As summertime comes to an end and the kids are heading back to school, fall is quickly upon us and time will seemingly fly as we race toward the end of the year. It’s likely no coincidence, then, that September has been declared Self-Care Awareness Month: “a time to remind us that taking care of ourselves, first and foremost, is …
All in the Family
For Justin Hofmeister, NATS Lead Instructor and owner of Hofmeister Tree Service in Centralia, Washington, arboriculture and tree work runs in the family. In fact, Justin can trace his family’s roots in the tree industry back at least five generations. “My dad got started because his dad did it, and his dad did it,” explains Justin. “Nicholas (Justin’s son) is …
The Role of Chance in Production Arboriculture
First a definition: Chance: verb 1. do something by accident or without design – (chance upon/on) find or see by accident 2. informal do (something) despite its being dangerous or of uncertain outcome There are many ways to view chance or circumstance. Some may call it outright luck. After over two decades in this field, I fully admit that some …
Walk the Walk
One of the best ways to gauge the knowledge, skills and abilities of a crew is to perform individual assessments to determine in which areas they may be strongest, and where there may be room for improvement. NATS offers Competency Assessments that are customized to meet our clients’ needs, and are customized to work with crews of all sizes, from …
Skills Extravaganza – A Look Back
In May, nearly 40 Arboriculture and Forestry Subject Matter Experts gathered in the lakeside community of Hume, California for Skills Extravaganza, a week-long professional competency assessment program we hosted in partnership with our colleagues from Arboriculture Canada Training & Education (ACTE). With more than 550 years of combined experience, these NATS-affiliated arborists came together from across the globe – from …