ISA Cert Tree Worker/ Climber Specialist

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i feel the isa certification allows me to get advanced pay and bid on better jobs but they lack actual support for the amount of money i spend with them.

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I used to work with a guy who also rigged lighting at concerts and such. He balked at ISA cert/membership because, for less money, he felt he got more support from the rigger's association (don't know what it actually was called). This included work referrals and insurance, IIRC.

Not taking a side here, but it makes you think.

k
 
This november, provided we both pass, i and our one employee (Andy) will be the only ISA cerified Tree Workers in our county...hopefully it will put a little more distance between us and our competition and therfore generate more business, but the main thing is...whatever we can do to be proffessional...you know? Even if the test is somewhat cheesy...it is what is offered and we are looking forward to printing up new the business cards
 
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This november, provided we both pass, i and our one employee (Andy) will be the only ISA cerified Tree Workers in our county

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Sounds good, Dan, let us know how it goes.
 
When it first came out , I took it with the Pen-Del chapter. Got all the certs , instructor etc. .. To be honest with you it is a complete joke. Thats one they can do away with . Silly test , kind of lame . Next
 
Joke? Won't know til I take it..but if it is, it's a joke that no one else in my area is willing to go along with, which makes me more eager to do this...
 
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When it first came out , I took it with the Pen-Del chapter. Got all the certs , instructor etc. .. To be honest with you it is a complete joke. Thats one they can do away with . Silly test , kind of lame . Next

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C'mon, be fair. Don't you agree it sets a journeyman climber apart from the ladder-and-a-chainsaw boys? Nobody claims you have to be able to win a TCC to pass, but it does show basic competence for getting into and around a tree safely, and the written exam shows you know your a$$ from a knothole in a tree. Take it for what it is, and it can be quite useful for employers and consumers alike, IMO.

k
 
"Silly test , kind of lame . Next"

OK, Riggs, show us what you did next. it's easy to look down on what is a good callenge for the less experienced, but what are you looking up to?
 
It should be included in the Certified Arborist test. If the arborist is not a Certified Arborist how can they be a Certified Tree Worker? What does a Certified Tree Worker do in a tree? Study for the Certified Arborist test?

Is a homeowner supposed to know that an ISA Certified Tree Worker has not passed a test on tree knowledge? I don't hardly think so.

It's an ISA money grab.

I suggest making the Certified Arborist a significant designation that includes climbing ability. We are literally over run with Home Depot garden center employees that are CA's in this area.
 
I'm going to sit in on the CA study class in December, just to see how other people present things. Here's the program:

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
Karen Neill
Guilford County Cooperative Extension
(336) 375-5876

SPONSORED BY:
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
• City of Greensboro
• ISA Southern Chapter

Funding for this project was provided in part through an Urban and Community Forestry Grant from the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, Southern Region.

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THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARBORICULTURE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Certified Arborist recognition is given by ISA to those who meet the eligibility requirements for admission to the examination, successfully complete the exam and maintain the necessary number of continuing education units to recertify after three years.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM:
 Provide education that will improve technical competency of personnel in the tree care industry.
 Create incentives for those individuals to continue their professional development.
 Provide the public with a means to identify professionals who have demonstrated, through a professionally developed exam and education program that they have thorough knowledge of tree care practices.
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Certified Arborist Workshop

The Certified Arborist Workshop offers a wide range of opportunities for members of the tree care industry including:
 Practical professional development
 Exploration of timely topics with industry experts
 ISA credits and pesticide credits
 Informative updates on the latest in arboriculture research
 Innovative techniques and tactics for field success
 Effective preparation for the ISA Certification exam
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
8:30 – 9:00 REGISTRATION
Coffee and Doughnuts
9:00 – 9:10 WELCOME
Karen Neill, NC Cooperative Extension
9:10 – 9:40 INSTALLATION AND ESTABLISHMENT
Tom Glasgow, NC Cooperative Extension
9:40 – 10:00 BREAK
10:00 – 11:00 PRUNING
Keith Francies, Davey Tree Expert Company
11:00 – 12:00 TREE NUTRITION AND FERTILIZATION
Stu Warren, NCSU
12:00 – 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 – 2:00 SAFE WORK PRACTICES
Willard Whitley OSHA
2:00 – 3:00 TREE BIOLOGY
Virginia Lerch, Consulting Arborist, MD
3:00– 3:30 BREAK
3:30 – 4:15 TREE BIOLOGY (CONTINUED)
Virginia Lerch, Consulting Arborist, MD
4:15 - 5:00 CABLING, BRACING & LIGHTNING PROTECTION
Virginia Lerch, Consulting Arborist, MD


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

8:30 - 9:00 REGISTRATION
Coffee and Doughnuts
9:00 - 9:10 WELCOME
Rett Davis
NC Cooperative Extension
9:10 - 10:10 IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION
Rett Davis, NC Cooperative Extension
10:10 - 10:30 BREAK
10:30 - 11:30 DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT
Kelby Fite, Bartlett Tree Research Lab.
11:30 - 12:00 CONSTRUCTION PRESERVATION
Toby Bost, NC Cooperative Extension
12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 2:00 TREE RISK ASSESSMENT
David Goforth, NC Cooperative Extension
2:00 - 3:00 TREE, SOIL AND WATER RELATIONS
Virginia Lerch, Consulting Arborist, MD
3:00 - 3:30 BREAK
3:30 - 4:30 TREE, SOIL & WATER RELATIONS (CONTINUED)
Virginia Lerch, Consulting Arborist, MD
4:30 - 5:00 CLIMBING AND WORKING IN TREES
Gene Stewart, Natural Gardens

Only one hour on climbing and working in the tree. I agree with you Dan, this should be a lot more. For any non-CA's in this area, $95 for the course seems pretty cheap.
 
