Ts is something I have considered for a while, I now finally want to learn how to do this. Both me and my mate are going to give this a whirl earn a little extra pocket money whilst happy working in the great outdoors! I’m after some advice, how is best to start, I want to get the appropriate qualifications. Can anyone give me a good starting point?

Start here:

http://www.cityandguilds.com/courses-and-qualifications/land-based-services/forestry-and-arboriculture

Be prepared to spend ££££ unless you can find someone to take you on and put you through your tickets.

I’ve got cs 30, 31, 38, 39, 40, 41. Thats about 2.5k there just in certs.

I think all the numbers are different no as a new system came in last
year.

Remember, plus truck, gear, chipper, insurance. It’s an expensive game.

But do it right and it’s worth it.

Oh and experience is king.

I run a gardening company, so only cut trees as a sideline, believe me you can earn more mowing lawns..

The best thing would be to start with someone established get some experience and idea of if you like it and where you want to go with it. Expensive to train and set up properly. It can be a very quick road to the hospital and the last thing the world needs is another uninsured weekend warrior knackering trees undertaking poor unnecessary work, running away when it all goes wrong etc etc.

I mentor apprentice tree surgeons and we try them all out thoroughly first as it’s not for everyone once you start actually working for a living. Lots of being wet, cold, to hot and uncomfortable with added thorns and sawdust, I think it’s the best job in the world and have been in trees for 20 years now.

Find your local agricultural college, go to the nptc website, read lots on arbtalk and ask a few questions on training in your area.

Read lots on trees as it’s best if you like them and know a bit

I could go on

Best of luck

Nick

Can you do some countryside volunteering anywhere nearby? Won’t get you the qualifications, but will get you lots of experience. I spent this afternoon laying a hedge in our local park – great fun even in the sleet.

All good stuff, thanks for this. I used to work outside, climbing poles and want to get back out there, but I want to learn it properly. I had my tree felled today by a surgeon and was talking to him for ages about it, it regenerated by bug to give this a go.

I need a chainsaw just to cut up.some logs can anyone recommend anything, preferably second hand?