Meet the Acorn team
Owner John Borgen • ISA Certified Arborist • # MW-5664A • Blue Helmet
I am the owner and operator of Acorn ArborCare, and I look forward to the opportunity to help care for your trees, shrubs, and entire wooded landscape.
My Background:
I earned an AAS in Parks & Natural Resources from Kirkwood Community College in 2000 and a BS in Wildlife Biology and Scientific & Technical Communication from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point in 2004.
I started doing arboricultural work in 2004 in Wisconsin at a great tree care company, Hamm's ArborCare, where I established the base of knowledge in tree care operations that has helped me get where I am today. I have been doing tree care work as a seasonal/part-time job along with other professional endeavors ever since. I have been working full-time as an arborist in the Iowa City area since my family and I moved back in 2012.
While living in Wisconsin (for 12 years) I worked for the WDNR State Natural Areas Crew, managing the most pristine and biodiverse lands in the state. I provided contract services to, and later worked for, the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands doing Timber Stand Improvement on state forest lands. I have also done many years of bird research, including Peregrine falcons, American Kestrels, and Common Loons for the WDNR, the USGS, and private researchers.
Will Hartman • Safety Coordinator • Orange Helmet
Will worked for a number of years in the lawn and landscape industry, before being bit by the tree bug in Madison, WI. Though he didn’t get any superpowers, Will honed his arboricultural chops at a company with a serious focus on safety and proper tree care methods, which gave him the strong base on which he’s built since joining the Acorn team in July of 2020. Will is also a licensed pesticide applicator, and enjoys zapping EAB and keeping other tree diseases at bay. Will’s hobbies include pronouncing words correctly, rake twirling, and referring to himself in the third person. Will is now the company safety coordinator. Will has a Bachelors of Arts degree in English and a Masters degree in Linguistics, both earned at the University of Iowa.
Cybin Nelson • Yellow Helmet
Cyborg the Acorn ArborBot is an undercover spy for the deep state. He's married to the game and has two children, death and taxes. When he's not swinging from the trees with a chainsaw, Cyborg likes long brush drags on the beach and staying up late just listening to the sounds of the chipper. His dedication to serration has earned him the nickname Edward Handsawhands. As Acorn's head of maintenance, if there's a (mechanical) problem, yo he'll solve it. Check out the axel while the drive shaft revolves it.
Cyrus Andrews • ISA Certified IW-0053A • White Helmet
Cyrus is an arborist because it allows him to find adventure in your backyard. He frequently finds tree pruning aesthetically and physically enjoyable. From Johnston, Iowa, he graduated with a religion major from Colorado College. After three seasons working in Glacier National Park, Cyrus studied Geography and Sustainability Sciences at the University of Iowa. He has been doing tree work for five years, in Des Moines and Iowa City. ISA certified in 2020, he likes basswoods and hackberries, as well as oaks and hickories. Residing in Washington, Iowa with his angelic wife and two daughters, he works slowly at renovating an old family farmhouse in Van Buren County.