Fernridge Park in West Hartford was host to the Connecticut Tree Climbing Competition on Saturday.
“My favorite event is the work climb,” said Bear Levangie, an arborist from Massachusetts who has won the women’s division of the competition three years in a row. “It’s an obstacle course. You start at the top of the tree and you finish when you’re landed on the ground and you unclip. The fastest time and the most points wins.”
The event is sponsored by the Connecticut Tree Protective Association. The CTPA has been around since 1922 and their mission is to advance the care of trees in Connecticut. The competition is not only a sporting event, but a a safety education event.
The winners, one man and one woman, will be invited to participate in the New England International Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA) competition that will be held on May 18 at Goddard Park in Warwick, R.I.