COUNTDOWN TO THE RENDEZVOUS!
DATES: Starts Thursday, September 25; ends after breakfast on Monday, September 29th.
LOCATION: Simpsonwood Conference Center in Norcross, Georgia, about 45 minutes northwest of Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson Airport.
Climbers are gearing up for the 7th Annual Tree Climbing Rendezvous! In just about 4 weeks, we’ll be having the time of our lives climbing, playing, and sleeping in the treetops, and learning together in some great workshops. It’s truly going to be an unforgettable event!
Here are some recent updates in ‘Vous-related activity:
- To date ninety people have registered, and many more have promised to sign up. What a great opportunity to meet and climb with so many new folks!
- A second team went to Simpsonwood (site of the Rendezvous) in late July, this time to scout along the river for additional climbable trees. We found lots of nice trees, but the best was actually in the woods. It’s a 48-52″ DBH pine with gorgeous branch structure, about 130 feet tall with a good view of the river. Along with many beautiful oaks, beech, poplars and hickory trees, there will be no shortage of great climbing trees.
- The “Tree Golf Competition,” being organized by Tree Tramp, is coming along great. We’ve located a good area for it, and we are even receiving donations of prizes from various companies, including Petzl (a Sequoia saddle and Elios helmet), AllGear, and New Tribe.
If you haven’t registered yet and need just a little more inspiration to push you over the edge, here is “Canopymeg” Lowman’s description of the keynote lecture she will give on Saturday night, “Life in the Treetops – Exploration of the World’s Forests”:
“What have we learned from the treetops? And why are forest canopies important to every citizen in the world? Globally, forests are one of the most mysterious, complex and exciting areas of exploration and research. Like SCUBA gear was to coral reef research in the 1950s, single rope techniques facilitated the first studies of the treetops in the 1970s. Since then, canopy biologists have creatively expanded their took kit to include walkways, hot air balloons, cherry pickers, scaffolds, towers, and even construction cranes. With these innovative methods to access tall trees, scientists have discovered that the canopy is home to almost half of the world’s biodiversity, and that the treetops is an important global machine affecting our climate, health, and atmosphere. In short, the canopy “rocks”!
As a veteran with thirty years’ investigation of forest canopies, I will share some of my favorite forests, methods, and adventures and also discuss future challenges for forest conservation. My family has lived and worked in the trees, and hopefully our stories will inspire conservation and education outreach for scientists and citizens alike. The talk will be followed by a book-signing of my new book, It’s a Jungle Up There, co-authored with my children, that aims to inspire a family conservation ethic for any readers who love trees.” [Copies will be available for purchase–psj]
Dr. Lowman’s presentation, along with evening talks by Robert Fulghum and John Gathright, would be worth coming to Atlanta for–even if you weren’t a tree climber!