Board Certified Master Arborist

[jmchristopher]

What are folks saying about this new level of certification? I think it looks like a great opportunity to distinguish oneself from the crowd.

 

[jmchristopher]

Okay, so nobody knows squat about this, huh?

 

[jkrueger]

..., I don't care anymore about this, you say so what? Well Certified Master Arborist hire me to see byond the stupid ascertion that they 'know', see what a tree is really telling them.

There are those with true insight and 'talent' and there are those who must learn and apply what was told to them as true.

Jack A. Krueger
Master Pruner

 

[Ax-man]

If you want to join the upper elite of the aboriculture community where credentials are important for doing work for high end clients, serious bonafide consulting work, being an expert witness in a high end type lawsuits or getting a job in the public sector where crendentials are a factor in hiring, then it is a good goal to shoot for.

I would say for the average certified working arborist, this is going to be viewed as a cash cow for the ISA, with not much monetary return for the time, effort and money it would take to achieve this.

Even now being a certified aborist doesn't carry the distinction like it used to, not like it was in the beginning anyway. When Dan Nelson made the comment that employees working at Home Depot quailified them to be certifed arborists, I about threw up.

Granted, this issue of being a certified arborist needs to be redefined in some way, but forking over $ 700 bucks for another title that isn't really going to do me much good, just isn't going to happen. It is just too much expense and bother for what I'll get back out of it. I can read a heck of a lot books for that kind of money.

I just don't think this being board certified is going to fly with the ones who are already certified. There has got to be a different way to approach this IMO.

Just my two cents for what that is worth.

Larry

 

[trzz]

Well, when confronted with this I merely say " is he/she climbing and trimming your tree? well I am and will. The people he hires doesn't have his credentials and they are the ones to see potential problems in the canopy or cause them" Just a nugget for your noodle. Trzz

 

[Curtis James]

I feel as though it is just another notch in the belt type of thing. If one were looking into teaching it would look real nice that all that knowledge was there but as far as using it in business? I feel as though it would only be useful on a resume'. One wouldn't generate that much more business by being board certified.

 

[jmchristopher]

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I agreee that the cost / benefit question is very much an issue. As an Arborist / Salesman I am more concerned with the credential aspect than many climbing Arborists might be. I share the concern about the dilution of the value of the standard "Certified Arborist" rating.
I'm not about to spend too much energy worrying about it for a while.