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In this conversation, Sharon interviews Jaroslav Kolarik, CEO of SafeTrees and member of the Arboriculture Academy in the Czech Republic. They discuss the role of the European Arboriculture Council (EAC) in promoting arboriculture in Europe and the certification programs offered by the EAC. They also talk about the importance of certification for arborists and the challenges of raising awareness and understanding of arboriculture among the general public. They touch on the development of European Arboriculture Standards and the upcoming conference in Prague. They also discuss the tree assessment and tree value calculation standards and the need for a unified approach to tree care. The conversation discusses the importance of valuing trees and the challenges in calculating their value. It emphasizes the need to consider the eco-benefits, property value, replacement value, wildlife value, and ecosystem value of trees. The conversation also touches on the role of municipalities in decision-making and the irreplaceable nature of trees. The interviewee highlights the importance of proper tree assessment and the need to consider the age structure, species structure, and maintenance history of trees. The conversation also explores the concept of canopy cover and the challenges of tree planting and aftercare. The interviewee shares insights into the arboricultural scene in the Czech Republic, including the strict legislation around tree felling and the growing number of arborists, including women, in the industry. The interview concludes with a discussion on the ambition of the European Arboricultural Council to spread the standards and promote tree care at a higher level.

Sound Bites

• "EAC was created to increase the level of Arboriculture in Europe and the first products were certification programs, European tree worker and European tree technician."
• "Certification is necessary to choose qualified companies or individuals for tree care work, especially when larger financial amounts are invested."
• "The certification for veteran tree specialist is a jewel among arboriculture qualifications, focusing on the care of irreplaceable old trees and the ecosystems connected to them."
• "In our cities, mostly in the cities in southern part of Europe without trees we are not going to survive really in the cities."
• "Just imagine that if we just consider the tree being represented only by let's say some replacement value but the replacement itself is going to happen within 60 years."
• "The first questions should not be about the value, about the money because that's only the last resort how to express the value of the trees."

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

04:06
Promoting Arboriculture in Europe: The Role of the European Arboriculture Council

06:28
The Importance of Certification for Arborists

12:09
Developing European Arboriculture Standards

19:26
Understanding Tree Assessment

25:32
Valuing Trees Beyond Replacement Cost

27:18
Valuing Trees: Eco-Benefits and Property Value

28:47
Challenges in Tree Valuation and Replacement Value

31:13
Considerations for Proper Tree Assessment

32:43
Canopy Cover: Visualizing Tree Presence

45:14
Challenges and Best Practices in Tree Planting and Aftercare

50:28
The Growing Arboricultural Scene and Diversity in the Czech Republic

53:11
Spreading Tree Care Standards Across Europe

For more episodes in the Tree Lady Talks Archive click here.