What is an arboricultural consultant, and when should I use one?  

There are a lot of jobs around these days that you may never have heard of – and an arboricultural consultant, otherwise known as a consulting arborist, is probably one of them. But if you have any kind of trees on your personal or business property, you might need the services of one of these expert professionals. Let’s dive in and find out exactly what an arboricultural consultant does – and when you might need to access the services of one.

So, what exactly is an arboricultural consultant?

Caring for trees involves more than watering them occasionally and hacking off overhanging branches with a saw. It’s important to manage trees properly and care for them appropriately so that they stay healthy and useful over a long period of time. But it can sometimes be hard to know what exactly you need to do for a tree to keep it healthy – or how to fix a tree that obviously isn’t. That’s where an arboricultural consultant comes in.

Arboriculture is the science of caring for trees and other woody plants in landscape settings. An arboricultural consultant is a qualified and insured professional who can advise you on all aspects of tree care. They have gained recognised qualifications and experience in caring for and managing all kinds of trees, and especially those in urban areas such as parks, gardens and residential properties. They provide technical information and independent and objective advice on the best management of trees, diagnosis of tree disorders, tree appraisal, tree protection and planning and many other tree-related topics. They will provide observations, conclusions and appropriate recommendations in situations such as:

• Private gardens
• Public open spaces
• Development sites
• Infrastructure projects

Arboricultural consultants can take care of all your tree-related requirements, from planting new trees to managing old and failing trees – and everything in between.

What qualifications does an arboricultural consultant need?

An arboricultural consultant needs to be qualified as an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level 5 Arborist in order to provide best practice advice and expertise at a professional level on all tree-related circumstances. This is the minimum qualification that is recognised by industry bodies, and provides an in-depth level of knowledge on soil, tree structure and morphology, botany and horticulture that can be applied in a wide range of situations. It requires continuous study and practice in the field to develop the high-level skills that are necessary to work as an arboricultural consultant. An arboricultural consultant must adhere to standards of professional practice, and provide independent and objective advice and judgement in their role. As well, qualified arborists must have professional indemnity insurance.

How can a consulting arborist help you?

Consulting arborists will provide objective advice about what’s best for your tree, and are not biased towards any particular outcome (such as tree removal). They use factual, detailed information to inform the decision-making process, and will always aim to do what’s objectively best for the tree, the client and the situation as a whole.

Their advice will cover a huge range of tree-related topics, including disease and decay detection, hazard assessments, value appraisals, tree management and maintenance and soil quality.

A consulting arborist can:

• Use their in-depth knowledge to help you best select tree species to plant
• Diagnose tree problems and issues
• Provide detailed advice about how to improve the health of trees
• Provide pre-construction advice to help builders avoid tree damage
• Investigate whether tree roots have damaged buildings, and provide solutions
• Provide risk assessments and risk-management reports
• Help restore and create natural habitats for wildlife
• Improve the attractiveness of an area

Arboricultural consultants provide a wide range of services to clients. Common services include:

• Tree risk assessments – using both qualified and quantified tree risk assessment methodologies.
• Tree management plans – detailed site drawings and guidelines for tree removal, retention, and protection.
• Pest and disease diagnosis – investigation of all types of tree health issues, such as pests, diseases, and environmental factors, as well as strategies and treatment to mitigate identified issues.
• Soil amelioration advice – strategies to improve the quality of the soil, and thus the health and vitality of trees.
• Habitat creation – monitoring local wildlife and restoring ecologically sound habitats.
• GPS Mapping – scaled and labelled maps and images of the trees in an area.
• Arborist reports – comprehensive documents from simple health and maintenance assessments on single trees, to surveys of large tree populations.
• Arboricultural impact assessments – written reports facilitating successful tree retention outcomes that are suitable for all development submissions and documentation packages.

What’s the difference between a consulting arborist and a practicing arborist?

A consulting arborist applies their technical knowledge and expertise to tree-related issues, so that they can provide best recommendations and solutions to problems.

A practicing arborist is directly involved in the treatment and care of trees. They do the actual tree work, and implement the recommendations of a consulting arborist.

Where can I find a qualified arboricultural consultant?

Right here. At Heritage Tree Care we are a principal provider of arboricultural advisory services across South East Queensland, and are specialists in the field. We provide highly qualified and experienced consulting arborists with a minimum AQF Level 5 in Arboriculture qualification, and a minimum of five years field experience with a specific focus on the assessment of tree hazards and risks. We also provide our clients with access to an online Arboriculture Library. Get in contact here to find out how we can help you with any and all of your tree problems or needs.