Have been working 3 days a week for Neill Gretton an arborist in Bath since September 2023 and have been doing ad hoc work for others since spring 2024.

Generally available Mondays and Tuesdays, am happy to do a trial period for reduced rate.

Qualification so far:

NPTC Chainsaw Maintenance & Cross Cutting,

NPTC Felling and Processing Trees up to 380mm
Emergency First Aid at Work & Forestry (EFAW+F)

LANTRA Woodchipper course (funded through Forestry Commixion training grant applied for before I had entered the industry)

Equipment:

Silky Zubat & Tsurugi saws, Felco secateurs, a Fiskars PowerGear X Telescopic Tree Pruner and a Stihl MS-362 chainsaw. PPE: Petzl helmet with chipper spec ear defenders & face shield, chainsaw trousers and boots and a climbing harness  

In 2024 I successfully completed The Orchard Projects Certificate in Community Orcharding (CICO) accredited by the Crossfiled Institute covering all areas of orchard management and design. I plan to complete the Level 4 Qualification in Arboriculture in the 2025 academic year.

In the meantime I'm continuing to learn as much as possible about plant biology and arboricultural theory and have recently completed reading the Hirons & Thomas Applied Tree Biology.

I'm keen to gain more experience particularly in woodland and agricultural environments.