ISA Certification

[nofa93]

Good morning,

After browsing through this forum for a while, I am glad I finally joined it. You guys offer a lot of good advice.

I would like to know if you could give me insight on the following:

I have been delivering tree care practices for about 5 years now on my own property and the ones of my family and friends. Pruning, felling and planting are activities I have been practicing part time for a number of years on deciduous trees and evergreens. My current knowledge of tree care was built over time by hands experience and personal research/studies on the subject of Arboriculture. With time, I have also acquired an inventory of adequate tree care maintenance tools from pruning saws, chainsaws, to pneumatic pruners and Orchard ladders.

I am not an arborist by trade. My domain of expertise and carreer job is within Information Technology but I also have a great interest in arboriculture. But I am deeply interested in getting certified. The reason for this is in the region where I live, alot of trees have suffered from improper tree care techniques ( tree topping and so on). I wish to extend my knowledge by following the ISA certification to bring better tree care practices to my neigbherhood.

The only problem is that the institute will not accept me as a candidate because they do not recognize my past experience as real experience (contractor experience).

I have done research and I am having a hard time finding other training programs.

Any of you guys have any advice to offer?

Thanks in advance.

 

[lego1970]

You can always hire on with a local tree company or horticulture type business and I'm sure after you prove yourself to them they would be willing to vouch for you and say you have been with them for 3 years instead of only 6 months.

 

[Ed Roland]

My advice is to buy the study guide and know everything that is in it and don't worry about getting caught up in the money grab that ISA certification has become. I've been a CA for the past 18 years but am now dropping out of their system.

Know your trees and follow proper business practices and you will be fine!

TreeCo, are you retiring to grow more veggies or disgruntled with ISA?

 

[treemandan]

Not retiring or even disgruntled with the ISA, but I am growing more vegetables.


In the past I've had double and even triple the ceu hours required for keeping my CA but in the past three years I've not kept up so it's time for me to go! Eighteen years was a good run and back in 1991 the designation was somewhat of an advantage......but today for me and my business it means naught and I'm not carrying them on my back any longer.



.

I was never up for that fight. Not after the last one with ASE.

 

[Ed Roland]

Welcome to the site nofa93.
TreeCo certainly has a point and you should research both sides of this coin before going further. ISA as a trade organization is a business like any other and perhaps they could do more to support who we are and what we do with the money we send them. Credits are not cheap. I currently have well over 300 because i am chasing bcma, which i hope to test for soon.
I think i can honestly say that here, deep in the South, certification has given me a competitive edge over the uncertified competition. In Columbia, SC I actually had a competitor named Tree Toppers, of all things.
:monkey:

 

[treeseer]

"I have been delivering tree care practices for about 5 years now on my own property and the ones of my family and friends.

I think they look for 3 years in the business, not occasional.

My current knowledge of tree care was built over time by hands experience and personal research/studies on the subject of Arboriculture.

did you document this on the application?

"I am deeply interested in getting certified. The reason for this is in the region where I live, alot of trees have suffered from improper tree care techniques ( tree topping and so on). I wish to extend my knowledge by following the ISA certification to bring better tree care practices to my neigbherhood.

you can do a lot of that while getting the knowledge to confidently reach this goal, and gain the experience needed to take the test.

"I have done research and I am having a hard time finding other training programs."

Training is good; see attached. maybe if you search your memory you will recall commercial activity in the tree care business. however minor, it may make a difference. salespersons and office staff with little handson experience have qualified to take the test. maybe get hypnotized, and go deep...wipe your hard drive...that's it...

After you are certified, many CEU's are free by testing on articles read, and sitting and listening.

Any of you guys have any advice to offer?

Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

 

[outofmytree]

Welcome aboard nofa!

Can't help you with ISA but there are many here who can. Treeco has his opinion but bear in mind he has many years of hardcore arboriculture behind him and probably has forgotten more about trees than you (or indeed I) currently know. Gaining recognised qualifications will help you in expanding your knowledge and show to your clients that you care enough to take time out to learn.

Find a way to make it work. And keep climbing.

 

[treeseer]

"ISA as a trade organization is a business like any other"

Well actually it is a member-driven nonprofit; unlike many businesses. Search www.treesaregood.com there is a lot you can do to promote arboriculture in your area before you invest in the test. for a sample test taste here are 2 CEU articles--send back your answers if you want.

wease, surf suct at carolina beach so we went up to the blockade runner; good sets there (and their butterfly garden/landscape) made it all worthwhile. c u nextime!

 

[outofmytree]

Copied both of those articles for further study. Thanks Guy.

My crew read these during lunch breaks. It sure beats the funny papers!

 

[Ed Roland]

"ISA as a trade organization is a business like any other"

Well actually it is a member-driven nonprofit; unlike many businesses. Search www.treesaregood.com there is a lot you can do to promote arboriculture in your area before you invest in the test. for a sample test taste here are 2 CEU articles--send back your answers if you want.

wease, surf suct at carolina beach so we went up to the blockade runner; good sets there (and their butterfly garden/landscape) made it all worthwhile. c u nextime!

Surf was enormous! Way beyond my personal skill set. Lifeguards would not permit body surfing, though. Boards only.
Another storm on the way and you guys are always welcome!

Sure wish the bcma practice test had more meat on it's bones.

 

[crotchrot]

ISA sample test questions

Any other ISA sample tests would be much appreciated.

IE. Soil management. Is the tree ID section of the test full size pics of trees or leave pics, or bark pics. Thanks

 

[pdqdl]

Join ISA, at the cheapest membership.

Print some business cards, give your relatives a bill. Who knows, maybe they will pay them?

Study, wait a year, take the test. As a paying member, ISA is not likely to quibble with you over how long you have been chopping on trees. If that doesn't work, wait three years.

 

[treeseer]

Any other ISA sample tests would be much appreciated.

I only get to share those because they are over a year old so the tests are no good for credit. Glad you think they are funny--example:

Q Included bark is...

d. A sound in a small kennel.

real knee-slappers, I tell ya!

Other tests are for sale cheap--study guides with tests are written for many of their books. also there are questions in gilmans pruning book and the cert study guide.

pdqdl has the best idea--join, and you get a CEU test with every issue!

o and the surf sunday was chopped by a southerly wind--wish we could go today but kids have other stuff to do...lifeguards would not allow body surfing? I thought this was America!