The tree care profession in the arboricultural industry has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, and there is a significant amount of knowledge required to perform tree care at the highest level. Earning an ISA Certified Arborist credential confirms you are an educated, experienced tree care professional committed to properly caring for and maintaining trees. The process to become an ISA Certified Arborist takes proper planning, consideration, and attention to detail. Future arborists must study and complete training before enrolling to take the challenging ISA exam. MetroParks of Butler County highly values ISA certification and encourages our team to participate in training to become certified. Kalan Jones, our Assistant Natural Resources & Conservation Manager earned the prestigious title of “Certified Arborist” in December of 2023.
Trees have always been an important part of Kalan’s life. When he was 12, Kalan used to climb trees with his dad. As he matured, Kalan stayed connected to trees; his brother-in-law (and mentor) is a Climbing Arborist. Kalan has many regular conversations with his brother-in-law about tree health – quite a unique family discussion topic! Kalan’s roots are in Nebraska where he was born and raised.
Kalan has three favorite trees:
1. Ponderosa pines- they grow from Nebraska west to the Pacific Coast and depend on stored water for their growth and survival. The ponderosa pine holds a special place in Kalan’s heart for two reasons; the forest he grew up camping in is covered in ponderosa pine and the college he attended was in the Pine Ridge region of Nebraska and had ponderosa’s everywhere!
2. Tuliptrees-Tulip’s are one of the largest native trees in North America. Tuliptrees are a member of the magnolia family and have a distinctive tulip-shaped leaf.
3. Shagbark hickory- the nuts of the shagbark hickory are sold commercially to eat, and its wood can be used to cure meats. The bark on young trees is scaly. As the tree ages, narrow, flat plates one-three ft. long develop and begin to separate and curve away from the trunk, giving it a shaggy appearance. Additionally, a shagbark hickory can live for 300 years and grow up to 100 ft. tall.
If you see a MetroParks employee high up in a tree, the odds are good it will be Kalan. He’s often asked “What are you doing up there?” when he’s climbing for work. Kalan is never stumped though-he always answers with a smile as he educates our park guests. When asked if Kalan could give one piece of advice to Butler County residents about trees, he shared “as a Certified Arborist, I want others to know that trees provide so much value: shade, shelter, erosion control, and more. Please do what you can to fix/help/keep a tree before you decide to remove it. Some people quickly jump to the solution of removal when there is an option to mitigate the risk and reassess.” When Kalan retires, he hopes to start a tree care company that does just that- “show homeowners what can we do to safely and economically save the tree”.
Being a Certified Arborist does have two downsides. Firstly, Kalan feels the hardest part of his job is knowing that it takes years, decades, a lifetime for projects to come to fruition. “I’ll never see the end goal. I care for trees that aren’t mature”, he said. Knowing that he is in a slow return career doesn’t lessen Kalan’s joy in his work. “I know if one tree falls, it takes 40 years to replace it”. The reward comes in knowing the works he does now helps make the future better for others. The second pitfall is the knowledge a Certified Arborist carries is always with you. “Driving isn’t just driving anymore. I have a critical eye as I pass by each tree. I can’t help but notice invasives.”
Branching out into his personal life, Kalan is married to his wife Angela. He knew right away he wasn’t barking up the wrong tree; both were division 2 collegiate athletes. Kalan played football at Chadron State. Angela was part of the 2008 NCAA championship team playing basketball at NKU. Together, they have three children. As a family they enjoy being outside, hiking, camping, hunting, playing catch, or being on a swing. Kalan is planting the seeds of tree passion in his children, as a family activity they all love finding an American Paw Paw tree and eating the fruit! Now that Kalan has become an ISA Certified Arborist, his next goal is to earn the Tree Risk Assessment qualification.
About the Author:
Jennifer Williams is MetroParks of Butler County’s HR Generalist.
