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ISA Launches New BCMA Certification
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Lindsey Bowman
Certification Marketing Coordinator
International Society of Arboriculture
217-355-9411, EXT. 17
lbowman@isa-arbor.com
Internationl Society of Arboriculture Launches
Advanced Arborist Certification on Track with Expanding Industry Career Path
CHAMPAIGN, IL (November 12,2004)As part of an ongoing effort to better
provide for the professional growth and development of arborists around the
globe, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is pleased to announce
the immediate availability of Board-Certified Master Arborist (BCMA)
certification. This new credential is the highest possible certification in the
industry, and was designed for arborists who have reached the pinnacle of their
profession. Certification as a Board-Certified Master Arborist requires
significant experience, advanced education, following ethical standards and
applying an in-depth knowledge of landscape plants.
A successful pilot program has already resulted in more than twenty
individuals around the country who have earned and achieved the Board-Certified
Master Arborist distinction. While candidates must take the computer-based BCMA
exam at one of the hundreds of designated testing centers available, contacting
the ISA Certification Department is still the necessary and important first
step to confirm eligibility, and to receive an application and further testing
instructions.
"We are delighted and honored to offer the only
internationally-recognized certification program in the industry," says Lisa W.
Grant, Chairman, ISA Certification Board. "We are proud of each and every one
of 17,000+ ISA-Certified Arborists who have earned this core career milestone,
and we know it's important to truly distinguish those experts with the wealth
of practical experience required to earn the esteemed Board-Certified Master
Arborist recognition."
To qualify to take the BCMA exam, an individual must be an ISA
Certified Arborist in good standing and have obtained other prerequisites, or
points, defined by the ISA. These prerequisite points are obtained through
professional work experience, formal education, and other related credentials.
Once BCMA certification is obtained, an individual must recertify every three
years by completing 60 continuing education units with a focus on science,
practice, and management. While there is no ISA-issued study guide, there are
twenty-six recommended text books, journals, published conference proceedings,
industry guides and articles that candidates can review on their own to prepare
for the BCMA exam.
The ISA has been certifying arborists for more than a decade in
order to improve the level of overall knowledge, to develop and implement
standardized tree care practices, and to bring more recognition and revenue to
the individual holding the credential.
The ISA certification process is designed as a pyramid, providing building
blocks of attained knowledge and practice levels earned on a voluntary basis.
ISA Certified Tree Worker is the certification foundation, which branches into
two specialist designations demonstrating basic tree worker skills, Climber
Specialist and Aerial Lift Specialist (currently under development). Next is a
significant career milestone, the ISA Certified Arborist, which, at more than
17,000 professionals worldwide, constitutes the largest category of ISA
credentials issued to date. ISA Certified Arborists may further specialize with
a Utility Specialist certification, or the new Municipal Specialist
certification released last month in cooperation with the Society of Municipal
Arborists (SMA). At the pinnacle of the ISA Certification Career Pyramid is the
brand new Board-Certified Master Arborist, an advanced level certification and
the industry gold standard.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is a nonprofit
organization supporting tree care research around the world. Headquartered in
Champaign, IL, ISA is dedicated to the care and preservation of shade and
ornamental trees. For more information on certification contact the ISA at
cert@isa-arbor.com or visit www.isa-arbor.com
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