Women in arb: tree-cutting surveyor Kirsten Summers

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?

I have a diverse background. Most of my early working life was spent as a chef, in every kind of situation imaginable. I joke that I have now just moved on to chopping bigger vegetables. I have worked on building sites, I have been a juggler and a stilt walker, and even a snorkel guide and I have spent a lot of time travelling. I have always been physical, practical, and very interested in ecology.

WHERE ARE YOU BASED?

Currently in Aberdeen.

WHAT MADE YOU PURSUE A CAREER IN ARBORICULTURE?

To be honest, I fell into arboriculture. I was completely done with chefing and was looking into a few different options including deep-sea diving. The timing was bad with that, as the price of oil had crashed. Then I looked at carpentry, building eco houses with my best friend. I had been volunteering in a local community woodland that got funding to put people through the NPTC basic felling course and I was lucky enough to get a place. The instructor really liked me and the way I worked, and knowing I was between employments offered me a job at the end. He told me, “I will be running a climbing course in a month’s time and I think you’ll really like it.” He was right; I took to it like a monkey. I have always been into lots of sports and outdoors stuff so it seemed natural. Heights have never bothered me. As a kid I loved running, jumping and climbing trees. It is great to keep doing the stuff you loved as a kid as an adult. After a while, I knew I wanted to know more and took myself off to the Scottish School of Forestry (SSF) and did the degree course Sustainable Forest Management with Arboriculture and Urban Forestry. It was three years full-time. The course was less practical, but I had all that side covered through working. It consisted of biology and ecology (which I loved at school), management, legislation, policy and landscape design.

READ MORE: Women in arb: Annalize Wright

WHAT DOES YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK INVOLVE?

I worked for a time as a freelance climber, but these days I am less on the tools and more on the planning side. I work for Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) as a tree-cutting surveyor. There are two main strands to the job. The first part is surveying the power lines as part of their regular maintenance cycle. I work on mostly 11 kV circuits, so the wooden poles, not the big pylons. I will follow a line from start to finish checking trees are compliant in terms of safety clearances and looking for potential problems. I assess what work may need to be done, then locate landowners and get the jobs consented. Landowners can range from huge estates to tiny gardens. I then produce all the relevant paperwork for our cutting teams to carry out the work, such as method statements, work orders and maps. The second part is responding to customers calling in with concerns they have about a tree on their property getting to close to the overhead lines. We respond to these quickly. I visit the site, assess the work and produce a work pack. What I love about this job is where it takes me. I cover a large area in the north east of Scotland and I meet all kinds of people every day. I also help friends with their projects in my free time. I have a few friends with woodlands that need help with felling and management from time to time.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF ARBORICULTURE?

It was quite a step going from having a jolly in the woods with a bunch of lovely volunteers to full-time tree surgeon. We were working on a contract for a road bypass so lots of big trees, big kit and a tight schedule. It was a very steep learning curve and hard graft but I loved it! I think I put on about a stone in muscle in the first couple of months. When I went to the SSF, I was the only woman in my class, but more importantly the only student who had practical experience working with trees.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

I have been working on the Strichen 001 11 kV circuit in Aberdeenshire. It runs from Strichen towards Maud, New Deer and Pitsligo. I need to get eyes on every part of the line so it has involved both walking stretches as well as following it by road. The actual survey work will take three to four days and it will take a further two or three weeks to speak to landowners to gain the consents for any work required.

READ MORE: Women in arb: Margrethe Wheeler

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE JOB?

I loved working for myself but now working for SSEN, I love the intersectionality of the job. I do my absolute best to do what is best for the trees and woodlands, balanced with meeting the needs of customers and keeping the lights on. It feels like important stuff.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU HAVE LEARNED DURING YOUR TIME IN THE INDUSTRY?

Know your stuff. Be flexible and you can usually think your way round any problem. Most jobs in arboriculture are about problem-solving. The more knowledge you have, the better placed you are to solve any issues. Always have a plan B as well!

WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF BEING A WOMAN IN A MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY BEEN?

Mostly it has been fine. People have often heard of me before I meet them. Some customers have been surprised when I show up at their door, but the reaction has always been positive. Most of the tree surgeons I have worked with are really switched-on, conscientious, awesome people. I guess it’s more the older generation that has been surprised to see me. Once people hear that I know what I am talking about or see me working, I find I do not have many issues.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE MORE WOMEN INTO THE SECTOR?

I think it’s something that would benefit the industry as a whole for so many reasons, but a proper regulated apprenticeship scheme as you get for other trades, something that could be offered to young people looking for a career. Big businesses could get more involved in how they present their teams. Language and images need to be more inclusive – and let us see some female arborists in the media. Shows like Spring Watch or similar. If any television producers are reading, I am available!

READ MORE: Women in arb: Georgi Ennis

HOW IMPORTANT IS A GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE WHEN WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY?

Arboriculture tends to be a lifestyle, not just a vocation, but it is hard work and physically demanding. Remember, people, eat your greens and do yoga! Seriously, it is very important to strike the balance, because I have seen the impact on people I know that have not been able to do that.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING THE SECTOR NOW IN YOUR VIEW?

Increasing storms and bad weather, increasing pathogens affecting trees and forests. The thin end of the wedge that is climate change.

ARBORICULTURE IS VERY POPULAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SUCH AS INSTAGRAM. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

My phone is so old I do not have Instagram as it eats the battery too quickly. That said, I do see the merits of having it or Facebook to promote what you are doing and your business. There is something quite striking about pictures of arborists in full kit, using machinery, climbing, and working in and around trees, being brave and strong. Tree surgeons are sexy!

ANY PARTICULAR AMBITIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

I would love to do a master’s degree or even beyond. The trouble is narrowing it down to one topic. I am interested in ecology and how we humans interact and benefit from it, so maybe in future working in some way to bring people and nature closer together would be something I would love to do. In addition, I want to keep climbing as long as I can!

Forestry Journal remains dedicated to bringing you all the latest news and views from across our industry, plus up-to-date information on the impacts of COVID-19.

Please support us by subscribing to our print edition, delivered direct to your door, from as little at £75 for 1 year – or consider a digital subscription from just £1 for 3 months.

To arrange, follow this link: https://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/subscribe/

Thanks – and stay safe.