Arborist
What the work is
Provides specialist assessment and advice on individual trees and tree management in urban environments, including risk assessment, species selection and site planning. Works with Professionals such as Urban and Regional Planners, Landscape Architects and Environmental Consultants to provide strategic planning for urban forest preservation, protection and management.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Assesses and documents tree health and risk in urban areas
- Advises on tree species selection for urban environments
- Develops, implements and monitors tree management plans
- Collaborates with planners and architects on tree integration in urban design
- Ensures tree management aligns with environmental regulations
- Conducts tree surveys and inventories
- Makes recommendations for tree planting, pruning and removal
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a tree care company working in suburban streets, parks and backyards in a fictional coastal town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You climb into the canopy at sunrise and see the whole neighbourhood from above
- A big old tree is saved because you found a way to prune it that kept it healthy
- A crew works in perfect sync, with ropes, chipper and ground team all in time
Hard days
- A tree that is leaning on a house after a storm and a dozen people watching the job
- A customer who wants a healthy tree gone for a view, and will not accept your advice
- Hot, heavy work and the constant care needed when you are up high with a saw
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 342231, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.