I started working with trees when I was 19, as a ground man for faller Dale Chase on Hornby Island in the Northern Gulf of Georgia. I moved to Calgary, Alberta at 25 to work for one of the city’s largest tree companies, ArborCare Tree Services, and began training as an arborist. I completed ArborCare’s in-house training and then continued my education through Arboriculture Canada, ISA conferences and Olds College, where I wrote my ISA certification exam. Once certified, I worked with ArborCare as a foreman overseeing large and small projects and supervising crews of three to ten people. In 2007 I moved to Victoria and started my own tree company, NewGrowth Tree Services. From the sapling in your yard to municipal parkland, trees are an essential part of our natural environment and community, and through NewGrowth I’m doing my part to ensure they continue to thrive.