Arborguard News

Green at Work

The employees of Arborguard Tree Specialists have made the decision to focus on what they really care about; making a difference in how their daily operations impact the environment. Spearheaded by President, Spence Rosenfeld, they spent months painstakingly thinking through each step of their daily work activities to make changes and invest in products and services that had long-term positive effects, not the opposite of this. They were motivated by a real desire to make sure that their company was as environmentally sustainable as can be. And, in turn, they were surprised to see that they could actually save money in the long run and eliminate a lot of unnecessary waste.

Here are some of the steps that they have taken:

• All of Arborguard's Arborists now drive a new fleet of hybrid cars with an average of 60mpg and low emissions. They are the first commercial Prius fleet in Atlanta, for a service business.
• They are now using low sulphur diesel fuel for their fleet of trucks.
• They recycle all of their wood and woodchips.
• They use customized organic fertilizers and soil amendments for their clients' Tree and Shrub care. With the use of beneficial bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and other organisms they can help Atlanta's urban soils become more fertile and contribute to thriving plant life. Arborguard's Plant Health Care Manager consistently stays on top of all of the latest developments in this area. They only spot treat Pests and use organics whenever possible.
• They have purchased a new state of the art Plant Health Care Vehicle. This truck is equipped to provide for all tree and shrub needs and all equipment needs in one compact, self-contained unit. This vehicle accommodates all granular and liquid products, eliminating the daily need to dispose of leftover product. They only use what is needed.
• They plant and preserve trees to benefit the environment. Arborguard is a major advocator for Parks and Greenspace. Spence Rosenfeld, Arborguard's President, is one of the founders and former Presidents of ParkPride. Arborguard has also been actively involved with Trees Atlanta for many years.
• They recycle all of their paper and other materials.
• Arborguard works with and educates Atlanta's building community on protecting the trees on their sites before, during, and after the construction process.
• Arborguard is at the forefront of the LEED and EarthCraft building movement that is occurring in Atlanta. They are currently partnering with Cadmus Construction Design Build, working towards the first Platinum Leeds certification for neighborhood development in the southeast on their project, The Weatherford Place.
• The Arborists at Arborguard are responsible for saving many mature trees in the Atlanta area that were ignored for many years, but are now maintained by Arborguard and thriving.

Arborguard is an award-winning, full-service tree care company that has been serving Atlanta for over 25 years. They specialize in complete tree care programs consisting of residential & commercial tree and ornamental pruning & maintenance, organic custom blend fertilization, aeration, removal, disease diagnosis & treatment, insect control, cabling, lightning protection, and pre-construction arboricultural consultation. Spence Rosenfeld, who holds a Masters Degree in Urban Forestry from Duke University, founded Arborguard in 1981. Arborguard is one of the largest tree companies in Atlanta with more than 50 professional employees, including 17 ISA Certified Arborists. All employees go through an internal certification and a rigorous training program.

Arborguard is the first tree care company in Georgia to be accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association. The TCIA Accreditation "seal of approval" helps consumers find tree care companies that have been inspected and accredited based on:

• Adherence to industry standards for quality and safety
• Maintenance of trained, professional staff
• Dedication to ethics and quality in business practices