Next ? well I actually did alot after that , it just keeps coming . How can I not think it is silly , check your gear , I D the tree , climb around and ring bells, tie a few knots , how are you gonna fail ? Make the young climber climb ten different types of trees, now that's a test. I once did a two week course , Goverment Sponsored program back in 1982 . It was at a local College. It was the Davey Tree climbing school or something like that . I got a certificate after that school . I felt all cool about myself , that was before not next. I don't see a need for it other than for some green horn to say he has a certification . What does it do for you ? I don't get it , I thought it would be a little different. I did it , I have it , I don't care much for it. Just my un educated opinion. next
 
Im gonna chime in here....

First off I will say that I see Rigg's point, for any skilled climber the test is a stroll through the park. But I do see a place for the cert. As Keith pointed out it does seperate the journeyman climbers from the ladderworkers. This should be useful to anyone who has hired a " climber" in the past only to find out the "climber" couldnt hang themself if they tried. The cert is BASIC knowledge climbing. Whats scary is, there are people out there working who cannot pass the exam. IMO anyone who cannot pass it shouldnt be climbing at all.
Personally Id like to see the exam much, much, harder and a bit more interactive.

I disagree with Dans thought that all CAs should be able to climb. I feel there are many other career paths in arboriculture of great value and dont think you need to be "able" to climb in order to be certified.
But, I do feel that a BCMA should have to climb in order to be certified a master.
By creating the BCMA cert without a climbing test, the cert itself is just that of a higher level of the CA cert. Pretty silly actually.
Now, to set the highly skilled climbers apart from the basic level climbers, they'll need a BCMTW (board certified master treeworker)


On a sidenote regarding the CTW- did you know that any climber who competes in a TCC and completes the workclimb and throwline events can get a waiver from the ISA inwhich those TCC events can be used for the climbing skills test of the exam. So one who completes those events would then only need to meet the exam application requirements (aerial rescue, cpr/ 1st aid cert. - 18 months of climbing exp.)- then they would only need to sit for the written obtain the cert.
 
th,

I dunno, I didn't see the bcma test as just a higher level of ca. ca has nothing to do with consulting or the big-picture management programs, and that's what the test was about. It's hard to see how you want the bcma to have a mandatory climbing component and the ca not. CA's are everywhere, giving advice that shows a lack of understanding that could be gained by touching trees more. I do agree that a landlocked consultant can lack competence to carry out many assignments.

When I talk to my ASCA friends about this I get from them a sense of shock and horror at the thought of actually entering a tree. Then I point out how often an aerial inspection of a tree has provided data essential to a good assessment, and things get real quiet. It's kinda funny/sad really.

I agree that these tests should be harder and more interactive, but that would make them much more difficult to administer fairly. maybe over time, with more input from the field...
 
So adding consulting and management domains makes one a master of arboriculture?

My point is, one can really be an arborist without ever having to climb. A master arborist is kind of lacking without it, dontchya think?
 
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A master arborist is kind of lacking without it, dontchya think?

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True, as is any arborist. You don't gotta be a Kraus or Chisholm but at least be able to get up in there and see and feel what the tree is about. Without that ability you're half-blind imo.

Here in NC the MD board just kicked out a one-eyed neurosurgeon. No depth perception, but he operated for over a decade, disabling many people along the way. And we bitch cuz CA's spike a prune now and then.
 
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Here in NC the MD board just kicked out a one-eyed neurosurgeon. No depth perception, but he operated for over a decade, disabling many people along the way. And we bitch cuz CA's spike a prune now and then.

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Ha, good one. Truth is that it may be our closest equivalent.

I have read all of the posts here and see one thing, the ISA should consider what the members think regarding the cert practices and where they intend to go from here. Making a new test might not be necessary all of the time. Maybe working on the current ones might be the way to go. I actually do like the differnet certs, but they are far from perfect. I hate to borrow words here, but maybe following something like we do in NJ might be a good solution? We have an NJCTE (like the BCMA) and a CAA Rated Class 1 Climber (similar to Treeworker) and if you pass both tests, you are then the Master Arborist. Anyone?
 
I'm not 100% sure. There is an indoor exam (slightly easier than the CA I'd say) and then the climbing part. You do a similar TCC workclimb (starting from the ground) and then an Aerial rescue that I'd say is slightly easier than TCC. I think that's all?
 
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