www.arborage.com Arbor Age / July 2014 21
Buckingham Manufacturing and the Silky Company. Each
organization provided valuable equipment to help make the
training programs the very best they could be by providing
chain saws, climbing harnesses, climbing lines/ropes, hand
saws, personal protective equipment, and more.
This year, the fi ve days of hands-on ArborMaster training
were followed by a one-day seminar designed for a larger audi-
ence to introduce Japanese enthusiasts to the "Art & Science
of Practical Arboriculture." The seminar was attended by more
than 100 Japanese tree workers and other enthusiastic Japanese
people who care very much about trees.
What is arboriculture, people ask
Wherever I travel in the world, people ask "What is
arboriculture?" The same holds true in Japan. I start by
comparing traditional forestry and urban forestry.
I think it is important to understand that "traditional
forestry" is about larger groups of trees, forest and/or park
management and stewardship. It is the harvest of trees or
tourism fees that drive "traditional forestry" from an eco-
nomic perspective.
I often take liberty using the term "urban forestry" to
help people understand the importance of arboriculture.
Arboriculture is at least as much about people as it is about
trees. And while it may include managing an urban forest,
there is often a heavy focus on specifi c and/or individual
trees — both large and small — usually because of their spe-
cifi c value to people and the risk they can, and do, present to
life, limb and property. Arboriculture is largely about man-
aging, caring for and dealing with shade and ornamental
trees. Arboriculture is driven by managing specifi c tree re-
sources and specifi c tree risks from an economic perspective.
It helps to include a good defi nition of an arborist. When
we asked Dr. Alex Shigo (author, researcher and key pioneer
of modern arboriculture) to defi ne an arborist in his words,
he said, "An arborist is a person that can accurately diagnose
a problem that may exist with a tree, or between people and
a tree or trees; prescribe necessary and creative treatments;
The need for urban forestry
and tree risk management is
increasing throughout Japan.
English gardens and western
landscaping are infl uencing
modern Japanese landscapes;
this often means planting
larger shade trees.
All photos provided by ArborMaster
