If your not an Arbtalk arborist.

[felixthelogchopper]

I found Arbtalk when I was a free-lance groundie and it was invaluable for making new contacts etc. Now I'm an estate manager, it is a great source of information as well as a good way to keep in contact with the industry and friends I have made on here. It's also the perfect way to keep an eye on Geoff; I know if he is still posting then he hasn't come a cropper on his Zimmer frame.

[Matthew Storrs]

Trained and worked as an arborist for 7years, but in recent years I do mostly agricultural fencing now with the odd tree every now and again,

Like the variety of topics on Arbtalk, particularly the controversial ones!

[jrnlogger]

Early retired meteorologist living up in the hills of North Wales. I became interested in wood/logs after installing a Charnwood Country 12 in our property. Needed logs to supply this so had the initial scavenger license from the Forestry Commission. When this stopped had to buy in. Through word of mouth now have a dozen regular customers. This keeps me fit and active.

Found this site and love reading through it. Now have Husky 545 which is brilliant and the last few months a Triton 7 tonne splitter which is also excellent.

[geoff]

I found Arbtalk when I was a free-lance groundie and it was invaluable for making new contacts etc. Now I'm an estate manager, it is a great source of information as well as a good way to keep in contact with the industry and friends I have made on here. It's also the perfect way to keep an eye on Geoff; I know if he is still posting then he hasn't come a cropper on his Zimmer frame.

 

Many a good tune played on an old fiddle!

[felixthelogchopper]

Many a good tune played on an old fiddle!

 

You've been warned about having a fiddle before.

[Commando]

I'm a training advisor in UAE but have a smallholding in West Devon which I try and get back to as often as possible. I Have installed a log fired heating system and currently self sufficient in fuel. In the process of planting a cider orchard.

So use the forum for advice and to keep myself sane when dealing with the idiots I train!!

CDO

[aquatoo]

I own an Electrical Wholesale business but also have a house in SW France which has a lot of oak and pine trees on it.

 

I have felled and cut up for logs quite a few large Maritime Pines which we burn in an open fire. We had a load of Pines blow down or snap off in the huge storm a few winters ago that produced 160 kmh gusts! This was in January and it even blew over an oak that was leafless at the time. It fell across the drive and hung up in a White Oak on the other side of the drive and partly landed on the garage. Bit of a bugger to get down but we managed.

 

I still have to clear some of these Pines and cut them up. In one place in the wood we have four criss-crossed over the top of each other but fortunately they aren't hung up, they're on the ground. I fell the rest of the pines bit by bit as I am afraid they will blow down at some stage. We are fairly exposed to winds off the Bay of Biscay in the Landes and they can be ferocious. If the tree snaps off it isn't such a problem but if they fall over they rip up a huge root mat. In some cases those that have fallen over have ripped up a root mat over 4m high. The trouble is that the soil is very light. Go down a foot and you get pure sand which doesn't hold a lot.

 

At Christmas I reduced four oak trees by about 6m as they were beginning to overhang buildings and had a great time doing it. I climbed DDRT using a hitch climber rig. All of the timber was rigged down as it was close to a building. Next time, if there is one, I shall climb SRT and swap over to DDRT.

 

We ought to get a wood burner for efficiency but I like the open fire. I discovered this site and have continued to visit on a regular basis as I learn a lot as well as enjoy the banter.

[penfold]

I suppose in the strictest sense of the word, I am not an "arborist". I do however love my work with trees, more so these days than in the past. I like to think I've found my niche.

Why do I like Arbtalk? It's gelled a very fractured industry, and pooled together a lot of mini-businesses, from all aspects and sectors of the tree world. I think Arbtalk has done a lot of good for the development and future growth of the Arboricultural world. And that is due to its membership.

 

Me and Grey Git were saying this just the other day whilst chipping leylandii.

[Landscape Hub]

Hi, I'm Gary. I run a paving & landscaping company and have done for 18 years. Prior to that I was in site management on construction sites in the SW & SE. I originally trained as a Site Engineer so I've always had a technical interest in things.I also have a certain interest in trees, wanting to be able to name them from an early age, visiting places like Westonbirt Arboretum occasionally and having an interest in bonsai.

 

Also for my sins, I help run Landscape Hub - an industry forum for those working in or associated with the landscape and horticultural industries. It's a trade only forum, anyone can view 95% of the content on there but we don't encourage homeowners to join, (for instance). Nothing wrong with them of course, I'm one myself and they form a large part of our client base but like I said; the Hub is really for the benefit of and aimed at the trade.

 

Landscape Hub is my main reason for joining a large and established forum like Arbtalk. I'm hoping to make the Hub as visible as possible so that people and businesses who could benefit from what we do can join. I spoke to Steve before joining Arbtalk and assured him I'm not here to say "join the Hub" on a regular basis, (which he was fine with - thanks). I've been around forums long enough to know you just help out where you can and if people like what they see, they'll check out your profile, company or whatever.

 

To that end I've offered help if needed in Arbtalk's Landscape Forum. Other than that, there's plenty for me to learn from Arb experts but little I can add on that side of things. Of course, running a business for 18 years brings its own set of experiences and skills that I may be able to add opinion on occasionally.

 

Cheers, Gary

[rowan lee]

What I do: Mine geologist

 

why I use forum:

Son of a gardener, so have an interest in all things tree's.

 

I'm a machinery enthusiast - like the sections on here that showcase this in their natural working environments.

 

Genuine guru's of the trade on here always willing to take time out to distribute information, showcase alternatives and answer questions, queries and problems.

 

There are some great characters on here as well, that always being a smile to my face.