Up in the trees; Passionate about tree-climbing

Arborists say this is a sport that involves a great deal of skill

It may be a job for some, but to many members of the International Society of Arborists, tree climbing is a passion. It's those who are most enthusiastic about it who gathered on the grounds of Old Government House on Friday, Sept. 8, to take part in the Atlantic Tree Climbing Championship.

Among the 12 participants showing off their skills was Keanen Jewett, Class of 2000. The arborist with the City of Fredericton has been climbing for seven years and, on Friday afternoon, he became the Atlantic tree climbing champion. That means he will be heading to Hawaii in 2007 to take part in the International Tree Climbing Championships. "I took landscape horticulture and (aboraculture) is one of the programs they offered," he explains. "I got hooked from there." Jewett is quick to add that, "the tree competition is more of a sport than your actual job." He enjoys the competition because it gives him a chance to get together with aborists from all over Atlantic Canada. "There is quite a bit of skill (involved)," he says of tree climbing. "You really don't want to be hanging from 80 feet not knowing your knots." He admits the work he does is unique, but it's something he really enjoys. "It's a job where you can get exercise and have a lot of fun. We all climbed trees as a kid and this way you just get to keep on doing it." He says he climbed trees all the time when he was growing up, but that's a little different than what he's doing now. "They probably weren't this big."

Steve Monroe, Class of 2000, another arborist with the city, has been climbing trees for five or six years. "I like to be physical, to be outdoors. The job keeps you active, too. It's a way to keep the pounds off." He does a little bit of climbing when he's not working, he says, but tends to focus on other hobbies. "I've always been interested in the landscaping industry," says Monroe. "Eventually I went to the agricultural college in Nova Scotia. They had an aboraculture course there as part of the curriculum." Monroe worked for awhile in the US. for a company that only did tree work, so he got lots of experience. "It's fun," he says of his job. He notes that the competition is a bit different. "Because you're competing for time. You're doing things and jumping out of your comfort zone a little more, trying to beat the clock." He believes climbing trees at this level is something anyone can learn to do, though it helps to be comfortable with heights. "I have a bit of a fear of heights, or I used to. Not so much now. Once you get used to the climbing and moving around, when you do it every day, it's not so bad." Safety is a key component of his job, which adds to his comfort level. "You've got to know how your knots work and trust them. That's the big thing. If you can't trust your knots and ropes and stuff, you're not going to be a very effective climber."

Another of the competitors, Neil Trebble, Class of 1994,is also an aborist with the city. He's been climbing for about 10 years. Trebble originally got into it, he says, because he saw a pamphlet for Nova Scotia Agricultural College with a picture of a guy up in a tree. "I always liked working outdoors and I thought, 'Well there, that's something for me.' " He enjoyed climbing trees as a kid, but his real interest came when he went to college. "I just loved it - I still do," he says. "There is something always different in every tree and really I get a thrill working with a bunch of people that do something really different." During the contest, participants always have their eye on the clock, so they tend to rush through things. "In the real world, you never rush a tree," notes Trebble. "It's not for everyone, but I really enjoy it," he says of climbing trees.

Competitor Danny LeBlanc, Class of 1987, now lives and works in Moncton, but he worked in Fredericton for about six years. He's been climbing trees for almost 20 years and he's been the Atlantic tree climbing champion nine times. "I do love it. You get a sense of accomplishment. "You can see the effects of your work almost immediately after you're done, depending on what you're doing. It's pretty gratifying." He wasn't really a kid who climbed trees, instead discovering the field while at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. "It was a professor there who thought I'd make a better arborist than landscape designer," he says. When he first started, he had his doubts. "Because everybody has a comfort zone with heights. I didn't have to go very far in a tree before I definitely felt uncomfortable." He stuck with it, though, and his comfort zone expanded. "You don't just have to know how to climb. To be able to do the work and do it properly, you have to understand what you're working with," he says. "That means understanding the tree biology, physiology, the impact of what you do and what it actually does to the tree."

Photo Caption: Andrew Hayes, Class of 2002, 2004 working for Davey Tree Care in Victoria

© 2006 The Daily Gleaner Fredericton
The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton) Saturday, September 16, 2006 Page: E6 Section: Life Byline: By LORI GALLAGHER lgallagh@dailygleaner.com