City Trees

I grew up on a farm south of London, Ontario where my family boarded racehorses. We practiced self-reliance including generating our own energy. My father was a tool and die maker who wore many hats in his lifetime, including that of a professional trapper in his early years, while later in life he shifted to wildlife rehabilitation and conservation. We had a giant, very old antenna that was connected to a cool old, wood-housed tube TV. Our family always got excited to watch David Suzuki on the CBC's The Nature of Things speak to all things nature and technology. When I moved into the City of London, the infrastruc- ture itself amazed me—how each house was connected to a grid of power and telecommunication lines. I delved into the world of technology, working for 17 years as a technical trainer before retiring from that at the age of 36. I spent time traveling across Canada fishing our great waters for everything from white sturgeon to muskie. (Fishing with family and friends is my favorite thing to do.) Eventually, I found that I missed the structure and routine a professional life has to offer. I came across an ad by the Career Foundation showcasing its three-month, free-of-cost Arborist Ground Worker Training Program. I was intrigued, so I applied and was accepted. The program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The Career Foundation facilitates all of the integrated parts of the program, which focuses on overall mind and body well- ness and includes five weeks of practical training at the Greenhills Country Club in Lambeth, Ontario. My favorite part of the training was learning from some of the most talented arborists in the business. Our lead trainer was Ken Gillies, a very knowledgeable instructor with Arboriculture Canada. Several other trainers also assisted during the five-week technical training in smaller groups, including Bob Smith from Ontario Parks Association and Humber College. The instructor for our group of four was the talented arborist Isaac Mohammed. We learned everything from legislative requirements, chainsaw safety, trigonometry and theory to advanced knot tying, hydro pruning awareness, rigging, and mechanical advantage. All Personal Protection Equipment required under OSHA regulation was provided free of charge, including helmets, eye protection, and chainsaw pants—all of which we could keep upon graduation. At that point I Tara Soppet at work, pruning from a boom truck. Tara completing a self-rescue during an aerial rescue training. The Future of UCFS Tara Soppet 20 CityTREES

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