Robert Stanley Consulting Arborist, I.S.A.

Consulting Arborist

If trees could speak, what would they say? Robert Stanley, Consulting Master Arborist, International Association of Arboriculture and Maryland Licensed Tree Expert, might know. Coined the “Tree Whisperer” by his clients, Mr. Stanley gets up close and personal with his leafy subjects to determine what might be afflicting them and find ways to preserve their natural beauty.

Working with trees for more than 40 years, Mr. Stanley started out playing in trees when he was very young. “One of my earliest memories is of my father inquiring how and why I was atop a 90-foot spruce tree,” he recalls. “I could barely walk at that time.”

A Maine First Class Arborist and resident of the “pine tree state” until 2007, Mr. Stanley brought his arboriculture practice to Maryland and now consults with a range of clients from homeowners to businesses and government agencies to help maintain a healthy tree population.

“My practice focuses on preserving and restoring trees by using the best methods of integrated plant management.”

A member of the Maryland Arborist Association, an organization dedicated to promoting education and support for arboriculture, and the International Society of Arboriculture, Mr. Stanley’s arborist education extends beyond Maryland’s required level of experience. “I’ve had the advantage of working with rather outstanding individuals in the arboriculture field,” he says.

Mr. Stanley’s spectrum of arborcare services includes diagnosing injured or diseased plants, selective pruning to enhance natural vistas, structural tree supporting, transplanting trees of all sizes and integrated pest management.

“My practice focuses on preserving and restoring trees by using the best methods of integrated plant management,” he says. Because he is against destroying any tree, Mr. Stanley often chooses to relocate trees in circumstances where others might cut them down.

Recently, Mr. Stanley’s practice expanded to include the use of Arborjet microinjection technology, which places nutrients directly into the vascular system of the tree, providing nourishment with zero discharges to the environment. That is particularly important in critical areas around the Chesapeake Bay.

Mr. Stanley’s volunteer efforts reflect his respect for these large and ancient entities. As a docent of Adkins Arboretum, he conducts a winter presentation called The Body Language of Trees, which looks at what forest trees say about the environment in which they are adapting. He also donates his expertise by caring for trees on cemeteries and public grounds and teaches state employees how to nurture public trees through participation in an array of environmental organization programs.

The Tree Keepers website provides a link to a calculator that helps homeowners estimate their property value increase from any given tree. A tree’s environmental impact to absorb storm water runoff, cast energy-saving shade on the home and even cleaning the air, is also valuable.

Mr. Stanley says even very large trees that have fallen in a storm can be rescued, such as when heavy snows in 2010 uprooted many trees. Mr. Stanley’s approach of repositioning and guying proved more cost-effective than removal or replacement.

“When comparing the cost of removing and replacing a tree, it is more economical and easier to put it back up,” he says.

Perhaps if trees could speak, they might ask for Mr. Stanley.

Robert Stanley Consulting Arborist, I.S.A.
P.O. Box 2763
Easton, MD 21601
410-770-9477
Maryland Tree Expert Number 1715

www.thetreekeepers.com

Pictured: Robert Stanley
Photography: Steve Buchanan