John Sinclair

John has performed over 20,000 residential tree consultations in the Eastside of Seattle. He has worked collaboratively on several projects with the former arborist of the Woodland Park Zoo. He has also been mentored by a leading northwest plant pathologist that has published in 70 countries of the world.  John has established himself as a local tree specialist in the cities of Mercer Island, Yarrow Point, Hunts Point & Medina. 

John commonly provides his clients with an education based Residential Walk-Thru with an objective to inform homeowners of the types of tree & plant material they own & best management practices for their trees, garden & home. John provides consultations with an approach &  philosophy rooted in mission and purpose. He has extensive experience helping homeowners grow in the knowledge of their trees.  This passion for knowledge led to the founding of the My Tree University platform.

“My mission is to help homeowners grow in the knowledge of their trees. ”

— John Sinclair

Our Philosophy:

As the skyscrapers of the plant world, trees have a magnificent splendor that has impacted societies thru the history of mankind. Trees have been used in ancient literature symbolic of hope & healing. The greatest selling book of all time starts with the story of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and ends with the tree of life that brings healing to the nations.

Many studies have shown that trees enhance the health and quality of life. Municipalities with community plans and objectives to retain trees along streets and arterials have been shown to have lower levels of traffic aggression. Large mature conifers in steep slope critical areas will consume tons of water that reduce the probability of Geotechnical issues and landslides.  

Trees add value to our lives.  Trees can enhance the peace in our home by providing screening and privacy that contributes to personal retreat & restoration from life outside the home. Large trees can serve as focal points of our landscaping.  Similar to an art sculpture in a yard, ornamental trees can provide an artistic feature with seasonal color variations.  

The more knowledgeable the homeowner has about their trees, the more empowered they are to responsibly manage their property. The more informed residents of a community are about trees, the better decisions the community can make about their trees.

Tree pruning specification writing & Project oversight 

John has extensive experience in writing customized tree pruning plans, providing tree project oversight & collaborating with Leading Tree Service Providers. His philosophy & approach on pruning specification writing has been influenced by the national authoritative expert, Dr. Ed Gilman, of the University of Florida.  He has also extensively studied pruning protocols by the late local authoritative expert Cass Turnbull, founder of Plant Amnesty,  on best pruning practices on smaller trees and shrubs in northwest gardens.  

Because of the generally irrevocable nature of a bad pruning cut on a tree, John has observed managers of private high-value arboretums direct tree crews branch by branch in their work to ensure malpruning does not occur.  When the value of your home could be adversely impacted thru either malpruning or miscommunication, diligent and detailed project oversight could be equally important for your home.  John & his team have a thorough oversite system to ensure customized tree work plans  are  executed with precision for a successful project outcome. 

Collaboration with  Leading Tree service providers

The seasonal nature of the tree industry along with the high personnel turn over rate in the tree and landscape industry can create quality control problems. In contrast, John has extensive project history with the tree technician teams he works  with that lends itself to precision execution of his tree specification plans.

With gravity ever present and the dangers and risks associated with tree work, a homeowner needs to be confident that a tree service company is utilizing best industry safe work practices & compliance with State Safety Agencies. 

Because of John’s credentials & experience, he could choose to work with nearly any company in the tree industry. 

 In summary, John chooses tree service companies to work with that he feels can provide the best value &  service for his clients.