Derrick Bailey bucking logs. Photo by Robert Nickelsberg.

By Patricia Chaudoin

Greg Ranallo’s company name, Teacher’s Tree Service, may allude to the years he spent as a public school teacher in Minnesota, but it still applies to his and his employees’ current arboricultural work. Teacher’s is a 17-year TCIA member company based in South Burlington, Vermont, and its crew members take the “teacher” part seriously.

“I’d like to see the industry as a whole move in the direction of educating each other, our clients and the broader community,” says Teacher’s operations manager and consulting arborist, Sarah Pears. “There’s a lot of good science out there now as to how trees react to everything from abiotic stress, like flooding or drought, to biotic stress from pests and pathogens.

“Our method for working with clients has always been about education. Arboriculture is not something normally discussed by the general public, but it’s important and it’s changing all the time,” she continues.

A “teacher” from the beginning

Greg Ranallo began climbing in 1980, worked a stint as a logger in Alaska then started his first company in 1988 in Minnesota. He worked summers as an arborist to supplement his teacher’s salary before moving to Vermont to raise his family and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. He started Teacher’s Tree Service in Vermont in 1994.

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Education Is Key at Teacher’s Tree Service