Groundie

Subscriber-only episode

In this Tuesday episode of Talking Trees, we focus on the often underappreciated but absolutely essential role of the Groundie—the ground worker in tree care operations. Inspired by Jeff Jepson’s book Groundie, we explore what it takes to thrive in this demanding position.

We discuss:

• The core responsibilities of a ground worker during tree work operations
• Why the job is both physically intense and mentally engaging
• The reality of high turnover versus the deep satisfaction for those who commit to the craft
• How the role of a groundie provides the foundation for climbing arborists and safe, efficient teamwork
• Why Jepson’s book is a valuable introduction for those entering the field of arboriculture

This episode celebrates the Groundie not as a stepping stone, but as a profession in its own right, rich in skills, pride, and purpose.

Background information:

• Excerpt from “Groundie” by Jeff Jepson: The Role of the Ground Worker….At a Glance. - Sherrilltree

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Groundie by Jeff Jepson
• 0:44 The Importance of Understanding Groundies
• 2:35 Six Key Features of Tree Work
• 5:16 Physical and Mental Demands
• 9:10 Other Valuable Books for Arborists
• 11:32 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Transcript

Roger: 0:02

Talking Trees with Lillian Jadd. Welcome to Talking Trees. Today we highlight Jeff Jepson's book Groundy, which delves into the critical role of ground workers in the arboriculture industry, Endorsed by Cheryl Tree, as both an informative and motivational resource for newcomers. The book provides a detailed look at a typical day in the life of a groundie, underscoring the challenges and rewards of the profession. Jeff Jepson, also known for the Tree Climber's Companion and other influential works on tree felling and arboricultural knots, offers deep insights into the practical aspects of tree care.

Jad: 0:44

Hey everyone, welcome back. Today we're going to be talking about something pretty vital to our work as arborists.

Lilly: 0:51

Yeah, that's right.

Jad: 0:52

The groundy.

Lilly: 0:53

The groundy exactly.

Jad: 0:55

And to help us learn more about that. We're going to be talking about the work of Jeff Jepson.

Lilly: 0:58

Jeff Jepson. Yeah, I think he's got a real knack for this whole groundy thing. He actually wrote a whole book about it, called Well Groundy, and we'll be pulling from that today and some stuff from CherylTreecom and we might even touch on some of his other books. Oh cool, Just to kind of get a good, well-rounded view.

Jad: 1:15

Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, Okay, before we get into all that, why is this even important?

Lilly: 1:20

Well, you know, I think it's pretty crucial for anybody who's working in tree care to understand you know what the groundies are doing, especially if you're in a leadership role. You know, maybe you're leading a crew, maybe you're working alongside groundies.

Jad: 1:33

Right.

Lilly: 1:33

If you really have a solid grasp of their world, it can make things so much smoother.

Jad: 1:39

Right.

Lilly: 1:39

You know, better communication, better teamwork and, ultimately, a safer and more efficient work environment.

Jad: 1:46

Makes a lot of sense. Yeah, so what is a groundie according to Jepson?

Lilly: 1:49

Well, he really gets into it in groundie. One of the first things he talked about actually is that there's a really high turnover rate.

Jad: 1:55

Oh really.

Lilly: 1:56

Yeah, like a lot of folks, don't make it past, like the first couple of years.

Jad: 2:01

Yeah, I can see that. You know, I remember when I was a groundie, definitely not easy. It was really demanding and, you know, kind of caubitic sometimes.

Lilly: 2:10

Oh for sure. And, yeah, a little intimidating mentally and emotionally. I think there's even a part where he describes it as like a crucible, like it really forges resilience, and he's not wrong. It's tough work, but for the folks who do stick with it, you know they often find it super rewarding.

Jad: 2:33

Yeah, yeah, definitely A crucible. I like that. Um, so he talks about six different uh features of tree work.

Lilly: 2:40

Yeah, yeah, he lays out these six kind of key aspects that he sees as making tree work unique.

