Women In Arboriculture

Women in Industry - Arboriculture 

It's great to see more women working in the arboricultural industry making a growing and positive impact in arboriculture and its sciences. We would like to highlight the careers of four pioneering young womens who came together in 2005 to enter what was a very male-dominated UK & Ireland Tree Climbing Championships. 

Arbjobs was privileged to sponsor the "Arbjobs Angels" team and they were all amazing with one team member going on to win the UK&Ireland ladies' title. We have been lucky to keep in touch with them all and they have been kind enough to share their stories with us all to help inspire the next generation of women in arboriculture.  

Philippa Allen

Philippa started working in tree surgery in 2003 two years later she joined the team and won the women's ladies event pitched head to head in the Masters with the talented and formidable legend that is Josephine Hedger who later went on to be ladies ISA TCC world champion six times. Philippa got to travel to Hawaii for the ISA TCC World Finals which she said was an amazing experience, despite getting hit in the head by a surfboard. Participating in the TCC events, Phillipa went on to compete in Italy, Belgium, Austria and Germany winning two European events and representing The UK & Ireland in two further World TCC Finals. 

Following a move to Sheffield (the UK's most treed city) she started working as a freelance climber and started to study for a degree in Physiotherapy, following a four year part time course graduating in 2011. Even after graduation, Philippa continued work part time as an arborist up to 2016 when she went full time as a physiotherapist. Never able to completely leave the trees she still does the odd job for friends and family but no longer gets her chainsaw out. Taking part in a local Sheffield tree climbing event recently she amazed herself how well she did and how much fun she had mixing with other tree climbers. With a lovely daughter a mortgage and a bad back Philippa says her contracting days are firmly behind her and she's happy to stick to a less risky reliable current job where she now works in the health assessment sector of the government. Philippa is still keeping her comp T-Shirts and old climbing ropes as a great memento of her amazing career in the industry. 

Jessica Herbert 

Jess was already a lecturer at Shuttleworth College in 2005 and then moved on to Moulton College bringing on the next intake of arborists. She continued to help with the T.C.C's and organised Student competitions for many years. Indeed, she says that getting involved in the Arbjobs team changed her life. Through T.C.C's she found a community of arborists generous with their knowledge and experience so she learned more about climbing than she had anywhere else and met people who have become lifelong friends. Jess went on to take part in two world T.C.C finals and multiple European TCC events. 

With Jess, it was always a 2 for one deal as her husband Simon was always keen to help out too. Both Jess and Simon have had a huge influence on so many students over the years and I have often heard arborists saying how great they both were. Jess moved up to Askham Bryan near York in 2016 where her career developed further as head of Horticulture (Hort, Arb and Floristry) and later Commercial. During this time we were kindly asked to attend student events to help inspire them on opportunities within the industry. Jess and Simon became parents to Willow who was often found attending arb events with Mum and Dad including Deer Shed Festival where they ran a popular public tree climbing event introducing young people to the love of trees and one year even coaxing a 9 piece brass band into the trees to perform! In 2024 Jess and Simon moved to work at the Merrist Wood Campus near Guildford and sadly shortly after Simon passed away, a huge loss to Jess, Willow and their wider arborist family. Jess continues to inspire the next generation of arborists through her teaching and support. She says that working with the new generation of arborists, along with the incredible support she has received from the arboricultural community has kept her going in the recent difficult times.

Annalize Cressida Wright 

Since 2005 Annalize has grown so much as a person, back then the appeal to becoming an arborist was all about the climbing. She liked the idea of climbing trees and being outdoors but wanted to prove she could succeed in a male-dominated industry. At the age of 18 she says she didn’t think too much into her future when climbing every day was no longer enjoyable. Annalize picked up many skills being employed by a reputable arb approved company and when she started her family in 2011 she knew she wasn’t ready to give up on her career, so set up her own tree surgery company ACWArb Ltd. During her pregnancy she completed the tech cert in Arb gaining more theory based knowledge and that’s when she really fell in love with trees. She had her daughter in 2013 and continued to work hard to grow her business while raising a family. Having her own business allowed her to spend more time with the children whilst growing a future for herself in which she didn’t need to work as physically hard every day. Establishing a strong and committed team has been her greatest success. The business has grown over the last five years, allowing her to expand her range of equipment to include a tracked chipper, quad and MEWP.  Based in South East Staffordshire ACWArb now contracts for Lichfield City Council, Lichfield Cathedral, Alrewas War Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, as well as over 40 Schools. Annalize still loves her job and although it has taken hard work and dedication she has never had any regrets in becoming a female arborist, trees are the most amazing and fascinating things, the more you learn the more you will fall in love with arboriculture.

Abby Fowler 

Abby was another trainee arborist in 2005 after the T.C.C's While working as a climber she went on to set up a women's tree climbing group to share skills and meet up to climb together. Whilst studying for a degree in Arboriculture at Myerscough Abby worked as an assistant tree officer and in 2011 having finished her degree she turned to do some consultancy work, but the office life wasn't for her and the draw of the land took her back to woodland coppice work. Today Abby has moved to even greater heights remaining on the ropes but now swinging from tall buildings and chimneys whilst removing trees and vegetation using industrial rope access systems.

Women in Arboriculture 

On International Women's day we should also highlight some of the women around the world who are helping lead the industry in policy and science. 

Sharon Lilly

Contributions:

Josephine Hedger 

Contributions: 

Patty Glick

Contributions:

  • Works with the National Wildlife Federation on the impact of climate change on trees and urban forestry.
  • Promotes tree conservation strategies in climate adaptation planning.

Sharon Durdant-Hollamby FICFor

Contributions:

  • Recognised by Myerscough College for her outstanding contribution to arboriculture and forestry,
  • President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters from 2021 to 2023.
  • Chartered Arboriculturist and Fellow of the Arboricultural Association.

Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor

Contributions:

Nicola Spence CBE

Contributions:

  • Serving as the UK's Chief Plant Health Officer
  • Deputy Director for plant and bee health at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
  • Played a pivotal role in plant pathology and biosecurity.
  • Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2022 for her services to plant health.

Barri Bonapart

Contributions:

Nicole Strong

Contributions:

  • Works at Oregon State University Extension Service.
  • Focuses on educating landowners about sustainable forestry, tree health, and ecosystem management.
  • Engages women in forestry programs to encourage diversity in the industry.

Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll

Contributions:

  • Co-founder of Women's Tree Climbing Workshop, training women in climbing and arboriculture skills.
  • Certified arborist and trainer in advanced climbing and rigging techniques.
  • Works to break gender barriers in arboriculture.

Margaret Lowman ("Canopy Meg")

Contributions:

  • One of the first scientists to explore canopy ecology using ropes and walkways.
  • Advocate for rainforest conservation and education.
  • Founded Mission Green, an initiative to save endangered forest canopies.

Rebecca Hargrave

Contributions:

These women have made lasting contributions to arboriculture, from advancing climbing techniques to promoting sustainable forestry and education. Their work continues to inspire more women to enter and excel in the arboricultural Industry.

Back to Blog Home

Blog Categories