Q: There are a lot of companies that call themselves arborists, but some don’t look like they know what they’re doing. Is there a difference between a certified arborist and an arborist, and, if so, what is the difference?

A: The title “arborist” literally means a person that works on trees. There is a lot of truth in the fact that there are many people running around in fancy-looking trucks full of chain saws, leaf blowers and laborers who really don’t know what they are doing. Many of them even have impressive looking ads in the Yellow Pages, and that can be deceiving. Some of these individuals are state licensed contractors; unfortunately, many are not, but that is an entirely different story. Basically, by definition though, anyone who cuts on a tree and charges for it can be called an arborist, and that paints a pretty broad brush stroke when you are trying to find a competent professional to work on your trees.

So how do you know you are getting a knowledgeable and experienced professional arborist? The easy answer is to hire only a certified arborist to work on your trees. A certified arborist is a member in good standing with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Finding or verifying a certified arborist in your area is as easy as going to the ISA website at www.isa-arbor.com. For instance, if you went on that website and entered my last name, Mortimer, or my ISA number, which is WE3730A, it would confirm that the information is correct and that I am who I claim to be.

The ISA states it this way. “The purpose of the ISA Certification Program is to improve the level of knowledge and standard of practice within the tree care profession. It is designed to assist the public in identifying those professionals in arboriculture who have demonstrated, through a professionally developed examination and education program, a thorough knowledge of tree care practices. The ISA program tests and certifies an individual’s knowledge in the field of Arboriculture.”

The ISA test that I took many years ago encompassed 10 domains in tree care, including species identification, fertilization, nutrition, pruning, soil and water relations. Once I received my certification it didn’t stop there, because every three years I have to get recertified. The process requires that within each three-year period I have to accrue 30 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for recertification. In order to get CEUs I take online tests and go to seminars and conferences to keep updated on changes in the industry as well as brush up on old knowledge and learn about new diseases, insects and treatments for tree problems.

By hiring a tree company that is owned and operated by a certified arborist, you can be assured that your trees will get the best possible care by someone who cares about your trees at least as much as he does about the bottom line in his business.

David D. Mortimer is a certi fied arborist with more than 30 years experience in the tree care industry. E-mail questions to dmortimer@theacorn.com.