More Than Trees: The Changing Role of Arborists
Arborists have always been custodians of trees, but the role is changing. Today, the job is about much more than pruning, managing risk or removing trees — it is also be about protecting and creating habitat for wildlife.
For arborists, habitat creation is also an opportunity to expand the services they offer. From retaining habitat trees and creating artificial hollows to repurposing logs and installing nesting boxes, arborists can provide clients with alternatives that deliver real environmental value — while creating an additional income stream for their business.
Nick Hayes, owner of Hayes Tree Care and ArbWest committee member is one of many arborists who now offer habitat creation as an important service.
“For me, flora and fauna are connected. You can't really talk about protecting wildlife without talking about protecting and managing the trees and vegetation they rely on,” Nick said.
“As arborists, we're in quite a unique position because we're often the people physically working in those trees. We see the hollows, nests, bees, birds, and other wildlife that are using them, and we're also involved in making decisions about what stays and what goes.
That means we have an opportunity to do more than just remove the hazard and move onto the next job.
Sometimes a tree can't remain exactly as it is, but that doesn't necessarily mean it has to disappear completely. We might be able to reduce it, retain it as habitat, create a hollow or reuse part of the tree somewhere else.
Artificial hollows aren't a replacement for naturally occurring habitat. Retaining existing habitat should always come first. But where that's not possible, we now have techniques available that allow us to put some of that habitat value back.
That's really the way we look at it at Hayes tree care: preserve what we can, create habitat where we can, and make removal the last option rather than the first.”
What can you offer clients in terms of habitat creation?
“At Hayes Tree Care, habitat creation has become a natural extension of the tree work we already do.
Our first preference is always to retain existing habitat wherever we can. Mature trees and particularly naturally occurring hollows are incredibly valuable and can take well over 100 years to develop, so you can't simply replace that by planting another tree.
Where trees do need to be pruned or removed, we look at what we can retain or recreate. That can include habitat pr
uning, retaining habitat stems, modifying existing hollows, installing bird or possum boxes, creating new hollows and repurposing hollow logs rather than treating everything that comes out of a tree as waste.
We use both chainsaws and a specialist tool called a Hollowhog to create hollows. The Hollowhog is specifically designed for creating habitat in living and dead trees. It allows us to create an internal cavity through a relatively small entrance while retaining much of the surrounding living tissue. The cavity and entrance can then be designed around the type of fauna we're trying to provide habitat for.
Chainsaw-carved hollows give us another option, allowing us to create cavities of different sizes and designs depending on the tree and intended species.
We also retain suitable hollow logs from removals and provide them to wildlife organisations for habitat rather than putting that resource through a chipper or disposing of it. That's something we've done with River Wren Rescue, and it fits into our wider approach of trying to give as much of the tree as possible a second life.
For us it's really about looking at the tree differently and asking, what can we preserve and what habitat value can we leave behind?”
What is the demand like for habitat creation?
“I would say demand is definitely increasing.
We're seeing a much greater understanding from local government, businesses and the community around biodiversity and the importance of retaining mature trees and habitat.
I also think people are starting to understand that planting trees is only one part of the answer. If we remove a mature hollow-bearing tree today, we could potentially be removing habitat that takes another 100 years or more to naturally replace.
The demand is probably still developing because a lot of clients simply don't know these options exist. Someone might think their choices are either keep the tree or remove the tree. Part of our role as arborists is being able to say, there might actually be another option here.
We've also deliberately built relationships with the people dealing with the wildlife side of that equation. Hayes Tree Care is a Gold Sponsor of Mandurah Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, and we provide support to River Wren Rescue, including providing suitable hollow logs for habitat.
Those relationships are important to us because arborists and wildlife carers are essentially working at different ends of the same problem. They look after the fauna; we're looking after a big part of the flora that provides their habitat.
I think bringing those two sides closer together is something we're going to see a lot more of in arboriculture.”
Corridors For Carnaby’s
One project demonstrating just how important the connection between trees and wildlife can be is Corridors For Carnaby’s.
The population of Carnaby's Black Cockatoos has more than halved since the 1970s from loss of habitat and food sources due to clearing for farming and development.
The Corridors For Carnaby's program is designed to help save these iconic birds from extinction, by engaging with the community to create the largest restoration corridor in Western Australian history.
200,000 native Banksia trees will be planted to form a “corridor” across a 10 kilometre stretch of land near Mandurah, providing critical habitat between the land and the ocean, with plentiful food, water, and nesting sites for the birds.
There will be artificial hollows for breeding installed on mature trees on private properties, within about one kilometre of the food corridor. The whole project will eventually have around 50 hollows.
Dean Arthurell from Carnabys Crusaders is one of the team members involved in the project.
“This project is exactly what I’m about. It’s an all-encompassing project, looking at both the lack of habitat and providing the birds with a long-term, sustainable food source,” Dean said.
“The Banksia corridor will support the current breeding population, support them to use the habitat that’s already there, and support them long into the future.”
What is your role in the project?
“My role is identifying locations that are suitable for installing artificial habitats and nesting hollows.
We’ve already installed five hollows and we’re monitoring them with cameras. 50 artificial nesting hollows will eventually be installed across the restoration corridor.
We installed them on a Friday and by Saturday we had birds at all five of the hollows. That tells you something. It means they really need them.”
What about the education side of the project?
“We’re doing school visits and talking to school kids about conservation and about the project.
It’s about helping them understand what’s happening with the Carnaby’s and why projects like this are important.”
Is there anything the arboriculture industry could do to help?
“Absolutely. I’d like to see more arborists looking at how some of the natural resources that come out of tree work could be recycled and used for projects like this.
For the hollows, we need natural hardwood chip, and it’s actually very difficult to get hold of.
I’m always trying to find an arborist who has hardwood chip that could be donated.”
Arborists in WA need to be aware of current quarantine restrictions on the movement of trees and wood chips to help prevent the spread of Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB).
Sugar Glider Home
Marco Morgado, owner of Kimberley Tree Care and ArbWest committee member often comes into contact with vulnerable wildlife in his work.
“We use chainsaws to create habitat regularly for our customers, and it’s a great example of how arborists can add value in more ways than one. It’s good for the customer, good for wildlife, and it also creates another service and revenue stream for our business,” Marco said.
“Recently, we were asked to work on a tree that was home to a sugar glider. Rather than simply removing the whole tree, we were able to retain enough of it so she could keep her home. It’s about looking at a tree differently and asking what we can preserve or create for wildlife while still achieving what the customer needs.”
New tools for a changing industry
As interest in habitat creation grows, so too are the tools available to arborists wanting to add it to their services.
Tim Stuart from ArbWest partner Coastline Mowers is now offering the ArboGrub, after discovering the tool while investigating habitat creation and its potential within arboriculture.
“I love the bush and our wildlife for starters,” Tim said. “When I was at the last Arbwest Conference I spoke with one of the other arborist businesses there, and they mentioned getting into providing habitat creations as part of their offerings. After researching what is involved, I started asking around and discovered the
ArboGrub. I reached out to them and within a few hours, Alana called me. Hearing her passion for the product and what it can provide to our wildlife she had me sold on the idea. It now allows us to offer another product to our ever-growing range of Arborist Equipment.”
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