Is dragging wood good experience?

[David Humphries]

Welcome to the site Gerry, glad you jumped on board after our little chat this morning.

 

Like I said earlier, you'll find loads of great advise here.

 

Look forward to meeting you next week, hope we don't manage to scare you off from the industry.

 

 

 

 

David

 

 

 

 

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[Mark T]

I am new to the industry (massive career change) I am currently doing my Tec Cert, I have my NPTC 30 31,but there really is so little work around as a grounds person (north london) I have 6 companies that between them give me 1 day total a week! I am skint!

When I am working i really feel like I am not learning much, there is no time to stop, watch and learn, its all go,go,go!

Do i really need to drag wood to be a tree officer?, does any one have any opinions, or ideas as to what other work I could get that would be more helpful in my career.

 

Ha! It's not going to kill you! Keep your eyes and ears open and treat it like a good days workout! Spend time thinking of all of the new things that you are learning on your tech cert, study (whilst walking!) each branch you are feeding into the chipper, think about your last lecture / book you read etc etc. Shigo didn't just jump straight in at the deep end you know!

 

All the best with your career mate... its a great industry to be in!

[MattyF]

dragging brush is bloody easy,try doing a 5% reduction or a dead tree take down over green houses ,not trying to sound harsh but if you cant get in a mary poppins pararel with draging brush climbing trees might as well go out the window...if your working with people who drop stuff every where and dont give you time to sort out a or take time out too make your life easyer then i would leave....regarding been a tree officer i havnt respected the opinions of many if not one yet so it would be nice to be proven wrong,stck at it .........if you feel your working to many days a week calm it down , burning your self out is not somthing to aspire too..i can tell you from experience!

[Sambo]

This, unfortunately, is the first step in your career. Its also unfortunate that the economic downturn has hit all kinds of businesses across the globe. Anyone starting out in this job should drag,rake, chip until their legs and arms ache, character building stuff. What did you expect, to be doing nice pruning work and take-downs to start? You dont have to take this route to be a tree officer, but in time you'll be glad you did. As for time to learn on the tools, that'll come, be patient. Good luck with your new trade.

 

Here Here! Also, Respect is earned, not demanded!! If you've come up from the factory floor you'll have the support of the people you met on the way up when you're a tree officer!

[Mesterh]

Ha! It's not going to kill you! Keep your eyes and ears open and treat it like a good days workout! Spend time thinking of all of the new things that you are learning on your tech cert, study (whilst walking!) each branch you are feeding into the chipper, think about your last lecture / book you read etc etc. Shigo didn't just jump straight in at the deep end you know!

 

All the best with your career mate... its a great industry to be in!

 

It just might kill you.

 

I would say you want to keep your eye's, ears and mind on the job or you wont be doing it for long

[raafbeard]

Lots of good posts on the merits of dragging brash here...

 

I particularly like the way this is described:

 

arborists (and groundies) daily dissect trees, whether it's pruning or removals. They can see the extent of damage and decay, wood layers, cavities, etc.. That experience literally engrains in their soul an understanding of how a tree might be on the inside, in relation to what they see on the outside.

[Tim Williams]

My long term goal is to become a tree officer, I have worked as a chipper beeatch, then as a climber upto senior climber level over the last 6 years.I have now moved onto a job carrying out Visual tree inspections on highway trees for a local authority, I will shortly be doing my level 2 surveyors course and hopefully my QTRA at some point. I feel that my years spent at the sharp end from chipping thorn in the rain and sleet and dragging brash through cow poo to carrying out large dismantles over greenhouses or 132kv grid subs have given me a great practical knowledge, now working closely with the tree officer is boosting my already good theoretical knowledge.

[Mick Stockbridge]

My long term goal is to become a tree officer, I have worked as a chipper beeatch, then as a climber upto senior climber level over the last 6 years.I have now moved onto a job carrying out Visual tree inspections on highway trees for a local authority, I will shortly be doing my level 2 surveyors course and hopefully my QTRA at some point. I feel that my years spent at the sharp end from chipping thorn in the rain and sleet and dragging brash through cow poo to carrying out large dismantles over greenhouses or 132kv grid subs have given me a great practical knowledge, now working closely with the tree officer is boosting my already good theoretical knowledge.

 

Thats the way to do it!

[Mick Stockbridge]

Thats the way to do it!

 

Forgot this

[Peter]

My long term goal is to become a tree officer, I have worked as a chipper beeatch, then as a climber upto senior climber level over the last 6 years.I have now moved onto a job carrying out Visual tree inspections on highway trees for a local authority, I will shortly be doing my level 2 surveyors course and hopefully my QTRA at some point. I feel that my years spent at the sharp end from chipping thorn in the rain and sleet and dragging brash through cow poo to carrying out large dismantles over greenhouses or 132kv grid subs have given me a great practical knowledge, now working closely with the tree officer is boosting my already good theoretical knowledge.

 

Thats great if you start at 18, and spend 10 years or more doing the above. For someone who is retraining they may not have time to go the long haul route.