Education in trees and election actions for arboriculture

The Arboricultural Association sets out some of the actions it wants the new government to take.

Welcome to the home of tree care

The Arboricultural Association is a charity and professional body supporting everyone who works with and cares about trees. Our vision is to inspire, support and promote the tree care community for a society that better appreciates and cares for trees.

We’re the leading organisation in the UK for tree care professionals working in all areas of arboriculture, including central and local government, consultancy, contracting, management, production, policymaking, research and education. We have more than 3,000 members in the UK and around the world, and are increasingly recognised as an international, as well as a national, leaders in arboriculture.

The Association is dependent on its members, its volunteers – including Trustees, Committee members and Branch officials – and a dedicated staff team operating out of the Malthouse in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.

With governments and the general public recognising the importance of trees, the expertise and knowledge of tree care professionals is now more important than ever. Arboriculture has a critical role in protecting and caring for those trees we have now and ensuring that the trees we plant today will establish and thrive in the decades and centuries to come. 

The Association produces a variety of campaigns and free resources, from technical guidance to materials promoting arboriculture. We’re passionate about promoting the range of amazing career opportunities and variety of skillsets within arboriculture. Find out more today: access free help, advice and guidance on a wide range of tree-related topics or join our cause and become a member at trees.org.uk.

Professionals you can trust

ARB Approved Contractor is the only comprehensive accreditation scheme for professional tree surgery businesses in the United Kingdom.

Arboriculture in the UK is not a directly regulated profession. Tree work is a highly technical job which requires appropriate skills, knowledge, attitudes, training and experience. The Association believes that it would be in the best interests of arboricultural contractors, the general public, tree owners and managers, and the trees themselves if arboriculture were to be effectively regulated by government. However, this is not currently the case. In the absence of regulation, in the UK, the AC Accreditation Scheme is the only recognised way of identifying Arboricultural contractors who have achieved the required professional standard in health and safety, customer care and tree work.

Becoming an Approved Contractor demonstrates the ability and desire of your business to work to best practice, achieve higher levels of knowledge and skill, and your ambition to promote and raise the professional standards of the industry. The purpose of the accreditation scheme is to raise standards in Arboricultural practice across the profession by encouraging contractors to meet robust requirements that relate to the quality of tree work, health and safety, professional standards, and good business and customer care practices.

The accreditation and its management processes are ISO 9001 (2015) certified. The key values of the Scheme are high-quality tree care and high-quality customer care. The requirements, in simplified terms, are high-quality tree work, undertaken safely and legally, combined with high-quality customer care.

The increased complexity of achieving accreditation in multiple elements is reflected in the duration and cost of the assessment process for these ACs.

You can find your nearest Arb Approved Contractor here.

Three actions for arboriculture

As the biggest professional body supporting those working with trees, the Arboricultural Association is calling on all parties and candidates to acknowledge the importance of tree care and establishment, and to commit appropriate resources to supporting arboriculture as the profession responsible for the success of the trees in our towns and cities.

During the 2019 general election campaign, the major political parties of the UK each promised to plant ever-increasing numbers of new trees.

The Arboricultural Association remains pleased that trees – and the many varied benefits they bring to our communities - remain high on the political and public agenda.

We need to act now so that the benefits of trees will are felt today, and by future generations. We’re calling on elected MPs and the next government to work with us to deliver against our three recommendations.     

It is increasingly recognised that trees are good for us, and provide a wide range of environmental, social and economic benefits to society. However, not everyone knows about the profession which is responsible for these amenity trees: arboriculture.

The Arboricultural Association works to inspire, support and promote the tree care community for a society that better appreciates and cares for trees. We’re working in tree time, not within electoral cycles.     
However, we must act now so that the benefits of trees will be felt by future generations.

We’re calling on prospective MPs and the next government to work with us to deliver against our three recommendations.

Invest in people

Arboriculture is an exciting industry with varied roles that appeal to all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Tree care should be for everyone, and we must ensure that the next generation of arboriculturists represent the communities they live and work in. We must see increased support for training, education and apprenticeships for the next generation of entrants into these important green jobs.

Allocate funding and resources

Trees outside woodlands are critical infrastructure which can contribute towards tackling many of the problems society faces.

To maintain and increase canopy cover and improve access to trees where people live, we must retain and protect existing trees where possible and take appropriate steps to fully establish those we plant. This requires an adequate, skilled workforce across both the private and public sector.

We must see increased money and capacity available for tree care.

Enable arboriculturists

Despite the crucial role of arboriculture in daily life, and in tackling the climate and nature crises, there is low general awareness about the work of tree care professionals. To realise the potential of trees, arboriculturists must be involved at the earliest stages of planning for all projects involving amenity trees in both urban and rural settings. Greater valuing of arboriculturists alongside other professional industries allow us all to benefit from their skills and expertise.

We must see increased recognition for arboriculture and its role in society.