14
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
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January/February 2026
TRAINING COURSES SPAN FROM VIRGINIA TO BRITISH COLUMBIA
In Vancouver and Virginia, crew members from U.S.
Residential/Commercial services and Canada Residential
focused on developing their skills with an emphasis on
safety, building confidence and bringing the knowledge
they learned back to their offices.
At the Arborist Skills Chainsaw Module in Richmond,
Virginia, employees focused on chainsaw handling and
following a six-step tree felling plan.
In his four years at Davey, Codie Martin has used a chainsaw
during hundreds of projects, and he said this training was
extremely beneficial for his own career growth.
"This training showed how powerful mechanical advantage
can be, and it opens up other possibilities for us to use that
system when we are out in the field," Martin, foreman,
Richmond office, said. "This training was very important
because we learned more about topics like the perfect
angle and placement for open cuts, hand positioning while
using a chainsaw and chainsaw handling with bore cuts.
Being out in the woods was great practice, and having such
hands-on trainers made the experience very worthwhile."
In Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, Canadian crew
members learned about tree decay, types of fungi and
the risk they cause, how new construction can cause root
damage and how to tell if a branch has a strong attachment,
along with other topics, at a Factors & Forces training.
"The factors and forces course helped me develop a
deeper understanding of how to think about risk with trees,"
Cory MacDonald, crew leader, Victoria office, Davey Tree
Expert Co. of Canada, Limited, said. "R.J. Laverne and
Christian Feichtinger did a great job teaching what to look
for before and while working with trees to help us perform
our jobs safely. I'm thankful to have been a part of this
course, as it helped teach skills of risk assessment that
I now use every day."
LEADERSHIP
About a dozen employees, including those from the Annapolis and
Alexandria offices, attended the chainsaw skills module where they
were able to practice carving chairs to enhance chainsaw handling.
The Arborist Skills Chainsaw Module pictured was held in
Richmond, Virginia.
