Getting ACquainted

Welcome to McNeill’s Tree Service website. Our company was created by my husband, David, in 1985. The above picture, taken in the fall of 2019, shows David on a hilltop close to our home in Corvallis, MT.

Born in Massachusetts, David always had a passion for being outdoors and climbing trees. More than once as a child, his mother found him high up in trees on their property. Upon his family moving to California in the 1960s, that passion became his vocation when, as a teenager, he was taken under the mentorship of Ed Hobbs, an arborist in the Bay Area. David was a natural.

We moved to Montana in 1984, and David soon hung out his shingle, letting it be known he was an experienced arborist in residential tree care.  Wanting to keep the company small, I joined him in the field as ground support.

As time passed, we developed a reputation for quality work at reasonable prices.  At some point in time, I realized David’s passion had become mine and decided to pursue certification through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) program for Certified Arborists.  Passing this test opened the dam to craving more knowledge regarding trees.  Taking on-line courses through Dakota College at Bottineau, North Dakota, I gained a diploma in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Management.  At the same time, I took and passed the test for the highest certification ISA offers:  Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA).  This gave me the distinction of becoming the first BCMA in Montana. The above photo of me was taken in 2017 at our booth at a local farmer’s market promoting urban forestry. I have recently stopped renewing my BCMA certification.

David and I share a thirst for ongoing education and knowledge on anything related to trees and soils.   I have been pleased to be invited to speak at numerous clubs on all aspects of tree care and health, guide tree walks, and have presented at the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) EXPO, our national arborist’s association annual conference, as well as at ISA’s International Annual Conference in 2018 speaking on the importance of soil health in the residential setting.

Information on tree care is readily available on the Internet and in books.  But the sheer volume of information, often contradictory, can be confusing and frustrating to the home owner as well as to many arboricultural professionals.   It was the desire to help make sense of it all that was the driving force behind initiating this website and blog.

I look forward to sharing articles, new information, and answering questions in the time to come.

Sylvia McNeill, Arborist

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