With over 10,000 trees growing on our open land and gardens, looking after them is a full-on job. To help we have a dedicated team of arborists who do just this. We caught up with the team at a house in Sandfields to learn more about the specialist skills that go into keeping our green spaces safe and thriving.

Anthony the team’s supervisor tells us the plan for the day and explains more about their work:
“When one of our homes becomes empty, we come in and clear the garden of all the undergrowth and take it back to a blank canvas for the new tenants.

“An extra job here today is that we need to take down a large sycamore tree. We don’t like to fell trees, but sometimes, if they are diseased, dead or dangerous, we have no choice. In this case, the tree has outgrown its location and is now posing a risk to the property and neighbouring homes.”

“If we do have to cut down a tree like this then we make sure we turn it into woodchip to use on our land  when we plant new trees or hedgerows. Large trunks and logs are also left in our wooded areas to create habitat for wildlife, so everything gets recycled.”

Watching the team go about their work, it’s easy to see how hard a job it is with lots of skill and fitness  required. Anthony agrees:
“Being an arborist is a highly specialist job, you have to have a very particular set of skills, lots of strength, and of course a head for heights.

“It has the potential to be a very dangerous job, but we take the health and safety of the team very seriously. Our training period to become a qualified arborist takes four years, the team take refresher training courses every two years, rather than the mandatory five and all our safety equipment is checked by the team every day, with an extra check by a specialist company every six months.”

Alex has been with the team for four years and is about to complete his training and become a fully qualified arborist:
“It’s taken a while, but I’m glad I’ve done it this way, taking my time, perfecting my skills and gaining experience rather than rushing. There’s a lot to learn – how to use a chainsaw, climbing, cutting whilst climbing, rigging the ropes as well as things you hope you never have to use such as how to deal with catastrophic bleeds and aerial rescue training.”

Andrew is the team’s most experienced arborist, with 20 years in the role:
“It’s a hard job and you’ve got to want to do it. It can be dangerous, but as long as you know what you’re doing and don’t take shortcuts then you’ll be okay. You also need to have a good team around you that you can trust, and I’m lucky that I do.”

Also in the team is James, an arborist with seven years’ worth of experience.
“Communication is really important. As a team, we’re constantly talking to each other, calling out when were about to lower a branch to make sure the area is clear. We also have headsets so we can talk to each other and be heard above the noise of the chainsaws. This is really important, if someone on the ground spots a potential hazard when I’m up a tree, they can let me know straight away.”

As well as the planned work, the team also have to react to any incidents as and when the occur, as Anthony explains:
“Unsurprisingly, we get very busy during the autumn with all the stormy weather we get. We have a database listing all the trees on our land that are classed as moderate or high risk. After every weather warning, one of our land managers will go out and carry out inspections to see if there has been any further damage. If they assess the tree is in a dangerous condition, then they’ll call us in to take care of it.”

Alex recalls being particularly busy in the aftermath of Storm Darragh last year:
“We were non-stop, going from one incident to another, dealing with felled trees and making them safe. I remember dealing with one huge conifer that had toppled over and was lying over four gardens. We were very lucky it didn’t damage the homes themselves.”

It’s the big, challenging trees that are the highlight for James:
“Every tree is different, and you have to tackle each one in a unique way. That comes with experience and knowing what type of tree it is and the type of cut you’ll use. We always make sure we cut the tree in a careful, deliberate way so that the branches fall where we want them to.”

Last word goes to Andrew, who says:
“Even after 20 years I still love it, despite the aches and pains you inevitably pick up doing such physical work. It’s the best job in the world, being outdoors, day in day out. There’s no better feeling than being at the top of one of the big trees and taking in the views of the surrounding area. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”