Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle by Joe Lamacchia, Bridget Samburg Page A

underlying soil and achieve proper drainage.
    Landscapers and groundskeepers use tools ranging frommowers and shovels to bush trimmers and chain saws. Some rely on larger equipment such as tractors. Landscapers generally install and maintain plants and trees as well as tend to lawns with fertilizer and irrigation systems, for example. They grade property and build walkways, patios, and decks. Groundskeepers usually to maintain larger properties, such as athletic fields, cemeteries, and golf courses.
    Tree trimmers, pruners, and arborists are charged with caring for trees, cutting away dead branches, and clearing pathways for roads or sidewalks. Specialized arborists often have advanced degrees in tree care. Some groundskeepers also have degrees in botany, the study of plants. Many arborists are employed by cities to improve urban green space or by parks to maintain healthy growth.
    Success in the Real World
    Blair Glenn, arborist, Los Gatos, California
    “Manwas notmade to sit at a desk, ” saysBlairGlenn, who has found away to spend hisworkdays outside, often climbing trees.This arborist and owner of Saratoga Tree Service in Los Gatos, California, knew he didn’t want to end up at a desk job. Although hismother was a teacher and his parents felt strongly about their son getting a college degree, they were supportive of Glenn’s desire not to go that route. They even gave himthemoney they had saved for college to buy his first work truck.
    “I didn’t want to get stuck working indoors, ” says Glenn of how he ended up becoming a tree expert.Hewas an avid rock climber and started working for a tree expert long after graduating from high school. Glenn says he was fortunate to find a mentor who taught him the ropes, something he says remains invaluable to people just starting off in the trades. “The world is full of older people like me who want to give back.” Now fifty-five, Glenn regularlymentors younger arborists and kids who show an interest in the field. As an arboristGlenn says being outside and climbing trees is what he loves, and in turn he enjoys sharing his passion.
    “You have to have the desire to learn a new tree every day, ” he adds. Although Glenn ultimately went back to school for his degree, he spent years learning on the job while being willing, if not exuberant, to climb and work hard. “We know an awful lot about the human body, but not as much about treemanagement.” He watches trees go through life cycles as well as seasonal changes, and he considers specific trees that he’s worked on to be his own personal accomplishments. “My business is a craft. It’s very creative, ” he says.
    Glenn also enjoys the fact that on any given day he will havemultiple jobs, each with its own challenges. “I enjoy spending the day at people’s properties, ” he adds.Glenn acknowledges that this can be a tough job to sell, what with the physically demanding nature of the work and sometimes harsh weather conditions.But for Glenn it’s all worth it.He doesn’t need a gym membership and spends his free time hiking, fishing, and backpacking.Plus, he credits his active job for why he rarely gets sick.
    Despite the fact that none of his five grown children want to take over his business, Glenn remains optimistic that his craft and trade will be passed on through generations to come. “When you step back you have job satisfaction, ” he says.It’s something thatwill always appeal to people. What does he suggest for those who want to make a go at it in the trades? “Find what you love doing andmake that your personal college education.”
    Work Setting
    If you absolutely love to be outside, this could be the job for you. Much landscaping and groundskeeping work is seasonal, depending on what part of the country you are in, and it can require working throughout the colder winter months. The landscaper who was mowing grass and moving trees in the summer may end up shoveling and plowing snow come winter, if