Driftwood Arborist

Driftwood Arborist is the work of Matt, an arborist based on Phillip Island who sits, in his own words, at the crossroad between an environmentalist and a professional tree service. His background is in Outdoor and Environmental Education at La Trobe University, followed by arboricultural study, and it shows in how the work is pitched: ethical, considered tree management rather than a quick lop and go.

That distinction between an arborist and a tree lopper is something Driftwood takes seriously, and the aim is to make the difference clear through education and best practice. A tree is assessed on whether it can be kept and managed before removal is put on the table, so a customer is not talked into taking down something that could have stayed.

The work covers tree pruning, tree removal, stump removal and hedge trimming, along with aerial tree inspections to check the health and structure of a tree up close. Long-term tree care is there for owners who want to keep an established tree in good shape over the years rather than only calling when something goes wrong.

Modern climbing techniques let Driftwood take on the complex jobs, the tight access, over-asset and high-risk removals where a tree is hard to get to and harder still to bring down safely. When a tree poses an immediate danger, Driftwood Arborist offers a prompt emergency response, so a hazardous or storm-hit tree can be dealt with before it does damage.

The service area runs across Phillip Island, the Bass Coast and the Mornington Peninsula, and stretches to Warrandyte and Mt Eliza. The business works seven days a week, which suits the island's mix of permanent residents and holiday-home owners who are not always around midweek.