Davey Tree Flipbooks

Children Branch Out at Ranch Camp Davey Ranch Camp Visit No. 2: Stumpy's Stampede 5k and 10k Trail Run For more than 60 years, JCC Ranch Camp visitors entering second to 11th grade have gathered to hike, bike, backpack, ride horses and explore Mother Nature each summer. This year was no different. However, camp staff decided to challenge campers and their parents with the first Stumpy's Stampede 5k and 10k Trail Run, sponsored by Davey. JCC Ranch Camp administration staff fittingly named Davey the "Big Tree Sponsor" at the event. Davey employees, eager for another day of volunteering at JCC Ranch Camp, set up a 25-foot kids' climb and "tree expert" table at the start/finish line of the trail run. Davey volunteers included John Bretsch, Vince Distrola, Andy Ferguson, Andy Freise, Jason Judd and Jeremy Lewis. To teach the kids proper climbing techniques, Davey volunteers first safely secured each participant in a harness and helmet before climbing. They used a single rope technique (SRT) to hoist the kids up the tree until they reached the "finish" bell 25 feet in the air. "The kids' climb was a lot of fun; more than 20 kids climbed, some of which climbed multiple times," Ferguson says. "We went an hour and half after the race was finished because the kids had such a great time." Staff was thrilled by the turnout, which included more than 80 runners and nearly 75 spectators. "It was the most fun we ever had working on a Sunday," Ferguson adds. "We would like to continue the relationship and keep doing educational classes and the kids' climb event in the future." After the event, JCC Ranch Camp published the following post on their Facebook page: "Thank you, Davey, for the best day ever and for your sponsorship of the Stumpy's Stampede. You have the nicest, most passionate and experienced staff, and you made so many kids (and adults!) smile, laugh and explore with your tree climbing at our trail run." Ferguson says it was a great event to give back to the community. Davey will happily continue their business relationship with JCC Ranch Camp and proceed to support and sponsor camp events in the future. 18 | November/December 2015 Davey Ranch Camp Visit No. 1: Educational Nature Walk Tree education is key. That is why Andy Ferguson, operations manager of the south central region, R/C services, and John Bretsch, district manager at the East Denver R/C office, visited JCC Ranch Camp in beautiful Elbert, Colorado, to teach campers the importance of trees. Ferguson and Bretsch led nearly 30 campers on a two-hour educational nature walk, which included valuable lessons about trees and the environment within the camp's expansive Black Forest. The children learned how to identify trees and their benefits throughout the camp- ground, which included identifying a grouping of black locusts in the camp's front meadow. Gina McReynolds, assistant director of JCC Ranch Camp, says, "Andy and John, the Davey staff, get to be earth super heroes in their daily jobs and were kind enough to make the commitment to come down and share their knowledge and expertise with us as well." JCC Ranch Camp, a Davey client, is a Jewish summer camp that was established in 1953 to provide 400 campers the "True Jewish Western Experience." Ferguson says it's important to continue Davey's relationship with JCC Ranch Camp and to inspire youth to know more about the environment in which they roam each summer. "By following through, showing up and spending the day at camp, Davey empowered our community to know more and care more about our natural surroundings," McReynolds says. Left: John Bretsch teaches campers how to identify trees. Andy Freise instructs a young camper how to climb the tree properly.

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