ABOUT THE ARBORIST

Willoak Tree Care LLC is a project that combines my expertise and experience in tree sciences with practical solutions for the urban forest. Most of my work comes from referrals provided by existing clients and through my connections with trusted Arborists in the Twin Cities area. This business is still growing and I am accepting new clients that reach out directly as well.

I founded Willoak Tree Care in 2022 in order to fulfill my desire to work directly with trees and their owners in order to improve our urban forest. My goal is to work with engaged clients that understand how important it is to protect trees now and for the future. The inherent value of our trees drives me to continue my education and skill building in order to provide the best service I can.

I have been climbing trees since 2011 and working toward becoming a professional Arborist since before then. My first industry job was in Landscaping and Nursery Production at a large tree nursery and greenhouse in South Dakota. I had just earned an Associate's Degree in Horticulture. My time at the Nursery and Tech School served as a major stepping stone to gain experience and develop my skills in woody plant knowledge and customer service. 

I continued my education by completing a Bachelor's of Science degree in Horticulture at South Dakota State University. The college no longer had a Forestry program, so I enrolled in Arboriculture, Ecology, and Woody Plant Production courses. With my time in college I was able to connect with professional Arborists, study for and achieve my ISA Arborist Certification, and earn a full-time job with a large tree care company in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

Thanks to the support from this company, I became a skilled production tree climber, an educated plant health care technician, and also earned my ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. I began my Arborist career dragging brush, was promoted to Foreman, all the way up to Sales, Consulting, and Management. While time in private tree care was rewarding, I found myself seeking other opportunities in municipal urban forestry after over 5 years at Davey Tree.

In 2021, I became an Arborist and Tree Inspector for a large Park and Recreation Forestry department. The work I do in Minneapolis reignited my Arborist passion and provided a much better work/life balance. This led me to branch out my personal interests and this small business. Since starting Willoak Tree Care, I have been so fortunate to work with many excellent clients in the Twin Cities and outer Metro Area and continue to build my clientele and inventory of protected trees.

Outside of tree work, I love reading books, enjoying the food and coffeeshops in Saint Paul/Minneapolis, and I love riding my bike.

I became a huge cycling enthusiast in 2023 and am working on becoming a capable bike mechanic. Trees have always been my passion, but bikes are baked in to my DNA and I love the opportunities that cycling and the people who ride them provide. You can find my bike work and cycling adventures on Instagram at WILLOAK.BIKEWORKS. 

WILL WORK FOR BIKES! (Seriously)

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