Graduate Profile for Waseem Safdar
Waseem Safdar
Arboriculture
- Green-Here
- Arborist
This article was published in 24 Hours Toronto (Toronto Sun)
Career as Arborist Takes Root
May 31, 2010
By Linda White
For Waseem Safdar, a co-op placement with the country's oldest watershed management agency allowed him to complete valuable certification, while giving him the Canadian work experience needed to land a job in an industry he began pursuing in his native Pakistan.
"Thanks to my co-op, I gained practical experience with Canadian trees and have industry references," says the 40-year-old Cambridge resident. As part of Fleming College's one-year arboriculture program, Safdar completed a 450-hour paid co-op with Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA).
His responsibilities included climbing, rigging, pruning, tree hazard assessment, and tree planting and sales to the public and contractors. "I also learned tree inventory," he says.
The co-op allowed him to hone the skills he learned in the certificate program, which is offered at the college's Frost Campus in Lindsay, Ont. It offers theoretical knowledge for all aspects of urban tree care, as well as such practical skills as safe tree climbing techniques and tree removal. Upon completion, graduates are able to identify 140 species of trees and shrubs in both summer and winter conditions, and to diagnose and remedy major pests, disease, and tree disorders using the latest integrated management options to promote plant health.
After completing his GRCA co-op, Safdar volunteered with the City of Brantford in urban forestry management. He began Fleming's program armed with a Masters degree in agriculture with a specialty in forestry, wildlife and range management from the University of Agriculture in Pakistan. He worked in landscaping after immigrating to Canada three-and-half years ago. Since completing the arboriculture program in December, Safdar has landed a job with Green-Here, a registered charity, not-for-profit agency that increases green space in Toronto's Davenport neighbourhood. Its goal is to protect urban ecosystems and long-term air quality by planting trees and developing tree stewardship programs.
Co-ops are much like an extended interview for many employers, but for GRCA, they're also an opportunity to promote the industry. "We're a very progressive-thinking group and know there are benefits to people thinking about the environment and conservation," says forest operation co-ordinator John Stewart.
"Arboriculture is a specialized component of horticulture, which is a specialized component of conservation," he says. "You become a better arborist if you understand the entire package so you're more than just a tree climber. We like to instil those values into our co-op students."