Meet Your Friendly Neighbourhood Arborist

TJ Yurko is the Owner and Consulting Arborist of Tree J Consulting, a leading provider of urban forestry and arboriculture consulting services in Central Alberta. With over a decade of experience in the green industry, he offers strategic advice on tree care, landscape management, and urban greening initiatives. Driven by his passion for environmental stewardship, TJ partners with organizations and homeowners worldwide to build healthier, greener, and more resilient communities through education, collaboration, and science-based arboriculture practices.

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 Sciences at Olds College in 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019. He completed his education at the University of Guelph where he obtained a Diploma in Horticulture with a Major in Natural Landscapes Management in 2018. In 2017, TJ was bestowed 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. Currently, TJ is an ISA Certified Arborist®, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) Arborist, and Certified Landscape Horticulturist Technician (CLHT). He is further aiming to become an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA), 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 a professional member of the ISA, ISA Prairie Chapter, Canadian Urban Forestry Network Exchange, and Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease. He passionately volunteers as a Committee Member, Subject Matter Expert, Judge/Assessor/Attestor, 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, staying active, and caring for his menagerie of animals.