Oh, economy.

This is more of a thinking-out-loud exercise, so bear with me as I do this.

I recently left my job as an arborist with Preservation Tree. I liked the job but wasn't getting as many hours as I would have liked, and with the winter quickly approaching (read: slow pruning season) I felt the need to jump ship to get in as many 40-hour weeks as I could. So I am now with another tree care company, which is fine.

The hard part is that my previous employer is very safe and has very high standards for tree care, where my current employer has slightly lower standards for both -- but does have months' worth of 40-hour weeks scheduled. So here I am compromising my standards (and possible safety) for a more consistent paycheck. What has the world come to? Here I sit, as I'm sure many other people in the U.S. and around the world are right now, not totally happy with my job but needing a steady paycheck, and a lot of people don't even have that right now.

The Morris Arboretum where I was an intern last year found me pruning trees, taking tree-care classes, teaching tree care to volunteers and members, visiting other arboreta, etc. My brain was stimulated, my body was tired, and I got to commute by bike every day. Life was good. Ever since then, the commercial tree-care world is only making me tired every day, and all the other things are gone. The other sad thing for me as a potential arborist is that I mostly enjoy ornamental pruning and tree health analysis, and I don't have a whole lot of interest in the tree work that most people need/want (like removing huge dead trees that are hanging over a $500,000 home).

Anyhow, taking these cues that I'm not very interested in the adrenaline rush/risky tree care business and missing the academic/education side of tree care, I think I will follow that and keep my ears open for opportunities to return to the environmental education field. My 9 years at a nature center and 2 years in Haiti (which was mostly an education position) all have me wired to enjoy sharing my knowledge about the environment. So, until I find that opportunity I'll be hanging out with the trees, hoping the economy rebounds, and looking for greener pastures.

Thanks for letting me vent -- and feel free to let me know of any education positions open!