A tree whisperer: Chesterfield 16-year-old becomes youngest certified arborist in state

Being home-schooled for much of her secondary school career gives Priya McSweeney some measure of choice over how she spends her time.

Still, that alone doesn’t fully account for the 16-year-old’s expertise in the field of arboriculture, which she showed last month by passing the Massachusetts Certified Arborist examination, becoming the youngest certified arborist in the state.