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The Davey Bulletin | September/October 2016
Tree care is prevalent across the globe.
That is why Davey safety manager Tim Walsh took a 17-hour flight to Hong Kong
to educate the future professionals of the Chinese tree care industry.
Walsh, a member of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) safety
committee, traveled to lead the Tree Worker/Climber Exam Preparation Course,
organized by Don Picker of Asia Tree Preservation Limited (ATP).
In Hong Kong, it's mandatory for all government tree care employees to be ISA
Certified Arborists
®
. Therefore, ATP organizes this annual training course with the
government to prepare students for the career-changing ISA Certification Exam.
"It was my first time in that part of the world," Walsh said. He was proud to be a
part of eight Hong Kong natives' journeys to becoming certified arborists. Walsh's
training course addressed all aspects of the tree care industry from indoor class
work to leading climbing lessons high in the Hong Kong camphor trees.
He was impressed by how well the students spoke English and their eagerness
to learn. "It was a very positive experience with a lot of good interaction with the
group," Walsh said.
On top of the training course, Walsh provided a Sunday morning presentation on
Arboriculture Safety to start the year off for the ISA Hong Kong Chapter with the
theme of safety.
The safety presentation was supposed to last two hours, but it ended up lasting
five because of the 40 paying ISA attendees' abundant questions, Walsh said. The
safety presentation was held at the Institute of Arboriculture Studies Hong Kong
through the generous charity of Picker.
"It was a neat opportunity," Walsh said. He was appreciative of the chance to
experience the unique Chinese culture while teaching the value of tree care.
TREE TRAINING IN HONG KONG
Davey's Tim Walsh trained eight Hong Kong
natives to climb a camphor tree during a Tree
Worker/Climber Preparation Course.
The Peak Tram in Hong Kong. Davey's Tim Walsh with students from the Tree Worker/Climber Preparation Course in Hong Kong.
MY DAVEY