Mark's Blog
April 2009
Trip #1: April 14 & 15
April was a month filled with travel. The first three trips that month were the closest to home,
with only a short hour-plus drive each way. I was teaching a two-day workshop for Penn State at
the Morris Arboretum with fellow climber/instructor Brian Noyes.
These types of classes are powerful vehicles to share a great range of information. I enjoy them
a lot because they are usually a relaxed format and allow me to mix indoor theory and jobsite
photos with climbing and rigging demos outside. That mix of background information and
interactive demonstrations seems to help create a solid learning experience for attendees.
Trip #2: April 16 & 17
No sooner was I finished with one trip than I was starting another. This time I was off to Virginia
Beach, home of STIHL Inc. This trip was one that I was looking forward to since I would be
helping with a volunteer day known as PLANET Day of Service and also working with my good
friend Robert Gallant and some friends from STIHL.
Our mission was to help reclaim a beautiful property that had become overgrown and make it
suitable for some lakeside activities. More specifically, I was there to remove some hazardous
trees with some other climbers and then allow for their safe cleanup by an army of motivated
volunteers.
We accomplished our goals under a warm and sunny day at the “Beach.” It felt great to be
asked to participate in such an event, especially with Earth Day in our sights.
Trip #3: April 18-25
The last trip of the month was to the
much more distant location of Augsburg,
Germany. I was on my way first to meet
with my friend Mark Bridge in
Switzerland. There we would meet up
with another arborist friend, Jelte
Buddingh, and together we would travel
by car to a trade show in Augsburg.
This was another great experience. It
was my first time meeting Mark’s family,
seeing Switzerland, the Black Forest,
and Germany, in general. That’s a lot of
firsts for one trip! The scenery was
amazing. Traveling by car really allows
you to get a better window into a new place.
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