To have a hort degree or not

JCONN

I am trying to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can from reading everyones posts and many different books, in fact I dont think I have ever spent as much money as I have in the past 6 months on reading materials my whole life. Once I start I cant stop. I have been studying all types of books to take the certification test as soon as as possible, however I dont feel that I have a strong hold on some aspects of tree biology, or soil chemistry. I see that many of the members here have lots of degrees, in your oppinion is it worth taking some sort of formal education. I would greatly appreaciate any other suggestions.

mdvaden

The reason I kept taking the college classes was because I enjoyed them.

If you like the books, maybe you will like the classes.

I never went to get a degree, but just kept taking class after class after class, part time for like 6 years.

But what I learned was sure useful too.

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Grove of Redwood TITANS

Oregon BIGOOT trap

windthrown

I went back to college at night to get a certificate in horticulture when I had a landscape and tree trimming business with my brother many years ago. It was very interesting, and I use a lot of the stuff I learned there every day here. That led me to dropping back into college, and I wound up finishing my engineering degree. I say go for it, if you have a local college to go to take classes at!

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Ekka

You have to have the interest and it's unlike high school days where you may have sat bored and forced to learn stuff you had no interest in.

You will use the info learned for sure. And unlike trying to do it yourself there's some structure and step by step progression plus .... you'll have others doing the same and that's always good.

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JCONN

I am going about getting certified the same way. I already spent 3 years in college and do not plan on going back Because i am a full time firefighter and my tree business on the side way to busy for school. So i purchased the arborists certification study guide,and ANSI best practices to get me started.

I would appreciate any other suggestions on good books.

Greg

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Underwor

Although I would dearly like to see you face in the classroom, I realize that for some it is not a real option. An alternative is to get the credit for what you know through online classes, such as I teach at ND School of Forestry @ MSU-Bottineau. These are fully transferable accredited classes and will result in a diploma. Several others on this and other conference groups have taken some of the classes and I am sure will tell publicly or privately what they think. Most I think have been satisfied. For more information go to Welcome to MSU Bottineau! and click on the online campus link. It is listed as urban forestry diploma. As I said, another option.

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Bob Underwood, Associate Professor of Forestry
ND School of Forestry
Minot State University - Bottineau Campus
Bottineau, North Dakota

JCONN

Thanks for the info. I would diffinetly be interested in online classes even though I think I would bennifit more from a more hands on experience. It is just hard to take a way time from a busy work week to go to school. I even thought of taking early morning or late night classes but it seems they are not really offered at any schools around me. I am trying to organize a easy day of work that I can send my workers out and not really worry about them to much and just take a full day of classes, and I don't want to have everyone take off a day of work cause of me, they have familys to feed. Its just that the closes hort program is about 45 min drive from me, so between driving and 1 or 2 classes thats almost a full day.

JCONN

TreeMonkey I also purchased the same study guid and havent been very impressed, though I am only about half way through it. To me it seems like alot of facts and doesn't go into to very good explanations about some of those facts and other key words and terms they say you should know. My sister just bought me some books for my birthday when they arrive I will let you know how they are.

dannyboysfc

TREEMONKEY just sign up for and take the test, its not as hard as you think. I took it and was actually dissapointed at how easy it was, all I did was study the study guide and apply the information that I have learned in the field.

I am not badmouthing the ISA but I feel that the test should be made to be much more difficult.

Treelore

Danny boy you should feel very fortunate for your training and comprehensive understanding. I agree with you on the level of certification however many good arborists in Australia need to take the ISA test twice which is testimony of the level of Arboriculture taught overall in America. In the field and in classrooms.

Back on topic I feel it is practitioners responsibility to take on further education and apply themselves to certification. It raises our industry levels as a whole and gives more credibility to our science. Can you imagine if there was a choice between a certified or non certified electrician or engineer. I can tell you very quickly who would go out of business..We need to have the same levels attributed to us in the public eye!




Rain and more flippin rain where is summer!!!!

dannyboysfc

[quote=Treelore;21220]Danny boy you should feel very fortunate for your training and comprehensive understanding. I agree with you on the level of certification however many good arborists in Australia need to take it twice which is testimony of the level of Arboriculture taught overall in America. In the field and in classrooms.[quote]


Simply put, I think that if the test were harder it would weed out those who aren't truely arborists at heart.

Treelore

I agree with that. But furthermore it would raise our industry standard so that we weren't just associated as "the help". I just think collectively the industry is mis labelled and we need to attain higher education or implement higher education as a standard to be involved!

dguntertrees

Education, education, education!

Wasn't that T. Blairs rallying call?

I actually agree. I think that your education should come from a combination of work experience AND tertiary and (if possible) higher education. The more you do the better. You will find your own limits and settle on where you want to stop and excel. Its worth realising that we can't all be Dr A. Shigo or K. Mattheck or Dr G. Moore etc etc, but that there is a place for everyone and that with individual experience that we all have something to contribute. Especially here, where (contrary to what some might think) we are all equal.

Keep on keepin' on!

Dave

Therrin

Underwor,

I checked out that college site, it looks interesting.
Got me thinking that maybe I could check out online courses at some of the colleges in NorCal which would have Arboriculture related classes, so that I can still secure Cali financing aids. Thanks for posting the link though, it was very informative.



I noticed about 3 classes that I'd loved to take, then afterwards that YOU are the professor! How niffty is that?? Glad to have you here on the site!!

Noticed the quote on the main page, "The staff and teachers are very helpfull and give you help whenever you need it."

Kinda....repetetive...isn't it?

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Ken Fessia
I.T.S.A. Tree Service
(661) 916-4703

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Underwor

Thanks for the link i think i will start taking some courses online.

JCONN

I found this link somewhere here on treeworld very good link thanks to who ever put it on! The power points are really good
Structural issues - Pruning - Landscape plants - Edward F. Gilman - UF/IFAS

Greg

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Underwor

If you sign up to take the diploma program, then financial aid is available through the college I believe. I had a student a few years ago from northeastern California (Alturas, Davis Creek area) who claimed that it was cheaper to come here than to go to a school in California.

It is probably the English department that writes this stuff, at least I will give them credit, just to stir things up. The professor is one of my hunting and fishing buddies.

I try to tell my students that a big part of their education is reading this and other forums. It gives a diverse view, alternate explanations of the same concepts, and prepares them to evaluate what they hear from peers, salesmen and other sources when they get out in the real world. I often use the questions posed here as examples in class, since they are real world and I don't have to try to make them up. Whether you know it or not, you are all professors (As if I did not warp their young minds enough by myself!!).
As an example, the recent discussion about reaction wood is a spillover from discussion between students in my online arboriculture class this semester.

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Bob Underwood, Associate Professor of Forestry
ND School of Forestry
Minot State University - Bottineau Campus
Bottineau, North Dakota

TREEMONKEY

Dannyboysfc

I am writing in April i heard it was not to hard. But i am studying my ass off. untill then.

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