Mike Watson

Name: Mike Watson Position: Operations Manager, Estimator, Climbing Arborist, Owner KTC since: Previous work experience: Over 25 years  Arboricultural experience performed with private tree companies, municipalities, and College training  programs. Accreditation: -Ontario Qualified Arborist with Ontario MTCU (200124973) -Certified Arborist with International Society of Arboriculture (ON-0246A) -Certified Tree Risk Assessor with I.S.A. Pacific Northwest Chapter (1306)

Motorcycle riding and racing
Travel and adventure
Tree Climbing Competitions

Mike started in the industry back in 1985 by going to work with his brother one day to see what is was all about. Within a month Mike was learning to climb, and was hooked.As with a lot of tree climbers, the lure of municipal work caught Mike’s attention with the thought that the easy municipal life was the way to go.

It was not long before Mike was back in the private industry looking for the daily adventure and variety that comes with the private industry. Aside from some winter technician work at Humber College, showing students how to be an Arborist and how to climb, Mike has been in the private industry ever since.

You can often find Mike sneaking out to be on crew when there is space, or like all of our Arborists, pruning the same trees he has been pruning for years. As with most Arborists Mike tends to form relationships with the trees he has pruned in the past, and often wants to revisit them to see how they are since last time he pruned it.

As a sort of midlife crisis thing Mike competed in the Ontario Tree Climbing competition in 2005 and 2006, since then resorting to being on the competition committee instead. Mike currently seems to be having a second midlife crisis by entering into the motorcycle racing forum in the “Old Boys Category” this year, which you will also find Kelly’s employee Bob Smith racing in. Mike says it only for fun, but that will likely depend on how he does, as he tends to be a little competitive.