Qualified arborist supports women in tree care

27 May 2026

With twenty years’ experience in tree care, Primary ITO-qualified arborist Kelly Black runs her own business and co-founded an initiative to support women working in the tree care industry.

Women & Trees NZ Co-Founders Kelly Black (left) and Ruby McNab (right)

Kelly enrolled in the New Zealand Apprenticeship in Arboriculture through Primary ITO in 2022, to formalise her existing knowledge and experience in the industry. She says holding this qualification proves that she is skilled and knows what she is talking about when it comes to tree care.

“I really enjoyed the apprenticeship training and learning about tree biomechanics and the science aspect.”

Kelly grew up in Queenstown, completing a diploma in outdoor recreation and working with at-risk youth on adventure courses, leading to travel around the world.

She initially stepped into tree care to help her former partner, who owned a tree care business.

“It was a natural segway as I had the safety and rope skills, and a head for heights. Back then qualifications weren’t such a thing, and I learnt on the job from other experienced arborists.”

Six years later Kelly started her own small business and “got pretty excited” about tree work. However, after going in a little hard and fast, she experienced a repetitive strain injury (RSI), resulting in surgery and time out to recover.

“That was through a lack of knowledge of looking after the body. Modern climbing techniques and tools have changed that, giving you more longevity in the industry.”

Receiving frequent calls from clients, she went back to trimming trees part-time alongside her role in outdoor recreation.

“I relocated to Christchurch after the earthquakes and was doing tree care on the side. It was challenging achieving work-life balance – tree work won out because I could be my own boss.”

At that time Kelly was one of a handful of female arborists in the industry. In 2018 it was reported that just three percent of arborists in New Zealand were female.

In 2022 while traveling in the United States, she attended the Women’s Tree Climbing workshops in Colorado.

“It highlighted how valuable community is. Thirty women were on the course from across the States and the most significant hurdle for them in their careers as arborists was a sense of belonging, support, self-belief and feeling 'good enough'.  It was evident that such courses had the ability to shift this for individuals, simply with the power of support and connection from a like-minded community.

“I had no knowledge of any kind of support networks for women working in the arb industry in the Southern Hemisphere and realised this gap could be the difference in seeing more women stepping into arb as the fantastic and fulfilling career it can be.” 

It was also the catalyst for Kelly to approach Primary ITO to become qualified. She contracted to a friend who ran a tree care company in Wānaka, to undertake the apprenticeship training and work blocks in central Otago, while maintaining her own client base in Canterbury.

Kellys says her Training Adviser Craig Campbell was amazing, being only a phone call away if needed.

“That support was invaluable, as I had been out of school for so long that study was quite a stretch. It was helpful having clarity on what needed to be done, how and when.

“I definitely recommend the apprenticeship training. Research to find a company that aligns with your values and is willing to support you through your training. And very importantly, be prepared to fully be 'in it', work hard, and smartly, and you will go places you can't even imagine.”

Alongside the on-job training and assessment, Kelly says, “the off-job classes were gold. The teachers were passionate and incredibly knowledgeable.”

Towards the end of her apprenticeship Kelly spoke to her Training Adviser and class lecturer about the idea of starting Women & Trees NZ. With their encouragement, she connected with another Canterbury-based, relatively new arborist, Ruby McNab.  Ruby was just wrapping up her apprenticeship through Primary ITO and had returned from representing New Zealand at the World Tree Climbing Competition in the United States. 

Kelly at the 2026 Women & Trees NZ Camp held in Gisborne

With the backing of the New Zealand Arboriculture Association (NZ Arb), the first Women & Trees NZ camp took place in Christchurch in 2025 and a second camp in Gisborne recently, with hands-on sessions run by industry experts in a supportive environment. Attendees came from all over the country.

“We wanted to create a space where women feel like they belong, and where they can be encouraged to step up into leadership roles. The camps have been well supported by industry.”

Women & Trees NZ now operates as a not-for-profit sub-committee of NZ Arb, aiming to grow the support network, provide learning, and encourage leadership opportunities for all women working in arboriculture – not just climbers.

Kelly loves working in tree care and will continue climbing for as long as she can.

“I enjoy running a small business and have really good relationships with my clients. My biggest satisfaction is dove-tailing client expectations to what is good for the trees.”

Primary ITO Training Adviser Craig Campbell is proud of Kelly’s success, with her apprenticeship and the Women & Trees NZ initiative.

“Kelly has an affinity for encouraging other women in the industry and the heart for getting out to new people to get them on board.”

Learn more about our arboriculture training and register your interest here.

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