Arboriculture involves all aspects of the care and management of amenity trees, so that people and trees can co-exist in a sustainable environment. The arboriculture industry is rapidly expanding, fuelled by growing awareness of the need for correct tree management and increased current public interest in environmental issues. This has led to a significant increase in demand for arboriculture specialists who can work alongside allied professionals such as planners, landscape architects and environmental consultants.

Arboriculture Degree courses at Myerscough College aim to meet that demand by integrating arboricultural science and technology with the accomplished business skills required for work at management level in an expanding Arboricultural industry. We work closely with employers and industry organisations to ensure that our students have the necessary skills and expertise to meet the requirements of this growing industry.

Myerscough College really is at the ‘cutting edge’ of developments in Arboriculture and is rightly regarded by many as the leading UK establishment for Higher Education in the subject. Myerscough has pioneered Higher Education in Arboriculture. It provided the UK’s first Foundation Degree, the first Honours Degree, the first online Degrees and most recently, the first Masters Degree in Arboriculture.

We have a highly experienced team of staff who are well regarded in the industry. They include Dr Mark Johnston, recently awarded an MBE for his valuable work in arboriculture and urban forestry. Resources Myerscough College is a Centre of Vocational Excellence (COVE) for Arboriculture and Urban Forestry. It is also home to the purpose built National Centre for Arboriculture, a state of the art teaching facility for the subject.

Additional facilities include:

• Tree nursery
  
• Tree tissue culture unit
• Specialist decay detection equipment
• Specialised arboriculture machinery
  
• Facilities for trial and research work
  
• Computerised tree inventory software
  
• Extensive science laboratories and testing equipment
• Mobile arboriculture unit for off-site practical work
  
• On-going research programme
  
• 30 hectares of woodland
  
• Tree laboratories
• National collection of Aesculus
• Arboretum
• Indoor climbing facility
  

Industrial Work Experience
The Foundation Degree and Honours Degree allow for an optional 12-month placement giving you the opportunity to work in the arboriculture industry anywhere in the world. This enables students to gain experience in a real working environment as well as increasing their employment prospects. Students have completed placements all over the world including in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy and Ireland.

Examples of placements in the UK include the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, RHS Wisley, Local Authorities, Fountains PLC, the Landscape Planning Group, Bartlett and many more.

There are considerable employment opportunities in both local authorities and the private sector in areas including contract management, tree surveying, planning, utility vegetation management and consultancy. Myerscough students are highly sought after and recent graduates can be found working in highly rewarding positions throughout the arboriculture industry. These include:

• Arboricultural Consultant at Landscape Planning Group, Reading and Liverpool
  
• Arboricultural Consultant at CBA Associates
  
• Lecturer at Sparsholt College
• Lecturer and Researcher at Myerscough College
• Self-employed Arboricultural Consultant, Cumbria
  
• Self-employed Arboricultural Consultant, Australia
  
• Tree Officer, Bromley Borough Council, London
  
• Tree Officer, Blackburn Borough Council
• Arboricultural Contract Manager, Fountains PLC
• Arboricultural Contract Manager, Glendale Industries
• MSc Plant Taxonomy, Reading University
  
• MSc Plant Physiology and Arboricultural Research, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew