Gavin Gray has worked in the outdoor sector since high school as part of his fathers company Gray’s Tree Service. So how does he get his day started?

“My typical everyday will be me either operating a bucket truck with a 75 foot elevator or climbing trees my bucket may not be able to reach, “said Gray.

He says what drew him into this career was his father and being around it his whole life, but the biggest factor was being “the fun of it.”However, with fun comes the risk faced when picking careers dealing with natural forces.

“The biggest risk involved in this line of work is the potential of serious injury or even death,” said Gray. “It takes an experienced team of guys to do the job safely and properly.”

Nevertheless, to those that just see the risk, Gray shares another side to the story.

“One aspect of working in the tree industry that people don’t recognize until they see it, is how amazing the process is of taking a tree down, whether it’s climbing, operating a crane or bucket truck, or just simply falling one,” said Gray. “With the use of equipment such as ropes, pullies, and porter wraps you can take almost any tree down and it’s a fascinating process to watch and do.”

For those interested in pursuing a job similar to Gray, he advises them to “learn at a slow and safe pace… there is nothing more important than making sure you get back home to your loved ones.”

With parting words, when asked what he enjoyed most about his job he stated how it’s “being able to see amazing views and helping change Alabama tree by tree.”