Cincinnati's Scott Beuerlein Becomes Certified Arborist

Scott Beuerlein, Owner of Heritage Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio has passed the exam to become a Certified Arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Beuerlein joined PGMS last year and has since become an active member of the Cincinnati Branch. PGMS recently had the opportunity to speak with Beuerlein about his certification, his business and much more!

PGMS: I see that you are the owner of Heritage Gardens. Talk a little about what your business does, etc.
SB: I never know whether to describe myself as a landscaper or as a gardener. My business is tiny. It's just me. I'm basically a plant geek, the kind of guy who tracks down some rare tree or shrub to grow simply because I've never seen it. That's for my yard, which, as you can guess, is mostly a collection and a bit of a mess. For customers, I design and install gardens, sometimes using rare plants but also the tried and true, and definitely using the elements of design that get ignored at home. I do some hardscapes, tree work, honeysuckle removal, and consultations. I also do some garden talks and I've published a few articles, but everything ultimately revolves around plants.

PGMS: Which ISA credential did you receive? What inspired you to become one?
SB: I am simply a "Certified Arborist." I love trees above all other plants. I find myself reading about them, thinking about them, sometimes writing about them, etc. I imagined I was already pretty close to being able to pass the test, so why not? Not being a climber or having heavy equipment really limits the tree work I can do, but it certainly looks good to a potential customer that I have this credential. And, of course, if my business crashes and burns, it looks pretty good on a resume too.

It is surprising how many times I come to work on a landscape, whether to build a wall or plant a garden and I notice this issue or that with a tree. Having ISA certification will mean that when I make a customer aware of a problem and suggest a treatment or a plan, that it carries weight. And if it's a problem that I can mitigate, perhaps I'll get the job.

PGMS: What are your thoughts about the process of getting ready to take the exam and the exam itself?
SB: Beg, borrow, or buy the manual and do the same with the CDs. Immerse yourself in them but certainly don't expect just that to carry you through. I flew through the CDs and book and went to the test pretty cocky. I came out of the exam disconcerted and peeved. The test strays significantly from the materials. It is worded very strangely. Sometimes within the multiple choice answers, there is more than one right answer. You need to figure out which right answer is the rightest! The test is not looking for rote answers. It wants to make you connect the dots. Think on the fly. It turned out I scored pretty well, but I came away thinking that for the tree climber who went in there without much interest in tree biology or without ever having planted any, that this test would be nearly impossible. It really helps to be the kind of person who already has some Alex Shigo on their shelf, who reads extension reports on diseases and pests, and who visits arboreta on a regular basis. On the other hand, I did have to memorize a bunch of knots, different ropes, and rigging techniques that were all new to me.

PGMS: Was there anyone in particular who served as a mentor for you for this exam?
SB: No one person, but I had a number of great supporters. Two members of the Northern Kentucky Urban and Community Forestry Council, Kris Stone and Jennifer Gulick (both Certified Arborists), recommended me for a sponsorship. So NKUCFC paid for the test and ISA membership for my first year. Certified Arborist Doug Wessling lent me about half of the ISA study CDs and Boone County extension agent Mike Klahr lent me the rest. Other friends offered encouragement when I started to freak out about knots.

PGMS: What advice do you have for professionals who are interested in taking this exam?
SB: Don't rely just on the manual and the CDs. Be able to ID trees. Get out there and talk with some people who are already certified. Mostly, make this stuff you want to know, not just stuff you need to know to pass a test.

PGMS: Do you have any other credentials or certifications? If so, which ones? If not, do you have any plans on trying to achieve them in the future?
SB: I'll be taking the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association's Certified Landscape Technician test in a few weeks. I expect to pass. Plant biology doesn't scare me, but technical information about different grades of lumber and the properties of specific kinds of nails worries me a little.

I am a college graduate, but I don't have a degree in horticulture. I'm almost 50 years old and at the end of a long slow transition from my old full-time job in another field and my part-time business to simply my full-time business. This is a field I have a lot of passion for. It is very important to me to establish good credentials quickly.

I already have a good rapport with my customers and usually establish one quickly when I meet new people. Most people can tell right away I know my stuff, but having both ISA certification and ONLA really can't hurt. Maybe it'll mean I can charge more for my work. That would be nice. I've only been a member of PGMS for one year. I've been intending to look into some of their programs too. The more credentials you can put behind your name, the more you separate yourself from the crowd. Plus, membership and credentials from all these groups gives you access to knowledgeable people and excellent resources. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to being able to make a suggestion to a customer knowing that you're giving them the best information possible.

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