MICHELIA ARBORICULTURE
SERVICES
I offer a variety of consulting services relating to trees and how we can best coexist with them in urban and suburban communities. Most of my work occurs in the San Francisco Bay Area, though I travel to wherever clients need me.
TREE ASSESSMENT & RECOMMENDATIONS
Are you generally curious about trees on your property?
You might be interested in a property walk-through, where any tree-related questions can be answered without fear of being sold unnecessary work. By knowing more about the specific trees on your property, you can have informed conversations with tree services. I can provide information on watering, general tree care, young tree training, species selection, problem diagnosis, and more.
INSURANCE CLAIMS & TREE VALUATION
Has a tree either caused damage or been damaged on your property?
Tree-related insurance claims often require an arborist to determine whether the tree is the cause of damage, or whether the average person could have predicted that the tree would break or fall. These findings are provided to the insurance company in a written report. In situations where your tree was damaged by an external party, such as a neighbor or car, I can also calculate the estimated value of the tree using landscape appraisal methods.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION DESIGN & ARBORIST REPORTS
Are you planning to improve your property?
In order to maintain a thriving urban forest, most cities have ordinances that require tree protection during construction. Discussing trees early in the design process helps you navigate the city's expectations while minimizing impact on your trees. I may also determine that specific trees are better suited for removal because they are in poor shape and/or sensitive to construction impacts, which saves you time in designing around them. I can provide an arborist report and/or tree protection plan for submittal.
TREE MONITORING DURING CONSTRUCTION
Do you need an arborist to review tree impacts during construction, either on your project or a neighbor's project that affects your trees?
Properly protecting trees during construction enables them to thrive into the future, which in turn can prevent the need for mitigation options that usually come too late at a high price tag. I understand that as site conditions change, so do tree protection needs, and can provide updated guidance during the process.
I DO NOT...
...offer litigation services, but can refer you to consultants who do.
...do any tree work (such as removals, pruning, chemical applications) but can provide a list of tree service companies that follow industry standards.
WHY A CONSULTING ARBORIST?
There are many qualified, practicing arborists who could provide tree assessments, but you may be interested in the next level of service. Perhaps your go-to tree service cannot provide reports for your project, or maybe you find tree service arborists to be too sales-oriented or pushy. Independent consulting arborists are not associated with a tree service, so there is no conflict of interest - recommendations are objective and do not financially benefit the consultant. If this sounds like what you need, reach out and we can discuss what best suits your needs.