Davey Tree Flipbooks

18 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | July/August 2024 MID-ATLANTIC From left at the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Tree Climbing Championship held at Crofton Country Club in Crofton, Maryland are competitors Codie Martin, foreman, Richmond office; Sarah Hood-Recant, foreman, Richmond office; and event-supporter Tony Hamel, sales and service coordinator, Richmond office. Not pictured are competitors Preston Brunner, trimmer, North Viriginia East office; Eliza Hayslett, trimmer, Alexandria office; Welvin Osorio, sales arborist, North Virginia West office; Jason Pauley, arborist skills trainer, Davey Institute; and Jose Reyes, trimmer, North Virginia West office. For the women, Hayslett placed third in Work Climb; and Hood-Recant placed second in Aerial Rescue, Belayed Speed Climb, Throwline, and Work Climb, first in Ascent, second overall, and won the women's Masters' Challenge. "Learning about different people's journeys and experiences in the world of tree climbing was my favorite part of the competition. Whether you're a newer climber or a seasoned veteran, it's such an amazing experience," Hood-Recant said. "As a female climber, I encourage more females to compete. It would be awesome to have more women in the ring. It may be a competition, but it's also a celebration of our shared love of arboriculture." PACIFIC NORTHWEST Jason Mayorga, arborist skills trainer, Davey Institute, is pictured making his way to the training dummy in the Aerial Rescue event. Mayorga and Annamaria Cervantes, trimmer, Portland, Oregon office, competed in the Southern Oregon Regional Tree Climbing Competition at Palmerton Arboretum in Rogue River, Oregon. They also competed in the Boise Tree Climbing Competition at Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park in Boise, Idaho, and the Portland Tree Climbing Competition at Laurelhurst Park in Portland, Oregon. For Southern Oregon Regional men, Mayorga placed first overall as well as in Ascent and Work Climb and placed third in the men's Masters' Challenge. For women, Cervantes placed first overall as well as in Aerial Rescue, Ascent, Belayed Speed Climb, Throwline and Work Climb. For Boise men, Mayorga placed first in Ascent. For women, Cervantes placed second in Aerial Rescue, and third in Ascent, Belayed Speed Climb, Throwline, Work Climb, and overall. For Portland men, Mayorga placed first in Ascent and second in Belayed Speed Climb. "My favorite thing about competitions would be the people I've met and become friends with. It's mostly a community of the same people attending, from volunteers, spectators, and competitors," Mayorga said. "I always look forward to seeing my people, or 'treeple' as some of us refer to each other. If you're thinking about competing, do it. I know it can be intimidating to think about, but it's totally worth it." The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Climbing Championships highlighted include the Illinois, Mid-Atlantic, Minnesota, Ohio, Pacific Northwest, Penn-Del, and Texas Chapter competitions Davey has been involved with so far in 2024. Keep an eye out for coverage of upcoming events in a future Bulletin issue. We are highlighting 34 climbers from Davey! ISA TREE CLIMBING CHAMPIONSHIPS LEADERSHIP ILLINOIS In the front row, pictured from left are Daniel Sancen Martinez, foreman, Lake Bluff office; Luis Hernandez, trimmer, Lake Bluff office; Aaron Morit, trimmer, Chicago office; Dana Brelowski, trimmer, Naperville office; and Ryan Sams, trimmer, Chicago office; and in the back row, pictured from left is Libby Bower, tree care coordinator, Barrington office; and Sam Sapyta, trimmer, Lake Bluff office; who, along with Edward Fermoso (not pictured), trimmer, Chicago office, competed in the Illinois Tree Climbing Championship held at St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville, Illinois. Morit is pictured holding the ComEd Corporate Cup Tree Climbing Award on behalf of the group. Davey won the award for total points accumulated by individuals competinng from one corporate team. For the women, Bower placed second in Throwline, first in Aerial Rescue, Ascent, Belayed Speed Climb, and Work Climb, first overall in the Masters' Challenge; and Brelowski placed second in Belayed Speed Climb and Work Climb. For the men, Sams placed third in Work Climb, and first in Ascent. "I had a ton of fun at the event," Bower said. "It's been wonderful to watch the growth of so many climbers throughout the region and each year, it keeps getting better. I've gotten to work with some amazing people along the way and hope to continue that work in years to come."

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