Expert tree care by the preservation specialists
On an uncharacteristically dry summer’s morning, a first-time Woodpecker Tree Care client sipped their coffee and read the paper with the anticipation of meeting our ISA-certified arborists in just moments. “What will they be like?” wondered the client, having only communicated by email up until this fateful day. “Will they be friendly? Brash? Swashbuckling chainsaw fanatics?” Only time would tell…
We love trees at Woodpecker Tree Care headquarters, and we also loves bees! Kevin has filled his front yard, formerly full of monoculture turf, with native plants over the years. It has become a tended meadow of flowers and grasses, which makes it heaven for our friendly pollinators. When Kevin heard of the Sackville Wild Bees project via project leader (and client) Emily Austen of Mount Allison, he signed up without a blink.
Woodpecker Tree Care Ltd. has nearly doubled in size this year. We received an overwhelmingly positive response to our “Help Wanted” ad posted on social media this spring, and we are going into the 2023 season with three new teammates. We are so happy to have Dave, Greg, and Jess join us!
Note: At this time, we are not taking any more applications.
Have you ever imagined yourself working on a tree crew? If not, then why? There are a lot of reasons folks doubt their ability to do tree work, but to work with us you only need three things: curiosity, a valid drivers’ licence, and hunger to try. Come join us and find out what it’s like to be a Woodpecker!
Woodpecker Tree Care is all about preservation, but when we do have to cut a tree down we do our best to repurpose the wood (if it’s good quality). Sometimes the property owner is delighted to keep it for their furnace or share it with their neighbours, or John will happily take it home for his beloved wood stove and fire pit. One of the more interesting places our wood has ended up is in Jake Fenwick’s workshop, a local homesteader and bowyer (bow-maker) in Sackville NB.
John optimistically purchased this Ulmus “Morton” elm hybrid, more commonly known as an “Accolade” elm, from Charlie the Tree Guy this fall. The Accolade cultivar was originally planted in 1924 at the famous Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois). In 2005, the Accolade was studied alongside several cultivars in the US National Elm Trial, which determined the survival rate among elms. At the time, elm trees were dying off by tens of millions due to Dutch Elm Disease (DED) and other pests. Accolade came out as one of the top hybrid cultivars, with a 92.5% survival rate.
Beck Aurell is self-admittedly obsessed with trees and plants. She is an accomplished arborist with a breadth of experience, including Treemasters in Stockholm, The Tree Company in Melbourne, All Green Tree Care in Halifax and Asplundh in Nova Scotia.
S. Hall Tire, Muffler, & Auto Repair Centre is one of the local businesses keeping elm trees alive and well in the Maritimes. Owner and operator Scott Hall was aware of Dutch Elm Disease and how it was killing beautiful elm trees across the Atlantic Provinces, but wasn’t sure what he could do to help the trees from dying off. After learning that Woodpecker Tree Care heads the Maritime Elm Protection Initiative, he felt the need to take action.
“The Dutch Elm Disease problem has moved into our area, infecting and killing these beautiful trees. I decided to sponsor two trees as I feel it’s a worthy cause and it needs to happen. If nobody gets involved, all will be lost.”
Luciano Onichino, more often affectionately called “Looch,” is honoured to climb and care for trees. He joined the team in 2018, and has learned leaps and bounds, including how to climb and remove trees. The team loves having him around for his big heart and mechanical skills.
The fifth installment of “Meet the Team Monday” features the newest addition to the Woodpecker Tree Care crew, Meg Cunningham.
Meg started with Woodpecker Tree Care by washing trucks, but her role has developed since then. Meg is the current Maritime Elm Protection Initiative coordinator, and is responsible for organizing the annual DutchTrig vaccination campaign. She is also the author of the majority of Woodpecker Tree Care’s recent online content, including “Meet the Team Mondays.”
