Meet Your Friendly Neighbourhood Arborist

TJ Yurko is Owner and Consulting Arborist at his company, Tree J Consulting, where he provides expert consulting, education, and writing services in urban forestry and arboriculture. With over a decade of experience in the green industry, he advises clients on best practices and strategies for good tree care & landscaping operations. TJ is dedicated to helping municipalities, community partners, and businesses around the world build and foster greener, healthier, and more sustainable communities. By educating people about accepted practices used in the green industry, he empowers everyone with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to sustainably care for their urban forests, trees, and landscapes.

With an insatiable curiosity and deep appreciation for the natural world, TJ embarked on a lifelong journey to learn and teach ecologically-focused best practices for urban landscapes. His academic career began with the Calgary Zoo's Master Gardener Program in 2012, followed by studies in Horticulture and Arboriculture Sciences at Olds College in 2013 & 2014. He completed his education at the University of Guelph, where he obtained a Sustainable Landscapes Certificate in 2015 and a Horticulturist Diploma with a Major in Natural Landscapes Management and Arboriculture in 2018. In 2017, TJ was honoured with the Mike Haberl Senior Landscape Industry Certification Award for commitment to excellence in the green industry and promoting the ideals of superior workmanship and professionalism.

As a lifelong learner, TJ continuously expands his knowledge through a multitude of training opportunities that maintain his professional credentials as an ISA Certified Arborist®, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Arborist, and Certified Landscape Horticulturist Technician. Currently, TJ is aiming to become an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, which is the highest professional designation awarded by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) that recognizes arborists who have reached the pinnacle of their profession.

TJ is also an active professional member of the ISA, ISA Prairie Chapter, and Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease. He passionately volunteers as a Committee Member, Subject Matter Expert, Judge/Assessor, and Content Writer with several organizations, including the International Society of Arboriculture, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, and Calgary Horticultural Society.

In his leisure time, TJ enjoys hiking outdoors in nature, engaging in fitness activities, and caring for his menagerie of animals.