a dual-accredited, 37-year TCIA member company based in Jackson, New Jersey. “Learning and training in the field with Mark (Chisholm) and ‘Big’ Steve (Chisholm) was as good as it gets,” says Cook. Coupled with Stephen Chisholm’s knowledge of tree biology and plant health care, working at Aspen made for a well-rounded experience for Cook.

With the goal of teaching arboriculture, Cook “changed hats.” In 2008, just two weeks before the beginning of the school year, he headed back to New England to start his teaching career at Bristol Aggie. Cook, with fresh industry knowledge, energy and enthusiasm, was a nice complement to what Duffy had established. That was 15 years ago. Since then, Cook has become the chair of the arboriculture department.

Renovation and expansion

The school’s reputation remained strong in the community. Based upon maximum enrollment along with insufficient infrastructure, it was decided that renovation and expansion would be a worthwhile pursuit. With a strong voice and established reputation, Cook represented the program in the planning stages. Part of that planning process included him and Duffy submitting a wish list of items they felt would enhance the program.
Before the renovation, the program had already accumulated the following equipment for training students to enter the arboriculture industry:

• A 55-foot bucket truck with a
• forestry package.
• Two brush chippers.
• A stump grinder.
• Two mini skid steers with attachments.
• Two wood splitters.
• A variety of chain saws.
• A variety of climbing equipment.

Shopping list

In my experience, having this equipment available to students to train with on a regular basis is not common in arboriculture education. What more could they want or need?

How about an indoor “climbing cube” that would enable several students at one time to be instructed on various aspects of tree climbing, in a controlled environment? This would enable one instructor to be in close proximity to all the students, rather than having them up in trees in various locations. Real tree climbing is still very much a part of the curriculum. However, students are much more prepared before they go out to the trees than in the past. This greatly increases efficiency and productivity.

Then, how about an indoor equipment shop with space to park all the equipment the department owns? All of this new infrastructure is designed and constructed with the specific goal of serving the arboriculture program with an emphasis on safety. Each student is trained on their personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements in such a way that utilizing it is second nature.

What about updated, modern classrooms with large touchscreens and all the digital tools that enhance modern learning? The classroom space also includes displays of an air-tool-excavated root system hanging from the ceiling and a slab of northern red oak (Q. rubra) from a tree that was removed during construction. This slab was turned into a tree biology display by the students and staff, with rings that coincide with the tree’s and the school’s histories through a timeline that is visually fascinating.

Strong curriculum

When I inquired of James Sharp, our Bristol Aggie grad, what the curriculum entailed, he provided an impressive description.

First, students alternate between Duffy and Cook each year. Then each year builds off of the previous one, giving students a well-rounded exposure. Each class had an average of 16 students. Courses offered include:

• Multiple tree-climbing courses.
• Chain-saw safety.
• Arboricultural equipment use and maintenance.
• Multiple tree-ID courses.
• Hazard-tree evaluation.
• Urban arboriculture.
• Tree biology.
• Pruning.
• Cabling & bracing.
• Soils.
• Entomology/pathology.
• Botany.
• Business.

In three-plus years with our company, Sharp has quickly become a leader. His goal is to master all aspects of the industry and help make improvements where possible. Sharp is just one example of the students who attend Bristol Aggie and seize all the opportunities it provides, in an environment that supports the value of our industry.

Conclusion

As my interest in and appreciation of Bristol Aggie grew, so did my relationships with Duffy and Cook. This led to an invitation for me to participate as a member of the programs advisory board, which I accepted without hesitation. It is from all of these experiences that I wanted to recognize Bristol Aggie for all they have accomplished, which should be celebrated when it comes to arboricultural education. Through their efforts, they have created a program that has attracted and continues to attract students to our industry. In these times, achieving this is quite impressive.

Through recent conversations with Duffy and Cook, I found out that Duffy is in the twilight of her illustrious career. They are searching for the next arborist who wants to help shape the young arborists of the future. If you have a four-year degree and an interest in leading the next generation of arborists, please reach out to learn more.

Andrew W. Felix is founder and past president of Tree Tech Inc., a dual-accredited, 37-year TCIA member company based in Foxboro, Massachusetts. He is also a past chair of TCIA’s Board of Directors.