First job as an arborist

This summer, people from a local organization contacted me. They said they follow my Instagram about trees, they like my position, and would like to try to cooperate.

It turned out that they are working on a large landscaping project (about 100 hectares), they have all the specialists, but they would like to get an outside opinion on the proposed tree species, and it seems to them that I am suitable for this role.

For me, this was the first such job. Very exciting, there was no one to discuss the details with at all -- all my friends are programmers. I did it, received a symbolic amount of money and positive feedback.

The very fact of such a request prompted me to try to move from the category of a blogger who broadcasts something to the category of a professional arborist. Which, in general, has been brewing for a long time: criticizing the pruning of city trees in words is one thing, but with references to authoritative standards it is something else entirely.

In general, I bought several specialized books, downloaded standards, and am studying. Ideally, I plan to get certified as an arborist, EAC or ISA, in 2026.

I do not plan to make arboriculture my main income. The main task is to increase my authority in this matter when working with the city.