Career summary

Details for Tree Trimmers and Pruners


Description

Cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, pruning hooks, sheers, and clippers. May use truck-mounted lifts and power pruners. May fill cavities in trees to promote healing and prevent deterioration.

Tasks

  • Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.
  • Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
  • Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.
  • Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
  • Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
  • Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.
  • Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
  • Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
  • Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
  • Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
  • Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.
  • Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support.
  • Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes, or other tools.
  • Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.
  • Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.
  • Remove broken limbs from wires, using hooked extension poles.
  • Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.
  • Transplant and remove trees and shrubs, and prepare trees for moving.
  • Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment.
  • Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.
  • Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees.
  • Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces or seal surfaces and to protect them from fungi and insects.
  • Harvest tanbark by cutting rings and slits in bark and stripping bark from trees, using spuds or axes.
  • Scrape decayed matter from cavities in trees and fill holes with cement to promote healing and to prevent further deterioration.
  • Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets.
  • Install lightning protection on trees.

Interests

  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
  • Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Knowledge

  • Education and Training -Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Customer and Personal Service -Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

None found.

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