Who Shows Up on Saturdays?
You want to work in trees.
We hire from people we've already worked alongside — so if you're looking to break into the industry, showing up matters. But this isn't just a recruiting event. If you're already in the trade and not getting the training you deserve, come anyway. Discretion assured.
You just want to learn.
No experience necessary. Just come out curious and leave knowing more than you did. We cover tree ID, climbing basics, how to read a tree, and what's actually worth worrying about in your yard. We work with everyone from first-timers to working arborists — all levels welcome.
You want to understand your trees.
We just like having people out here. Bring your kids, walk the property, learn what's living in your yard. We'll put your kids in a harness and get them up a tree. There are chickens. There's a trampoline. And somewhere in there you might fall in love with trees the same way we did.
What You'll Learn
— Tree ID & species-specific climbing techniques
— Rigging systems & rope work from the ground up
— Chainsaw operation & field maintenance
— Advanced climbing for any tree type
— How to read a tree — what's wrong, what's fine, what to do
— Gear selection from people who use it every day
David & Craig are both ISA Board Certified Master Arborists and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. Their primary role is consulting — understanding your trees, diagnosing problems, and guiding the work. They've done the climbing and the cutting. They still train the crew with hands-on the tools every week. They won't recommend anything they haven't done themselves.
Multiple tree service companies in North Carolina were started by people who first showed up to one of our free Saturday classes.
Going on Ten Years. Still Free. Still Outside.
Real classes. Real Trees. Real people learning real skills.
What People Say
Randy Hallner
Owner - Top Line Tree Service
"David gave me my first climbing lesson — I was too afraid to climb higher than his pickup truck. The Treeist is the reason I now own a successful tree service with chip trucks, a log truck, a mini skid, and five employees. They didn't just impact my career. They gave me the education and skills to have a life in the trees. There are only three people on this planet I trust my life with — David and Craig are two of them."
George
Business Owner - Saturday Class
"The training has literally saved my life. I had an incident when a pull rope broke — but because I was properly secured and in a good working position, I was safe and went on a fun ride. My kids come on a regular basis and truly enjoy it."
David
Firefighter & Rope Access Instructor
"As a fellow instructor, what impressed me was their ability to instill knowledge and confidence on the simplest level so everyone was on the same page. The training and confidence instilled by The Treeist has allowed me to rewrite several rescue protocols at work. Almost two dozen rescues have been executed with speed and efficiency as a result of David and his crew."
Elizabeth
Consulting Arborist - Saturday Class
"The Treeist helped me feel like I belonged in the industry. That's hard to quantify, but it mattered immensely. Just go. You do not need to be experienced, confident, or 'good enough' beforehand. Showing up could genuinely change your path more than you expect."
Share your story -> www.thetreeist.com/share