Hi everyone.

I am a professional tree climbing/canopy access trainer and work in conservation tech. I've climbed or trained climbers in several countries to deploy arboreal equipment or take samples. I've recently been asked where researchers can find climbing training courses or resources about canopy access. The short answer is that there are very little of either.

My colleagues in the professional climbing industry and I have discussed creating resource where interested researchers cold ask questions, get advice, or search for qualified trainers. We don't yet know what this resource would look like. I'm here on WildLabs to do some research.

If you are interested in canopy access:

What are you biggest hurdles to finding information on how to climb?
Where do you currently go for information?
Are you most interested being trained to do your own research or employ a professional to assist your research?
What kind of resource would serve you best? For example, would a discussion form serve or would you be more interested in contacting a professional climber directly?
Any other question you can think of!

If you are a climber:

What did you find difficult about learning to climb?
What information or resource do you wish you had before you learned to climb?
What do you wish you had known before you went out and climbed trees?
Anything else you can think of!

Lastly, I encourage anyone who wants to do canopy research to get training from a tree climbing professional. Climbing has risks, and proper training is the best way to mitigate those risks. Arboreal research has given us some amazing insights about forests and I want to help keep that research moving safely ahead!

Thanks everyone

Dominique Potvin

@dpotvin

Behavioral ecologist, ornithologist and evolutionary biologist interested in the proximate and ultimate sources of selection on bird song, as well as the impact of humans on animal behaviour and genetics.

25 September 2024 11:30pm

Hi Anne,

This would be great. I can answer a few of your questions:

Finding out how to climb is not difficult for me, there are tree-climbing specialists and training schools throughout my state in Australia. What I found difficult is finding out what level I need, or type of training etc in order to be covered under my institution's insurance or for risk assessment purposes.
Online search mostly.
I have achieved a certificate in tree climbing!
I think that asking directly would be really helpful, because it seems like there are a lot of different, really targeted questions that might be asked/needed answered.
My other questions are where to source equipment, because that seems to be another big hurdle, and knowing what equipment is best at different budgets...

I'm answering both sets of questions because even though I attended training and got certified, I haven't used it in my research yet.

I'm kind of scared of heights, so.... Also remembering knots.
As mentioned previously, more about what the minimum needs would be for different circumstances, e.g. do I need rescue training?
Where to get the best equipment for the money that I have.

Thanks and good luck with your research!

Mark CASHMORE

@Mark_ProofSafe

Developing digital tools for data collection & environmental research, background in arboriculture and environmental management. www.proofsafe.com.au www.treetec.net.au

27 September 2024 1:35am

Hi All

Thanks, this is a really interesting issue. We've also been involved in canopy access research and climber training for a long time. There is certainly a need in the environmental space and enthusiastic researches who want to climb however we've found the most difficult issue relates to building and maintaining currency.

An arborist learns the basics in a few days, then is usually allocated easier climbs on broader job sites, then over months and years they work up to complex jobs, (also regularly practicing aerial rescues) they then maintain skills and currency through ongoing climbing 4 or 5 days a week.

However for an ecological researcher - how do they get that gradual, supervised experience with good climbers when usually they have a specific, limited project where they need all the skills from day 1 and after completion may not climb again for weeks or months.

Equipment: We put together a very specific equipment list for our students which aimed to minimise the potential for mistakes, this has worked well but of course doesn't fit all contexts and doesn't suit those would be climbers who have been dabbling and purchasing bits of random gear that don't fit a constrained system.

Course design: Courses can be designed to allow students access to the trunk only without limb walking or complex techniques required, this is a great start and suits nest boxes, some cavities, a lot of camera trapping but it certainly leaves gaps.

However the problem remains - how does a climber (on a limited budget) after a 3 or 5 day course ensure they can operate safely, identify issues early, undertake a rescue with all the requisite muscle memory and composure at height?

Anne Dangerfield

27 September 2024 1:35am

Hi Mark, thanks for responding. I think you've identified one of the most difficult parts of research climbing: maintaining your climbing skills and knowledge between field sessions.

My husband is an experienced arborist and practices his skills almost daily. I am not an arborist, so I schedule climbing time to keep my abilities fresh and my husband is there to assist. But I know it's difficult for individual researchers to practice on their own and they should only be climbing alone if experienced and not in a remote area.

However, it's possible to train researchers to safely climb in the field for multiple field sessions. My husband and I trained a group of climbers in Cameroon in January, 2024. The goal was to train four climbers who would go into the remote rainforest for several weeks and set up camera traps. They would deploy and retrieve arboreal cameras at different survey locations over two years. We needed to train the teams to operate safely and independently (without an instructor present) in very remote areas.

To train them sufficiently, my husband and I spent 1 month in Cameroon with the field team. We did a few days of basic training at a location near the city and then went with them on their initial camera deployment where we continued field training for 2.5 - 3 weeks. Before going to Cameroon, we had several discussions to determine what climbing method and equipment would best meet their data collection goals and were appropriate for their field site and conditions. We taught them basic rescue scenarios. We also set a climbing practice schedule for the team to maintain their climbing and rescue skills. We strongly emphasized to their management that the field team needed access to the climbing gear and needed to follow the practice schedule. Since the training, the team successfully finished two other camera trap surveys and is planning their third.

This was a lot of up-front training and cost. However, these climbers are now operating on their own and can continue operating for the foreseeable future. I think a big reason is receiving extensive training, tailored to their needs. General tree-climbing courses are great for learning the basics, but they'll never be a substitute for in-field, tailored training.

John Simeone

@JSimeone

I run a small consulting company, Simeone Consulting, LLC, that provides research, data-driven analysis, technical expertise, and writing related to the production, consumption, and international trade of natural resources.

4 October 2024 10:04pm

Hi all! Folks may be interested in the Cornell Tree Climbing program that is a part of Cornell Outdoor Education. Not only does Cornell offer training, and have a bunch of online resources, but they have also facilitated groups of scientists to collect canopy samples and data.

Cornell Tree Climbing | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University

CTC promotes safe and environmentally responsible tree climbing techniques for

Student & Campus Life | Cornell University

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