Roger: 2:47

Okay.

Lilly: 2:48

And I think they really apply to the groundy experience as well.

Jad: 2:51

Okay.

Lilly: 2:52

So the first one he talks about is meaningful and I think you know, for a lot of people in this field that's one of the things that draws them to it.

Jad: 3:00

Yeah.

Lilly: 3:01

You're not just you know cutting down trees, you're actually contributing to the safety and well-being of you know people and the environment.

Jad: 3:10

Yeah, no, I agree. So what's the next one?

Lilly: 3:28

The next one is relational and this one, I think, is super important and we can probably do a whole other deep dive into it. Yeah, for sure, but it's all about the collaborative nature of the work.

Jad: 3:38

OK.

Lilly: 3:38

Tree work. You're rarely working solo right. It's all about teamwork, communication and that trust between everybody on the crew, whether you're the climber up in the tree or the groundie on the ground.

Jad: 3:50

Right, okay, yeah, yeah, that makes sense. And the next one is challenging.

Lilly: 3:55

Challenging, oh yeah, and I think every arborist out there, no matter what their role is, can relate to that. And every job site is different. You've got unique obstacles, you've got different demands every time and of course you know Jefferson talks about the physical strength and stamina that you need, but he also points out that you've got to have some good problem-solving skills. You've got to be adaptable.

Jad: 4:16

You've got to think on your feet.

Lilly: 4:17

Exactly.

Jad: 4:18

Yeah, I remember this one job. We had One job. We had to take down this huge oak tree that was like right over the client's garage. Oh wow, talk about a challenge. We had to be so careful planning out every single cut, thinking about you know all the things that could go wrong, and just adjusting our approach as we went. It was a real test, I think, of our skills and our teamwork.

Lilly: 4:41

And I bet you felt super satisfied at the end of it. Oh, absolutely, that's what Jepson is talking about. It's that you know. You have to think creatively, you have to be ingenious, yeah, especially when things don't go as planned.

Jad: 4:52

Right.

Lilly: 4:52

Which you know brings us to another feature. Adventurous, yeah, I mean. I think tree work in general, it's inherently adventurous. Every day is different. You never know what you're going to encounter.

Jad: 5:05

Yeah, for sure no-transcript. He's not wrong.

Lilly: 5:11

And he's right. One day you could be climbing this you know massive pine tree in a forest and the next day you're carefully pruning some you know prized Japanese maple in somebody's backyard.

Jad: 5:23

That's true, and you know, speaking of surprises, some of those surprises can be not so good. Not so good, yeah, yeah. Which leads us to the next one on the list Dangerous.

Lilly: 5:33

Yeah, dangerous.

Jad: 5:34

It's true. We can't ignore that Right.

Lilly: 5:36

Yeah.

Jad: 5:37

Tree work is inherently risky.

Lilly: 5:39

Yeah, but I think Jepson has a really good perspective on safety. Oh, ok, he doesn't just talk about you know the rules and stuff. He really gets into the mindset you know and the habits that are going to keep you safe.

Jad: 5:52

That's interesting. What kind of insights does he give on that?

Lilly: 5:56

Well, one of the things he emphasizes is that it's got to be a culture, you know, on the job site, a safety first culture.

Jad: 6:03

Right.

Lilly: 6:04

It's not enough to just wear your PPE. You've got to have constant communication, everyone's got to know what their roles and responsibilities are, and you've got to constantly be aware of your surroundings and the potential hazards.

Jad: 6:16

That makes sense.

Lilly: 6:17

He says that complacency is the enemy of safety.

Jad: 6:20

Oh, it's a good one.

Lilly: 6:21

Yeah, yeah.

Jad: 6:22

It's easy to forget, especially when you've been doing it a while. You know you can kind of fall into that routine and let your guard down.

Lilly: 6:28

Oh yeah.

Jad: 6:29

And that's when you know accidents happen.

