26
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
|
November/December 2017
HELPING OTHERS SOAR
There are not many people outside of
our industry who know what climbing
trees is like. When you're at the top
of a tree, you see the world anew and
know that you conquered another
challenge. Often, you also catch a
glimpse of a scurrying critter or
majestic bird. Occasionally, you get
to help them.
That's what Keith Bennett, sales
representative, Davey Tree Expert Co.
of Canada, Limited, along with Graham
Smith, foreman, and BJ Veld, foreman,
did this year. They helped relocate an
eagle's nest so that site construction
could continue. Although the nest only
moved to a tree about 500 feet away,
it took months of planning to make
this happen.
"We needed everyone, from the
biologist we worked with to our crew,
to be on the same page. You also need
to consider timing and move the nest
at a time that's best for the birds,"
Bennett said.
After months of preparation, the job
went smoothly and was finished
in a couple of hours. They cut away
branches to clear a path for removal,
then from the bucket of the crane
they carefully moved the nest.
"Eagle nests are much bigger than
people think. This one was about 6
feet in diameter, and eagles attach
these to trees pretty well. We had to
figure out the best way to move this
huge nest while doing as little damage
as possible to it," Bennett said.
Using the right tools and concentration,
the team did it. "The eagles were
around the entire time we were
moving it. You could hear them making
a lot of noise and voicing their
frustration," Bennett said.
Meanwhile, the Department of
National Defense, the client, was very
pleased with how the project went.
Before long, it appeared the eagles
were singing the crew's praises as
well. The next day, they were in their
relocated nest, patching it up and
making it home.
Top left: On a cold day in February, a
Davey team in Canada helped relocate
an eagle's nest.
Top center: Here, the crew has the eagle's
nest in the crane and is ready to make the
big move.
Top right: Look at how large and closely
attached this eagle's nest was to the tree.
Below: The nest moved to a nearby tree
about 500 feet away.
