Registered Consulting Arborist & ASCA

[NickfromWI]

So a previous thread prompted this thread...

Not to bust your bubble Willy but I went to the Academy in 2010 and wasn't impressed at all....
jp

In about a month I'm attending the conference in San Diego and if it doesn't completely turn me off, I'd also like to attend the academy in San Fran at the beginning of next year.

Any other RCAs here? Who else has taken the academy?

For me, becoming an RCA will pay for itself immediately. There are reports the city needs from folks developing on their property stating exactly what species of trees are on the property. You gotta be an RCA, Certified Landscape Designer or Licensed Pesticide Applicator to do it. Apparently by earning a license in pesticiding you show that you are smart enough about trees to ID them.

Anyway, financially speaking a few of those reports will pay for the feather in my cap.

love
nick

 

[bonner1040]

I would bet based on the fact that every landscraper with a truck has a lic. pest app, that you may find that to be an easier/cheaper road.

 

[treelooker]

You gotta be an RCA, Certified Landscape Designer or Licensed Pesticide Applicator to do it."

ISa certs don't count?
+1 w bonner; after a day of class i had pest cert in 5 categories; cost = peanuts.

Lots of other benefits to ASCA and RCA; lots of skilled folk did it. but check your math; those reports do not write themselves; gonna take severeal to recoo all that loot.

 

[treesandsurf]

Nick it sounds like you're already sold on the whole ASCA thing? I was one report shy of earning my RCA credential and dropped the whole thing, I posted some info about that experience in the other thread.

The lengthy ASCA style report is largely unnecessary in my experience, maybe there are some clients where that format would be essential or make sense, but if you are consulting for a municipality that manages thousands of trees the last thing they would want was a pHD style thesis on the bark characteristics of an alleppo pine or what have you. Trust me, when I was working as an arborist for a municipality these types of reports would come along and it was more amusing than helpful. Stick to a simple, direct style and focus on usefulness for the client.... Again, I see the BCMA credential as more sensible and useful as a working arborist....

jp

 

[treesandsurf]

On the other hand, I met a lot of really good arborists and learned a lot from some of the students at the academy, usually those who show up have a high level of dedication to the field and have a lot to share.

jp

 

[sotc]

At this point in time I personally, am not pursuing RCA. I do however want to become better at consulting. I like your input Jon, as far as keep it simple but I want to learn to write better. I barely went to highschool, heck, I learned more about grammar here at the tree house than I ever did in school. I know I can always scale back, I talk to folks at a level they can understand though I want to be able to write reports that won't be discredited in court due to stupid stuff. Kinda rambling here but I take your advice to heart

 

[NickfromWI]

...+1 w bonner; after a day of class i had pest cert in 5 categories; cost = peanuts.

Interesting. Here the license test is much more arduous. I looked in to it a while ago and thought, "later."

Nick it sounds like you're already sold on the whole ASCA thing? ...

Well for me, right now it's a win-win. It will basically be free- paid for in the first 6 months thanks to the local Native Tree Protection Ordinance. It will be a huge feather to stick in my cap and heck...I might even learn sumfin.

... Stick to a simple, direct style and focus on usefulness for the client.... Again, I see the BCMA credential as more sensible and useful as a working arborist....

jp

Agreed for 95% of the time. When I get a call about anything that sounds like they might end up in court I pass that crap on to a local RCA friend. I would love to have the training to get in there and get in this stuff. I know most tree guys run from neighbor situations, but I love them. The ASCA training MIGHT allow me to get more involved...properly.

 

[NickfromWI]

And I agree 100%...the BCMA is where I REALLY have my sights set...but that's a long ways down the road...

 

[treesandsurf]

Hey if it works $ wise than why not... just sharing my experience yours hopefully will be more positive. And if guy is right maybe the new leadership will shake things up, I got the feeling the management company they outsourced all the admin stuff wasn't doing the org much good but I don't know too many of the inside details but that's the vibe I got. Maybe the times are changing for the organization.

Willy I got your PM i'll try and get those books out by the end of the week

jp

 

[vharrison]

Feather in your cap? Go for it!

 

[treelooker]

...The lengthy ASCA style report is largely unnecessary in my experience,...

But sometimes it is essential to add detail, and organization is ALWAYS good. I have no idea what was assigned, and some of the style favored by an instructor there is downright flatulent, but short reports are often favored. Read the report writing book that i reviewed--brief is good. Mark Twain: "Sorry to write such a long letter--I had no time to write a short one."

You sound like me when I looked at ~100 hours of college credit and no degree...20 yrs ago it was "Nah I don't need that thing." and now thinking dayum shoulda shoulda... There are too many guys who are one report shy of RCA, but full of excuses that sound like sour grapes.

In California and out west in general RCA is MUCH more recognized than back east. Which is why it will pay for Nick, but economic motivation in NC just ain't there.

re ASCA's management company, whne i first encountered them it felt like Dementors were swooping in to mess with the quidditch match--chilling. but every good org has a supporting bureaucracy that is more concerned with its own sustenance than the industry's; gotta deal with it.

 

[pigwot]

I first met Russ Carlson when he worked for Bartlett in our area back in the late 80s and early 90s.
Seems he has done very well with the RCA.

 

[NickfromWI]

Willie, pm me your email if you want re depth. Attached fwiw. You'll ge ta lot out of it if russ carlson, david hucker and dennis yniguez still play a part there; topnotch.

And good to get an across-the-country thumbs-up on Dennis Yniguez. We met him at the Rendezvous only a few days ago!

 

[treelooker]

And good to get an across-the-country thumbs-up on Dennis Yniguez. We met him at the Rendezvous only a few days ago!

Well this was in Nebraska so it was maybe halfway across...and 16 years urg and yes Russ does a fine job with Forensics; learned a lot there. And yes he markets his RCA well. If ISA did not exist i might be trying to do the same down the coast. but with Russ' help I realized I'm a practitioner at heart and don't wannabe a consultant per se..Practicing arborist, aerial consultant, in that order, BCMA + CTW fits this one person's business model, until I get too senile to work at all, which may be any day...