Lilly: 6:32

Yeah, he says every job, every tree, every cut you make, you have to treat it with the same amount of respect and caution, no matter how many times you've done it before.

Jad: 6:41

Yeah, you know, a mentor of mine used to tell me every tree has a story to tell.

Lilly: 6:46

Oh, I like that.

Jad: 6:47

Yeah, and you know that story includes potential hazards, growth patterns and how it interacts with everything around it.

Lilly: 6:56

Yeah, you got to respect the tree. Yeah, you got to respect the crew too, and yourself and yourself, yeah.

Jad: 7:01

Exactly.

Lilly: 7:02

And speaking of respect, you know he's not shy about the physical demands of being a groundie. You know all the lifting and the long hours.

Jad: 7:10

Yeah.

Lilly: 7:10

He's not afraid to describe it.

Jad: 7:12

Right, it's hard work.

Lilly: 7:13

It is, and he talks about the importance of being in shape, you know, having good stamina. He actually even goes into some exercises and stretches that groundies can do.

Jad: 7:23

Oh, wow.

Lilly: 7:23

To help them be ready for the work.

Jad: 7:26

You know, when I first started out, I thought I was in pretty good shape.

Lilly: 7:29

Yeah.

Jad: 7:30

I thought I was ready, but then I, you know, spent a day hauling brush and chipping and I was sore, I mean muscles I didn't know I had were sore yeah it'll get you.

Lilly: 7:37

But he makes a good point that you know you need strength, you need flexibility Right, and cardiovascular fitness. It's not just about you know lifting heavy stuff, it's about moving safely and efficiently all day long so you don't get hurt Makes sense, especially when you're around all that you know equipment and falling branches. Absolutely. And it's not all physical either. There's a big mental component to being a groundie too.

Jad: 8:01

Oh yeah, that's true. Yeah, we do focus a lot on the physical stuff, but it's very mentally demanding too.

Lilly: 8:08

It is. Jepson talks about how important focus is and attention to detail and you know, really following instructions carefully. He even says that being a groundie is kind of like being an air traffic controller.

Jad: 8:21

Wow.

Lilly: 8:22

You know you're constantly monitoring what's going on, thinking ahead, looking out for problems and keeping everybody safe.

Jad: 8:29

That's a great analogy. There is so much going on on a job site, especially a big one.

Lilly: 8:36

Yeah.

Jad: 8:37

You know the groundies right in the middle of it.

Lilly: 8:38

Yeah.

Jad: 8:39

Making sure everything's running smoothly.

Lilly: 8:40

It's high pressure for sure you got to have some mental fortitude to thrive in that kind of role and patience.

Jad: 8:46

Oh yeah, yeah, Definitely. You know, sometimes things get frustrating. Right, communication breaks down. Yeah, you run into unexpected problems. A good groundie can stay calm, think clearly and find a solution.

Lilly: 8:58

Yeah, that's a good point. So I know you mentioned that he's written a few other books that could be helpful, especially for groundies.

Jad: 9:04

Oh yeah.

Lilly: 9:05

There's the Tree Climber's Companion and, like we said, it's kind of the you know, the go-to guide for climbing techniques.

Jad: 9:12

Right.

Lilly: 9:13

But what's interesting is that, even if you're not a climber, understanding those techniques can actually make you a better groundie. Think about it You're working with a climber right, they're up in the tree but if you know how the rigging works and the knots and the different climbing techniques, you can anticipate what they need. Oh okay, you can communicate better and you might even see things hazards that they don't see from up in the tree. Yeah, yeah so even if you don't climb the tree, climbers companion can be really helpful Huh.

Jad: 9:44

So it's about that shared understanding, that huh.

Lilly: 9:46

Exactly, you're all on the same page, yeah.

Jad: 9:49

I like that. What about his other books?

Lilly: 9:50

Well, he wrote one called To Fell a Tree.

Jad: 9:53

Literally. Yeah, huh, I like that Straight to the point, you know, and while a lot of groundies might not actually be felling trees, you know they're there.

