Kevin Narbonne of Peer Arboricultural in Hopkinton advocates for preventive care of trees and shrubs.

No one wants to be rushed to the emergency room. That’s why people regularly seek routine care and maintain healthy practices. In the same way, a homeowner would be better off calling Kevin Narbonne, owner of Peer Arboricultural in Hopkinton, before a tree is leaning over their home, or worse. This analogy represents a key component of his philosophy toward home tree and shrub care.

Narbonne explained his process. “We start by walking around your property, reviewing the status of the trees and shrubs,” he said. “I can assess if a tree might be in danger of falling and reduce the risk with some proactive pruning. That helps ensure you won’t lose the tree or suffer property damage and possibly experience personal harm. We do a walkthrough every year or so, depending on the need.

“Ticks and mosquitos are another situation we look at,” Narbonne said. “There’s been a big increase in not only Lyme but about 20 other tick-borne diseases. And mosquitos continue to transmit West Nile Virus and EEE [Eastern equine encephalitis]. We have options for addressing those threats, so you can choose one that suits you.”

Peer Arboricultural provides a range of services, from planting new trees and shrubs to pruning and providing plant health care. Narbonne specializes in diagnosing the cause of an issue to determine the right approach. “One recent client had arborvitaes that appeared stressed, likely because of the drought last summer,” Narbonne said. “To verify, I had the UMass Plant Diagnostic Lab analyze a sample. It turned out that fungal and insect activity were the culprits. Now we can properly treat it.”

UMass is where Narbonne studied arboriculture, which is the art and science of tree work. Since he was a child, he liked being outdoors and has continued to enjoy that aspect of his profession. “I worked for an employee-run company for 18 years, where I learned a lot from veterans in the field who shared their experiences and beliefs,” he said. “I ended up in management, and like many people during the pandemic, I reassessed. Being outdoors more and having a situation that worked for my family led me to start Peer Arboricultural in 2021. The business is run out of my home, which coincidentally was previously owned by an arborist.”

Besides trees, Narbonne has a passion for running marathons, having completed Boston twice. This year, he’ll compete in Berlin. “A 20-mile training run clears your mind, has you think differently, and helps with priorities,” he said. For Boston, Narbonne raised funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute after learning a girl in his daughter’s preschool had cancer. “Being a charity runner for a cause so close to me was humbling and eye-opening,” he said. “It made me a better person, leader and business owner.” Narbonne puts that learning into practice at his company, consulting his peer group when he needs special expertise. “There’s always a chance to learn,” he said. “Solving problems takes all of us.”

Narbonne is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist (MCA 2197) and an International Society Arborist (ISA NE-6400A). To schedule a walkthrough, email kevin@peerarboricultural.com or call 781-801-3576.

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