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TIPS FROM THE CANOPY
There is a difference between 10 years experience, and six months
of experience repeated 20 times.
That is quite a powerful concept that I was fortunate enough to learn from professional arborist, trainer, author, and all-around great guy, Tony Tresselt.
The concept has stuck with me, and I find its value in the industry and life as well. If we only repeat what we learned in the first six months on a job, and do
not take the initiative to continue our learning, then why should we expect to become better at what we do?
We should always be looking to advance our knowledge and put it into practice in the field. Identifying opportunities and searching for a solution should be part of our
thought process. Nothing wrong with using what we learned when first starting our career. After all, you have to start somewhere, but we should aim to venture out and look
to further our knowledge, and not rely only on our initial training.
It is easy to look at rigging and climbing gear and get lost in the multitude of new products and techniques, but how often do we look at new methods or systems for cutting and felling? A lot of injuries and fatalities occur every year, which are directly caused by some act of cutting.
These casualties occur from both cutting in the tree and on the ground.
Looking at climbing systems or rigging systems, we are quick to explore other options and methods because we see distinct advantages. We find improvements in safety and efficiencies, and with these
improvements, we easily see how incorporating them into our workday provides an overall better experience. We should also take the time to look at methods, research, techniques, and gear that have come about to improve safety and efficiencies with cutting and felling. Struck by's continue to be a lead-
ing cause of injury and death in our industry. If we see the same patterns with casualties in our industry, why would we not look to improve our methods in an effort to reduce harming and killing people on the
job site?
Whether you have been in the industry for 30 years or one week, look to continue gaining knowledge through others and personal experiences. Push beyond repeating the first six months of your education, and look to nev- er stop learning. Find professional arborists to work with and pack the family up for a weekend and find a training
event to attend. We have a responsibility to our families, the people we work with, the industry, and ourselves, to never stop learning.