Lilly: 10:02

Right.

Jad: 10:02

So understanding how it's done safely and efficiently.

Lilly: 10:05

Right.

Jad: 10:06

It's going to help them know where to be. You know how to stay safe and how to communicate with whoever's doing the felling.

Lilly: 10:13

Yeah, being aware of the whole situation, exactly Cool. And what about knots at work? Knots at work? Well, that's kind of his deep dive into all the essential knots for arborists.

Jad: 10:26

It seems like he likes to get really specific in his books.

Lilly: 10:29

He does, and that's a good thing, because it's not just about knowing how to tie them right. He explains when to use them, why you'd use one knot versus another and what their limitations are.

Jad: 10:40

Oh, that makes sense.

Lilly: 10:41

Yeah, and there's a whole chapter just on knots for ground work. Oh, wow, yeah, things like the bowline, the clove hitch, the timber hitch, all those really important ones.

Jad: 10:49

Yeah, those are the ones you got to know.

Lilly: 10:51

Exactly For securing tools, rigging ropes all that stuff.

Jad: 10:58

I remember when I was learning all those knots.

Lilly: 11:00

Yeah, I felt like I was learning a new language.

Jad: 11:01

It is kind of it is, but once I got it it was like a whole new world opened up.

Lilly: 11:04

And that's what I think is so cool about what Jepson's doing. It's really trying to empower arborists with knowledge and skills you know, so we can do our work safely, efficiently and with a deep understanding of you know the craft.

Jad: 11:16

That's awesome, yeah, so we've talked a lot about, you know, jeff Jepsen and his insights into the world of the groundie.

Lilly: 11:22

Yeah.

Jad: 11:23

But now I kind of want to shift focus a little bit and talk to you, our listeners out there, our listeners. I know you guys are out there doing this work every day. Yeah, you're facing those challenges, facing the challenges, celebrating those wins. All that, those wins, all that.

Lilly: 11:34

We want to hear from you.

Jad: 11:35

Yeah. What do you think about Jepson's work? Does any of this resonate with you especially?

Lilly: 11:43

if you've been a groundie yourself or if you've worked alongside them, you know, sometimes those real life experiences are the best insights.

Jad: 11:48

Yeah, for sure. So think about that for a second. What's something you've learned from your work as a groundie, or from working with them?

Lilly: 11:58

Maybe it's a specific technique or a safety tip or just a different way of thinking about things.

Jad: 12:03

Right, because we all learn from each other. Right.

Lilly: 12:05

Absolutely.

Jad: 12:06

And that's how we all get better at what we do.

Lilly: 12:07

That's how we elevate the whole profession.

Jad: 12:09

Right, exactly. Well, as we wrap up here, yeah, I want to leave you with one last thought. Ok, next. With one last thought Okay, next time you're on a job site and you're working with a groundie.

Lilly: 12:17

Yeah.

Jad: 12:18

Take a second to appreciate their skill. You know their dedication and how vital they are to what we do.

Lilly: 12:25

Yeah, Ask yourself how can I be a better teammate?

Jad: 12:28

Yeah.

Lilly: 12:28

How can I communicate better, support them and learn from them?

Jad: 12:31

Right.

Lilly: 12:32

Because when we respect each other, yeah and we work together, that's how we create a better experience for everyone.

Jad: 12:38

Absolutely, and hey, maybe you'll even be inspired to check out one of Jepson's books.

Lilly: 12:46

Yeah, Good idea Learn a little more, you know. Stay safe out there and remember the groundie is the foundation we all stand on.

Jad: 12:50

That's right. Until next time, everybody, happy climbing.

Roger: 12:57

Thank you for joining us Today. We explored Jeff Jepson's Groundie, which offers an in-depth look at the role of ground workers in arboriculture. We discussed the book's detailed portrayal of daily challenges and key aspects of the profession, as well as Jepson's broader contributions to the field through his other well-known titles.