This program is a 12-week basic session followed by an 8-week advanced session, with a January start. Key focuses are on the planting, maintenance, and removal of trees in urban surroundings. Emphasis is placed on safety, teamwork and developing sound, up-to-date job skills, and workplace practices. Lectures and labs are balanced with a major practical fieldwork component. What are the steps to Apprenticeship?
For more information on any of the following, please see the current Academic Calendar.
While all trees absorb carbon dioxide - one of the gases linked to global warming - urban trees provide greater benefits than rural trees. By providing shade that reduces the need for air conditioning in summer, and by serving as a windbreak that reduces heating needs in winter, properly located and managed trees reduce the demand for carbon-emitting fossil energy in the first place. Overall, researchers estimate that an urban tree can save five to ten times more carbon than a rural tree. Exciting entry-level positions in tree care are available within the utility, municipal, and commercial sectors. They usually require strong climbing skills. After that, how high you climb is based on your skills and strengths, and the specific needs of the employer.
Humber College has some of the best facilities for delivery of this type of education. The Humber Arboretum is a 250 acre botanical garden the surrounds the campus and includes ornamental gardens, woodland gardens, wildlife gardens, and ecologically diverse environments centered on the west branch of the Humber River. The Arboretum serves as a unique “living classroom" for plant studies, construction, arboricultural and horticultural skills. Our new construction lab is housed in a weather protected 8000 square foot facility which allows full scale structures such as decks, gazebos, retaining walls and water features. We also have excellent computer labs for teaching our CAD (computer aided design and drafting) courses.
Program Coordinator: Mark Graves
Email: mark.graves@humber.ca
Telephone #: (416) 675-6622 ext. 4731
Humber also has Horticulture Science Certificate offered at night. The Horticulture Science Certificate program provides a foundation to pursue a career in the horticulture industry. Studies will include botany, plant identification, tree and shrub care, general culture of plants and turf management. The program consists of the following four courses offered during the fall and winter terms.
"Highly educated and experienced staff plus small classes made my learning very easy. With high graduation rates, I am glad I chose this particular program."
Randy Reiser, graduate