Urban Forest Care

From Bibra Lake we look after trees right across Perth, and have done since 2016, when Urban Forest Care was established as an arboricultural service company on a single commitment: to be responsible custodians of the trees in our care, and to improve the urban forest in the communities we work in. Michael Jelly is our company director. There are ten of us now, two arborist team leads and a crew of arborists on the tools, with an operations manager, a director's assistant and customer support behind them.

Our work runs the whole length of a tree's life. It starts with seed collection and planting, carries on through pruning as a canopy fills out and begins pressing on the things around it, and finishes, when nothing else is left to try, with complex tree removals. Keeping a tree standing is the outcome we look for first, which is why we take the time to work out what you actually want from the tree before we recommend anything. What a mature tree gives back to a block is hard to replace once it has gone.

Several of the things we do exist for no other reason than keeping a tree in the ground. Where a branch union or a heavy limb looks likely to fail, a tree support system can hold it together and buy the tree years it would not otherwise get. Where roots and footings, paving or pipework are heading for a fight, we install root barrier systems so the tree and the built structure can share the block. We put treatments in where pests, disease or decline have taken hold but there is still something worth saving. We also do habitat installations, so a tree can offer somewhere to nest and roost sooner than it would get there on its own, and if a drone has ended up in a canopy, we can get that back down for you too.

When a decision has to be documented, we do consultations and written arborist reports: for a development application, for a council requirement, or for the tree you want an answer on before you commit to anything. Not all of our work gets invoiced either. We back community groups and planting programs, and we donate trees, time and energy to lifting canopy cover in the suburbs we work in, which is what has driven the growth of the business since we started. If you have a tree you would like looked at, ring the office or send a message through with a few words about it and where it stands, and one of our team will come back to you. There is a booking page on our site as well if you would sooner pick a time and lock it in.