Tree of Life opens ‘branch office’
Josh Harvey (Photo by Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News)
From our weekly issue dated January 9, 2008
Bothersome deadwood in the far reaches of tall trees is not only unsightly, but can be hazardous to homes and people.
Culling those dead branches is no problem for veteran tree-climber Josh Harvey, of Tree of Life Tree Service.
Some trees are easily climbed; a big Douglas fir may have any number of lower limbs to gain a foothold on, and Harvey can zip straight up the tree to tie off at the top. But some of the “big long stringy oaks” he says, require that he wear spurs to get into them.
“If I’m doing a restoration job, taking care of the tree and thinning out deadwood, I’ll wear the spurs to climb up to the top to tie off, then send the spurs back down,” he explained.
With his rig anchored high in the tree and secure in a harness, Harvey has room to work.
“The point,” he said, “is to get as high as possible and then you have more room to swing all over the tree.”
Setting to work, Harvey scours the tree for dead twigs and branches, working deftly with a small chainsaw and gloved hands. Within a few minutes, as the branches rain down, the tree begins to look smart and clean.
Potentially dangerous branches over a house also can be removed, using rigging to lower the limb to the ground.
Harvey is a licensed arborist, bonded and insured. He said that he’s been climbing trees for 12 years, and that he trained while working for a tree service company in Grants Pass.
Harvey has lived 22 years in Illinois Valley With this new venture, he hopes that his skill with a saw will translate into a livelihood.
“I’ve always been in the woods, always with a saw. I like the outdoors,” he says.
He’s a Pacific Northwest native; he’ll even climb in wet or windy weather.
“Some people will see me in the tree as it sways and think, ‘That’s crazy!’ But as long as you do things right it’s safe,” Harvey says. “Trees are stronger than people might think.”
Along with pruning, thinning, and hazardous removals, Tree of Life Tree Service offers organic soil amendments. Harvey’s father-in-law and partner in tree care, Richard Murren, specializes in soil amendments and tree nourishment.
Murren, who farms worms for their nutrient-rich castings, is a sales representative for Excell, a brand of organic fertilizers. Harvey says that he’s seen Murren nurse a dying tree back to health with a draught of worm-casting tea delivered straight to the root system.
Tree of Life also offers fire-prevention work, and can work with land owners to receive state grant money for fuel-reduction work. “I’d like to help property owners take advantage of that program,” said Harvey.
He prefers to bid each job individually, noting, “I come out and give a free estimate and bid the job.”
He works quickly and can see to the removal of all debris from the property or pile it to burn.
Tree of Life Tree Service can be reached at 592-6853 or 415-1502. -Michelle Binker
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