MEET OUR TEAM

Carina Walker is the owner of Tree Walkers, a black woman owned family tree service in Southern California. Carina studied at Cal Poly Pomona, CSUN and UCLA to pursue her landscape architecture degree while playing collegiate NCAA volleyball. After years of studying and specialized in landscape architecture she decided to educate herself in the ecology of natural wildlife and urban landscapes. She has worked on NASA housing projects, EA Sports Corporate office, Pepperdine University housing Landscape renovations, and for the cities of Santa Monica, Ventura County, San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, and Los Angeles. 

Carina has recently been assigned the job of certification and trainer for the RCDMM Bad Beetle Project identification program. This program is working with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation in helping identify the spread of the invasive shot hole boring beetles within our urban and wild forests. 

Carina worked as an account manager at Brightview which is one of the largest landscape companies in the USA. She also worked, at the corporate office, for one of the largest family-owned landscape company in California, Gothic Landscape. These two companies had Carina working on statewide projects as their Landscape Estimator and Designer.

Before staring up her own company, Carina worked with The Plant Connection and owner Marilyn Hencken. Marilyn was a female contractor and owner of the Plant Connection. Carina realized that although the landscape construction industry is mainly run by male owners, she too could become a female boss in the landscape industry.  She studied and certified herself with a California contractor's license and created her first company in 2014 named Walker Landscape. Carina then started her second company in 2019 named Tree Walkers LLC. She has her C-27, C-61/D-49 Licenses with the state of California and has applied them to her fully bonded and insured tree service company.  

While building her businesses, with her husband Lance Walker, Carina focused her knowledge of plant and tree care from scientific knowledge to aesthetic knowhow. She has also become an irrigation specialist through the years which helps to diagnose tree and plant issues with easy. 

Carina is happily married to Lance Walker and have two children. She devotes her time to family, education, and service to mother earth and the environment. 

Lance Walker is a Managing Partner who works with clients to help build and implement the best tree management plan for their home or business needs. Lance also is the safety coordinator and Arborist for the department making sure all aspects of tree work are done safe and performed at the highest ANSI Standards. 

Lance believes in quality of work and safely are the most important thing on a job site. When the crew is finished for the day, Lance will be the last one to leave the site, making sure all jobs and agreements have been completed. We know our job is our resume and believe that any job big or small, should be done right and to the client's standards.

Lance has worked at the LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens after graduating high school. He understands the importance and benefits that trees and landscapes have for the ecosystem. Lance also works for The City of Los Angeles which is the largest urban forest in the United States. He has learned how trees can benefit property value, reduce water consumption, and reduce energy costs for homes inside our urban forest. Currently, Lance is an Arborist, Tree Surgeon and Safety Officer for the Bureau of Street Services, Urban Forestry Division. 

Lance has also been involved during times of emergency within the LA/Ventura area.  He was personally recognized for his contribution in the assistance and emergency support from Mayor Eric Garcetti and Pierce College during the Woolsey Fire Emergency. Years after the fire, Lance has continued to assist homeowners and nonprofit organizations with rebuilding and tree reforestation from the damage caused by the Woolsey Fire. 

Lance volunteers his time on the weekends helping the Regional Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains RCDSMM. He assists in Oak Tree reforestation in Fire damaged areas. He is also a volunteer arborist on the Bad Beetle Project. Through constant observations and education within his field, Lance found the first case of Invasive Shot Hole Boring ISHB Beetle in the City of Agoura Hills that was reported to the County of Agricultural. 

Lance is a graduate from the North Hollywood Zoo Magnet program. He has his Associate of Arts degree from Pierce College and has a B. A. from Pepperdine University. After Graduating in 2002, Lance played professional volleyball around the world for eight seasons. He has lived in Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, and Puerto Rico. Lance was a member of the USA National Team for 4 years. He helped Team USA win a Bronze Medal in South Korea in the World University Games. 

After Retiring from professional sports, Lance returned home to teach for LAUSD and Pierce College. In 2018 Lance became the first person to win a State Championship at Pierce College as a player (2000) and coach. During this time Lance continued his education within the Arboricultural field certifying himself as an ISA Arborist.

Lance has furthered his education over the years had has added to his ISA Arborist certification. He is also certified as a Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) Arborist ,and has passed the Association of Consulting Arborists Academy (ASCA) in Sacramento 2020. 

With these qualifications, Lance has worked on special projects all over the LA County region. He was the lead Arborist for Motorola on the LA-RICS Project. Working with the Woolsey Fire Relief Project, and now helping LA County and RCDSMM with the ISHB Bad Beetle Project. 

Lance is happily married to Carina Walker who have two wonderful children. He is also a childhood Non-Hodgkins Cancer survivor at age 11. He devotes his time to family, education, and service to his community. Lance applies and lives to, morals that he has been taught by his family, and a promise of dedication to service as a Pepperdine University Alumni.     

ISA Certifications: Arborist & Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ)

Our Team has several decades of combined experience within their field of expertise. They are true masters of their craft and provide safe practices and quality on all projects. 

Tree Walkers employees ISA Arborists, Certified Tree Workers and is an equal opportunity company. We have some of the most diverse staff in the field and pride ourselves on family values and the families we hire.