Brigham Young University’s Ground Services students were featured in the January issue of Tree Care Industry Magazine for winning the National Tree Care Industry Association Competition.
The article spotlighted BYU grounds crew members Brian Baker and Preston Colver. They competed with students throughout the United States in different aspects of the tree care industry — tree climbing, a written test and a safety test for climbing equipment. Four students from BYU placed in the top 10 of the competitions at the conference in Milwaukee, Wis., in November 2008.
Baker, a landscape management major, was the overall winner from all three events, and Colver, a biology major with a minor in landscape management, scored highest on the written exam.
“Competing in these conferences confirms that arborists are not just a bunch of scruffy guys with chain saws — we have a bright future as managers, scientists and experts contributing to the industry,” Colver said.
Baker and Colver will compete in the Professional Land Care Network student career days at the end of March in Pomona, Calif. They have won this competition for two consecutive years.
“The purpose of Grounds Services, together with Landscape Management, is to provide an atmosphere for students to learn,” said Max Darrington, BYU arborist. “Through application of classroom learning and hands-on experience with arborists, our students rise to the top.”
For more information, contact Glenl Wear at (801) 422-5457.
Writer: Brady Toone
