Jaroslav Kolarik CEO of Safe Trees

Summary
In this conversation, Sharon interviews Jaroslav Kolarik, CEO of Safe Trees and member of the Arboriculture Academy in the Czech Republic. They discuss the role of the European Arboriculture Council (EAC) in promoting arboriculture in Europe and the certification programs offered by the EAC. They also talk about the importance of certification for arborists and the challenges of raising awareness and understanding of arboriculture among the general public. They touch on the development of European Arboriculture Standards and the upcoming conference in Prague. They also discuss the tree assessment and tree value calculation standards and the need for a unified approach to tree care.

Takeaways

The European Arboriculture Council (EAC) plays a crucial role in promoting arboriculture in Europe and offers certification programs for arborists.
Certification is important for arborists as it provides clients and the public with confidence in their level of ability and knowledge.
The development of European Arboriculture Standards aims to unify terminology and approaches to tree care across different countries.
The tree assessment standard focuses on describing the quality of trees without using negative terms and allows for national annexes to address regional differences.
The tree value calculation standard goes beyond replacement value and considers the multiple benefits of trees, including eco-benefits. Valuing trees is important because they provide eco-benefits, property value, replacement value, wildlife value, and contribute to ecosystems.
Municipalities and decision-makers should consider the age structure, species structure, and maintenance history of trees when making decisions.
Canopy cover is a useful concept for visualizing the extent of tree presence in an area.
Tree planting programs should focus on tree establishment and aftercare to ensure the survival and growth of newly planted trees.
The arboricultural scene in the Czech Republic is growing, with a significant number of arborists, including women, entering the industry.
The European Arboricultural Council aims to spread tree care standards and promote higher-level tree care practices across Europe.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
04:06 Promoting Arboriculture in Europe: The Role of the European Arboriculture Council
06:28 The Importance of Certification for Arborists
12:09 Developing European Arboriculture Standards
19:26 Understanding Tree Assessment
25:32 Valuing Trees Beyond Replacement Cost
27:18 Valuing Trees: Eco-Benefits and Property Value
28:47 Challenges in Tree Valuation and Replacement Value
31:13 Considerations for Proper Tree Assessment
32:43 Canopy Cover: Visualizing Tree Presence
45:14 Challenges and Best Practices in Tree Planting and Aftercare
50:28 The Growing Arboricultural Scene and Diversity in the Czech Republic
53:11 Spreading Tree Care Standards Across Europe