Edward Hopkins Honored

Edward Hopkins, president and practicing arborist at Urban Tree Service/A Tree Health Company, Inc., in Rochester, NH, and a member of NHLA, was honored as one of seven "True Professionals of Arboriculture" by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). ISA's immediate past president and panel judge, Lauren Lanphear, introduced Hopkins and other award winners before fellow arborists and peers at July's 85th ISA Conference & Trade Show held in Providence, RI.

"'True Professionals' was designed to highlight a group of today's arborists who represent our profession in the most positive light," says Lanphear. "By recognizing someone like Edward Hopkins and his accomplishments within the community, his actions can be modeled by other arborists as we strive to better our world one tree at a time."

In addition to ISA, Hopkins is active in several professional organizations including the New Hampshire Arborist Association (NHAA), Maine Arborist Association, Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) and NHLA. Hopkins has served on TCIA's Ethics Committee, is past president of NHAA and he was named "Man of the Year" by the NHLA. Hopkins has received many accolades for his company's commitment to the historical restoration of many suffering landscapes and his participation in helping New England recover from the devastating ice storms of 1998 and 2008.

"Being recognized as one of ISA's 'True Professionals' is humbling," says Hopkins. "During my career as an arborist, I've always done my best to serve and help educate the people in the Seacoast area and throughout Northern New England. I think every year our communities progress further in understanding the importance of trees and proper tree care."

Hopkins' creative means of communicating with the general public is apparent through two educational YouTube videos made available online. Hopkins' short video clips provide tree pruning and removal tips to anyone with access to the Internet. His website (www.urbantreeservice.com) also provides additional details on proper tree care techniques and includes answers to many frequently asked homeowner questions. Urban Tree Service also distributes a seasonal newsletter to more than 18,000 people. Active in the community, Hopkins often makes arboricultural presentations at elementary schools as well as the University of New Hampshire's Thompson School. In addition to sponsoring local baseball and softball teams and contributing regularly to Great Works Land Trust, Hopkins has his company donate professional arborist services to several historic properties, non-profits, hospices and nursing homes. During the holiday season, Hopkins' crews assist in safely setting up Christmas lights and decorations for many communities.

About "True Professionals of Arboriculture"
ISA launched "True Professionals of Arboriculture" to recognize professional arborists who help increase public understanding of arboriculture and the professional skills of today's arborists. Profiles and case studies of the arborists are featured on the ISA website (www.isa-arbor.org) and will be highlighted in future ISA publications. Sharing their achievements and tactics with ISA's membership and certified professionals allows practicing arborists to model their successes and better interact with their own clients, employees and community.