Bartlett Women in Arboriculture

This year, Bartlett brought female employees from across the Company together for three days of networking and skills training — and to strategize about how we can help more women thrive in the highly rewarding careers available in arboriculture. Held at our Research Lab in Charlotte, North Carolina, Women in Arboriculture: Maximizing Talent, was the first event of its kind in the tree care industry.

From interns to members of the Board of Directors, women at all levels of the Company attended the conference. Altogether we had 48 female team members coming from 16 U.S. states as well as Canada and the UK. We were also very fortunate to welcome a number of highly accomplished guest speakers and instructors. These included Past President of the International Society of Arboriculture, Sharon Lilly, cofounder of the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop, Melissa LeVangie, and Executive Director of the West Coast chapter of the ISA, Rose Epperson.

Attendees were treated to a packed schedule. There were a series of talks and panel discussions regarding the history of women in the tree care industry, people’s own personal journeys as women working in arboriculture, and advice for those starting out on how to best navigate their careers. We also held a full day of outdoor sessions that covered tree climbing, aerial lift operation and tree felling techniques. Everyone even took part in a series of Landscape Olympics challenges to test their knowledge in knot tying, plant identification, pest and disease diagnostics, and (just for fun) axe throwing! The conference wrapped up with breakout sessions focused on creating actionable goals to improve the recruiting and retention of women in Bartlett’s offices.

Staff from across the Company, along with guest speakers and instructors, gathered for Bartlett’s first Women in Arboriculture conference.

It was a very productive event and included a mix of hands-on training along with presentations on the history of women in the tree care industry and strategizing sessions for the future.

Held at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories in Charlotte, North Carolina, the conference was a great opportunity for women working in offices around the US, Canada and UK to network with one another.

In addition to Bartlett employees, we were fortunate to welcome some very accomplished guests including Sharon Lily (right), former President of the International Society of Arboriculture.

Longtime Bartlett Board Members Ann Dillon and Betsy Hubbard were a very enthusiastic presence at the event, as were Chairman Robert Bartlett, Jr., President Jim Ingram and other key leaders from across the Company who were in attendance.

One of the skills trainings during the conference was on precision tree felling.

Attendees had the opportunity to practice aerial lift operation.

Attendees also had the opportunity to practice aerial lift operation.

There was a tree climbing component of the field day, with instructors from our own Bartlett team as well as some very generous guest instructors, including Melissa LeVangie of Shelter Tree – a cofounder of the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop.

For some of the attendees, it was a chance to hone their skills in the canopy. For others, it was one of their first opportunities to climb a tree.

For some of the attendees, it was a chance to hone their skills in the canopy. For others, it was one of their first experiences getting up into a tree.

The women of the Bartlett Diagnostic Lab gave the group an inside look at the work they do every day, including identifying insect and disease problems on plant samples under the microscope.

Everyone was able to put their horticultural knowledge to the test during the tree and pest identification challenge that was part of the Landscape Olympics team-building event.

The Landscape Olympics also included a knot tying event. In this photo, one team waits for their knots to be evaluated for accuracy.

The Olympic event that created the most buzz was probably the axe throw, which closed out the games.

One of the portions of the conference with the greatest impact came toward the end of the three days, when employees were invited to share their thoughts on how Bartlett can increase support of women working in the field.

A quick shot of the winning Landscape Olympics team!

Here’s Melissa Finley being recognized for her outstanding achievement in the climbing portion of the field day by instructor Melissa LeVangie.

Bartlett Safety and Training Coordinator Rich Herfurth also recognized two notable participants in the precision tree felling training: Heather Simpson and Lily Soderland.

All in all, Bartlett’s first Women in Arboriculture conference was a great success. We look forward to seeing how this portion of the Company’s workforce will continue to expand and excel in the future.

Today, more women than ever before are showing an interest in the field of arboriculture. At Bartlett, putting together teams of excellent people to serve our clients and their trees has always been a top priority for us, and we are excited to continue to tap into this growing talent pool.

Think you, or someone you know, might be interested in a career in arboriculture? Find out about the different tree care job opportunities available at Bartlett.

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