For more than two decades, Josh Spudeno, owner of Green Spider Tree Service, has made a living doing work most people wouldn’t dream of attempting: climbing high into dangerous trees, working near live power lines, and dismantling massive limbs piece by piece. The job has left its mark — in the past four years alone, he’s had bilateral elbow surgery, finger stitches, and more bumps, bruises, and close calls than he can count.
It’s all part of life in the tree service business, one of the most dangerous trades in the country. But for Spudeno, the risks are worth it. He thrives on the challenge, the problem-solving, and the transformation that comes from taking down a hazardous tree or giving a sprawling maple a clean, healthy shape. “It’s fun,” he said. “You have to believe everything works out for a reason. And I love to see the end results of everything — the transformation from a dead tree to a yard full of life again.”
Safety first — always
Talk to Spudeno for more than a few minutes, and it becomes clear that safety is central to everything he does. His crew uses helmets equipped with headsets to communicate, high-visibility shirts, and a strict set of safety checks before any cutting begins.
“We have helmets we communicate with each other in. We always have our safety gear on. We have high-vis T-shirts. We have safety checks where we don’t work around certain people at certain points,” he explained. “We use hand signals, and over time we’ve developed our own set of sign language for different tools and situations. There’s a hand sign for a pole clip, for a hanger puller, for when a rope is ready to tension. Everyone knows exactly what it means.”
When he started, safety communication wasn’t nearly as organized. Language barriers sometimes complicated things, especially on bilingual crews. But experience — and a few close calls — made the importance of clear communication impossible to ignore.
Lessons from the power company
Before starting his business, Spudeno spent time working around live electrical lines with a utility contractor. That experience shaped the way he approaches tree work today.
“With power lines, you have one chance to do it right,” he said. “There are no do-overs.”
He remembers demonstrations from utility trainers showing just how dangerous electricity can be. In one example, a trainer pricked a lineman’s glove with a pin, then picked up a hot dog with the glove and touched it to a live line. The hot dog instantly cooked from the inside out. “It was just crazy,” he said.
Those lessons stuck with him. Today, whether working near a residential service drop or trimming around a home, Spudeno applies the same level of caution he learned in the utility world. “We rope things off, take them smaller, and use equipment whenever possible to avoid putting people in harm’s way,” he said. “If you can take the uncertainty out of a job, you do it.”
Storm work — the highest risk
Tree work is dangerous enough on a calm, sunny day. But after a storm, hazards multiply.
“Storm work is a totally different animal,” Spudeno explained. “You’ve got high tension in the wires, trees twisted and hung up in ways you can’t see from the ground. You have to assume that if something can go wrong, it will.”
Cable lines, he noted, can hold an incredible amount of weight. Crews must tie down lines before cutting anything, and cutters often work within 10 to 15 feet of high-tension hazards. “When we do storm work, we have to make sure everything goes according to plan because you could die. Those are the most dangerous times in our business,” he said.
Passing on knowledge
Over the years, Spudeno has trained many young climbers and ground workers. He takes pride in knowing his trainees have gone on to run their own crews and businesses.
“It makes me proud to see them excelling now in the tree business,” he said. “And the fact that there have been no major injuries among the people I’ve trained — that’s huge. I’d rather put myself in danger than my crew. I do the hard stuff because I can see what’s coming before it happens. I can set up ropes for a backup plan in case of failure. And I want them to learn how to do it right so they can pass it on.”
A day in the life
To the untrained eye, tree service work might seem simple: show up, cut branches, load the truck. But the reality is far more complex.
His day begins with stretching — an important ritual after years of physically demanding work. After switching out vehicles and heading to the job site, the crew sets cones, safety signs, and speaks with the customer. Then comes the all-important job briefing, where the day’s plan is reviewed.
“I’ve already done the estimate and walked the site,” Spudeno said. “If it’s a big, dangerous tree, I don’t sleep well the night before. I’m lying there thinking through every step, how to make it safer.”
Equipment selection and setup are critical. Climbers wear saddles and spurs — known as gaffs — for removals. Ropes are chosen for the job’s demands: a heavy 5/8-inch line for large sections, lighter ropes for smaller cuts. A device called a porta-wrap controls the descent of heavy pieces, allowing even lighter crew members to lower massive logs with ease.
Crane work and close calls
When a tree can’t be dismantled safely by climbing alone, cranes come into play. Crane-assisted removals require precision and trust between the climber and operator.
In one job early in his career, a new crane operator misjudged the load, sending a cut section shooting upward. On another, the operator lifted an entire tree — roots and all — in one piece. Both incidents were reminders of how quickly things can turn dangerous when lifting thousands of pounds.
Looking ahead
At 44, Spudeno knows he won’t be climbing forever. His goal is to grow the business, hire more help, and eventually shift to a supervisory role. He dreams of spending winters doing tree work in warmer climates, perhaps on golf courses or at vacation properties, while expanding his residential work locally.
He also wants to create a TV show highlighting the culture of tree work, storm response, and the people who make it happen. “It’s not just my business I want to promote — it’s the whole tree culture,” he said.
That creative streak isn’t limited to the tree industry. Away from the chainsaws and wood chips, Spudeno has also stepped into the world of acting, appearing in a handful of independent films and television projects over the years. The work is different — trading harnesses and helmets for scripts and cameras — but it draws on the same skills he uses on the job: confidence, timing, and the ability to connect with an audience. It’s another outlet for storytelling, just in a different medium.
And, perhaps most importantly, he wants to continue passing on the skills and safety practices that have kept him and his crews alive. “If you have the knowledge to save lives and do it the right way, don’t keep it to yourself,” he said. “Pass it on.”
For Spudeno, whether he’s on a movie set, in front of a camera talking about tree culture, or 50 feet in the air removing a massive oak limb, the mission is the same — to do the work with skill, respect, and heart, and to inspire the next generation to do the same.