Whole Education

Now a successful tree surgeon, Ed Campbell-White had to start again with practical qualifications after realising an academic degree did not get him where he wanted to be.

“I've always had two fantasy jobs: stuntman or tree surgeon,” says Ed. Despite his unconventional ambitions, he chose a university course because he thought a degree would help him get a job. But after graduating he was still no closer to deciding on a career. “I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I'd always fancied the idea of working outside and using my hands, doing practical stuff.” He found a job as a landscape gardener's assistant and went on to take a City & Guilds tree surgery course.

Now Ed is considering further qualifications in tree biology. Tree surgery is in high demand, and successful tree surgeons can go on to be tree officers for local councils, responsible for every tree in the area. Ed does not regret choosing trees over stunts. “It’s not quite as glamorous as being a stuntman but you get to do exciting stuff sometimes. There were flash floods around London the other week – trees were falling down all over the place. We had to pull a tree out of the Thames.”

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