About Us
Dr Richard Wilson MICFor, RC Arbor A.
Chartered Arboriculturist & Registered Consultant
PhD., Cert. Arb (RFS), Prof. Dip. Arb (RFS), M ArborA., RC ArborA, MICFor
I’m a Chartered Arboriculturist and Registered Consultant of both the Institute of Chartered Foresters and the Arboricultural Association. I hold the Certificate and the Professional Diploma in Arboriculture of the Royal Forestry Society and in 2013 I was honoured to be awarded the Royal Forestry Society/Lockhart Garratt Trophy after coming top in the Level 6 PDArb exams.
My career in the arboricultural industry has spanned 16 years, initially as a volunteer with Wildlife Trusts, then as Director and Lead Climber of C-Trees Ltd., an arboricultural services (tree surgery) company I established with my wife, Sally. I spent some time as a part-time, temporary Tree Officer at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council and am now Director and Principal Consultant of Wilson Tree Surveys.
I have extensive experience of conducting arboricultural surveys, analysing data and compiling reports for a wide range of clients and spanning the full range of arboricultural competencies. My key areas of expertise include:
- Safety & Condition surveys
- Hazard & Risk Assessment
- Decay Detection (tomography and resistography)
- BS5837:2012 Construction planning (including Arboricultural Implications & Tree Constraints assessments, Tree Protection, Mitigation & Planting Schemes and Method Statements)
- Homebuyer’s surveys (Mortgage reports)
I aim to work at the highest levels in the industry and provide clients with the highest standards of service. As a further level of assurance, my work and professional standards are governed by the Codes of Ethics and Conduct of both the Institute of Chartered Foresters and of the Arboricultural Association.
Owning a Woodland
Richard’s passion for tree conservation and management has led to the purchase of a small woodland, and with his wife, he runs a smallholding in Ceredigion where they have adopted principles of Permaculture to work with the land.
Richard’s qualifications:
PhD Physiology (Level 8)
Registered Consultant of the Arboricultural Association (Level 7)
Chartered Arboriculturist of the Institute of Chartered Foresters (Level 7)
Professional Diploma in Arboriculture (RFS) (Level 6)
BSc (Hons) Pharmacology (Level 6)
Certificate in Arboriculture (RFS) (Level 4)
Nine NPTC competencies in chainsaw operations (Level 2)
LANTRA training in Bat Awareness (Level 2)
First Aid at Work.
Sally Worsley
MSc, FIBMS.
Sally’s role in the company is as co-director and is a clinical scientist and member of the Institute of Biomedical Scientists. The skills she has developed in her professional life have been of great use in the formation of their family business in 2007 and then in its management firstly as C-Trees Ltd and now as Wilson Tree Surveys.
Like Richard, Sally has a deep love of the natural world. They manage a small woodland together and their smallholding where they are in the process of creating an orchard of Welsh heritage apple varieties. The orchard will be fenced off and will have a pond allowing them to house chickens and ducks under fully free-range conditions, safe from the attentions of a neighbourhood fox family! Sally is also forming a herbal tea business called Herbal Natives which gives her endless excuses to grow medicinally important flowers and herbs
This year, to mark her birthday, they planted three Ginkgo trees which are now thriving in their West Wales climate.
What is Arboriculture?
Arboriculture is the science and practise of tree care in relation to people, the built environment and infrastructure. Like other ‘-icultures’ (such as agriculture, horticulture, silviculture, and so on) the primary focus is on planting, growing, managing and appreciating plants, in this case trees, for the benefit of human society.
Increasingly, the industry is focussing on our key role in relation to conservation, ecology, soil retention, climate change and carbon sequestration. The industry has two broad divisions: Technician Arborists (also known as Tree Surgeons) and Consultant Arboriculturists.
What are Chartered Arboriculturists and Registered Consultants?
In the UK, the professional body for the industry holding a Royal Charter is the Institute of Chartered Foresters. Individuals demonstrating a level of knowledge, experience, professionalism and commitment to their chosen specialism may apply for Professional Membership of the Institute. The award of full membership is equivalent to an NQF Level 7 qualification (equivalent to a Master’s degree) and successful candidates may use the post-nomial ‘MICFor’. The bulk of the assessment process relates to a demonstration of experience and professionalism through examination of a two-year long work diary, and a critical reflective analysis of a project carried out by the candidate.
The professional trade body representing the industry is the Arboricultural Association. Registered Consultants submit a portfolio of professional reports demonstrating their knowledge, professionalism and ability to work at the highest standards in six competency areas. The reports are scrutinised, and candidates examined by interview. Like Chartership, the award is equivalent to NQF Level 7 and entitles those successful to use the post-nomial ‘RC Arbor A’.
What is an Arboricultural Consultant?
Arborists (Tree Surgeons) are familiar to the general public: these are often very highly skilled professionals who undertake a range of pruning, cutting and felling operations, often using chainsaws and often working at height from rope-and-harness. The Technician’s Certificate (Tech. Cert.) is an NQF Level 4 qualification (equivalent to a Higher National Certificate) though many arborists possess a wealth of knowledge beyond this. If you think you need an arborist, rather than an arboricultural consultant, then this list of Arboricultural Association Approved Contractors may be of use.
Arboricultural Consultants often begin their careers as Arborists and take additional training to reach NQF Level 6 (equivalent to a Batchelors degree) or above. Consultants use their in-depth arboricultural knowledge to advise clients on tree management in a number of professional settings relating to insurance, finance, planning, legal matters, conservation and climate change. The focus at this level is on balancing the needs of people with those of trees so that their many environmental benefits may be freely enjoyed in the context of human environments.
Advice may be provided in reports, letters and in the form of plans / maps.
Going, Going… not gone yet – Part 2
6th November 2019 by
This is the second in a two-part series focusing on the impacts of Ash Dieback Disease (ADD). Part 1 described the disease itself, it's prevalence and how to spot symptoms. In this article, I’ll consider formulation of a proportionate response…
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What our Clients say
It's extremely important to us that our Clients are 100% satisfied with all work that we carry out, here is just some of the feedback that we have collated from our client portfolio...
I’ve engaged Richard to work on several construction projects over the years. In every case his work has been careful, detailed and thorough and has allowed me to progress my projects through planning to completion in a timely manner. His service is excellent: helpful, quick and professional. I look forward to working with again in the future.