Bartlett’s Kathryn Belville Named Master Arborist

BALA CYNWYD, Pa. – Philadelphia, Pa.-area residents and their trees can now benefit from the knowledge of a Board-Certified Master Arborist (BCMA), one of only 70 individuals in the United States to earn this title. Kathryn Belville, local manager of Bartlett Tree Expert Co.’s Bala Cynwyd, Pa. office is only the fourth woman in the country to earn the title, which is the highest professional certification in arboriculture. An intensive four-hour exam for the certification is administered through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

“This certification demonstrates Kathryn’s advanced knowledge of tree care,” said Greg Daniels, president of Bartlett Tree Experts. “She is a great example of what Bartlett is all about – applying science and knowledge to help both commercial and residential customers maintain beautiful, healthy landscapes.”

Lindsey Bowman, who oversees ISA’s certification board, said the Master Arborist certification is quite an accomplishment.

“The greatest benefit to the arborist is the pride that comes from reaching the top of one’s profession, and being acknowledged by peers and the industry as earning a gold standard,” she said. Once the BCMA is obtained, an individual must recertify every three years by completing 60 continuing education units split evenly over three major areas: Science, practice and management.

Belville says she believes her many years of arboriculture experience helped her earn the Master Arborist certification. “The test is based on knowledge you’ve acquired over the years. They present different scenarios for you to work out,” said Belville, who earned an Associates Degree in horticulture from Temple University and a Bachelor’s degree in plant science from the University of Delaware. While attending school, Belville went after an internship at Longwood Gardens and after graduation applied for several positions, eventually landing a job with Bartlett.

“I liked that you had to keep several balls up in the air,” Belville says. “It was challenging – it still is.” She says the company encourages employees to continue their education and paid for the study guide and fee to take the exam. Belville was ISA’s Arborist of the Year in 1998.

One of Belville’s mentors, David Poe, past president of the ISA’s Pennsylvania-Delaware chapter, who hired Belville and put her in charge of launching a Cherry Hill office, said he was pleasantly surprised by the announcement of Belville’s certification.

“When I heard that she had attained the Board Certified Master Arborist rank from the ISA, I was surprised because so few arborists have earned this honor,” he says. “I was not surprised, however, that she qualified and passed the test. When Kathryn first joined Bartlett, I knew of her strong academic background, but I also knew she needed to learn the practical side of arboriculture and I expected the usual long learning process. But she acquired practical tree care experience rapidly and had an innate skill at dealing with our clients and others. Since then, she has been a great asset to arboriculture.”