How/why did you get into treework?

[Rentachimp]

Worked in a Tree nursery (Hilliers@Liss) and heard about tree surgery in very basic terms. Moved back to Swansea and - after 6 months working at wyevale and a driving agency, I fought my way on to Neath Port Talbot council's tree gang as an apprentice. I have done my NVQ.2 in Forestry and am doing my RFS and can see myself as more of a tree officer than hero climber.

 

Gotta love the takedowns, though

[Bodean]

I was a Botanist with Chainsaw experience and Vioala.

[Mark J]

I was sick of my life, lousy jobs, lousy relationships. Went through a bit of a dark patch and found myself at college. I'm just about to start my second year. Loved climbing trees since I was a bairn. Got a decent job, decent relationship, happy bunny.

[madmatt]

was self employed fencing contractor got offered a job as a park ranger got my felling tickets and loved the clear felling projects moved on to rights of way clearance work now back self employed doing fencing and as much treework on the ground I can get while I learn to climb!

[Jamie]

Left school and worked as a freelance pornstar. The money and parties were ok but the job was monotonous. I eventually decided that i wanted to look at the matle piece as well as tending the fire so l left and took up a job where the money and the view isn't as good but there isn't the same strong smell of KY in the air.

 

Jamie

[TimR]

grew up around saws/garden machinery as a youngster back on the west coast of wales worked with various farmers doing logs etc then i was offered a chance working for fountains doing live line clearnce and stupidly i said yes so off i went and got my basic saw certs ( 10 & 11 ( or 12) through the ATB and it only cost £100 and then got what was swalecs L13 ( supervisory capability) live line ticket. did that for a while and got sick of the shite that went with the job ( self employed/sub contracting and site rate & shite weather/ unreliable co workers= bugger all money) and left and went into fellimg soft wood and enjoyed that @ £1 per pole (minimum of 55 poles a day covered costs /wages so averaged about 65-75 poles ).then the bloke i was working for introduced a harvester and told three of us we wern't needed any more unless we wanted to work for 60p per pole answer was STUFF THAT. worked with a local tree gang on a large bypass project then that finished and i left treework for about two years and worked as mechanic ,then a load of tree planting (broadleaf) across the country about 1000 trees per day @10p/tree( or 800 if guarding and staking) .wish i could remember all the locations would be nice to go and revist them.

various other jobs inbetween( 7.5t driver, making upvc window frames and others) and then moved to w london working for local authority and started climbing got my climbing tickets and pesticide there and then had a disagreement with line manager and quit .moved to north essex and got a job with a local firm and been here 3 years now...... ok life story over .......

 

would i do it the same all over again .... yes but more money please.....

[MattyF]

left school and wanted to travel but seeing as i was only 16 ended up dragging brush and humping timber a year or so later was at merrrist wood doing nc arb been in industry since .only regret is not doing an nd would of been nice to chill as a tree officer later in life!

[nuttyarb]

Was a land surveyor for too long, needed some excitement- found it climbing trees with chainsaws. Went to Merristwood and discovered how cool trees are.

[shabz1978]

i planted/sprayed trees in the forests since i left school, then eventually got the saw ticket to guarentee continuity of work just went from there. still learning, can't get enough.

[RobinTree]

My old roommate used to bring home the coolest looking work gear I had ever seen, so, I started pestering him to get me a job. My first day in the tree biz was guying transplanted trees until the tree spade sunk into the mud. To my surprise nobody knew what to do. I decided maybe the new guy should speak up so I taught them that nifty little trick where you use lots of plywood and planks under the outriggers, jack it up, more plywood and planks under the wheels and away you go. New boss liked me a lot after that so he taught to climb that week. 6 years in and I'm not stopping