Events: Mark Chisholm and STIHL

Many kids love to climb trees and, of course, some kids love it so much that they continue climbing trees into adulthood-even really tall ones-and become known around the world as one of the best in the field of arboriculture. One part acrobat, one part expert rope climber, one part tree physiologist, and several parts competitor and thrill seeker, Mark Chisholm is a new breed in the expanding world of tree climbing arborists.

For Chisholm, this is more than just his life's work; it's also a family affair. He's the third generation of Chisholm to work as an arborist-he works with his father Steve, mother Laura, and brother Steve for the family owned Aspen Tree Expert Company. He doesn't just have the physical strength and flexibility of an athlete required to elevate among the highest limbs in nature, though. He has acquired a vast knowledge of tree climbing wisdom. He knows the ropes, inside and out, about crane removals, aerial rescue, cabling and bracing, proper pruning techniques, and complex climbing and rigging techniques, not to mention tree physiology. He has even assisted the USDA in scouting out the spread of the insidious Asian long horned beetle throughout the Northeast.

Chisholm has won every International Society of Arboriculture New Jersey Chapter Tree Climbing Championship for the last 10 years. He has conquered the wider tree-climbing world on two occasions, most recently in 2001 when he won his second ISA International Tree Climbing Championship, besting more than 35 other competitors from more than 12 countries spanning the globe and literally inching out defending champ Bernd Stasser of Germany. The event consists of 6 events, one in which he broke his old ISA record, the 40-foot Footlock Rope Ascension when he posted a record breaking time of 11.37 seconds.

The competitive nature in Chisholm finds its release in an arena far away from chalkboards and text books - it's high in the trees where guys like him make their living working with incredible speed and agility at dizzying heights. Competitors come from all over the country - and world - to put their skills to the test, because when they're hundreds of feet in the air, it helps to keep sharp - and at the very top of their games - so to speak.

Another endeavor on which Chisholm has set his eyes is forming a stronger community within the arboriculture industry via the development of his web site treebuzz.com, with climber, innovator, friend, and fellow arborist, Tom Dunlap. Chisholm is very enthusiastic about the dynamic new web site that is designed to move and shake with this ever changing industry. By pooling common resources and contacts in arboriculture that Tom Dunlap and himself have accrued over the course of their successful careers, along with offering the most innovative technology and newest information, he hopes this tool will be just as valuable to tree professionals as their pruning saws, ropes and rigging.

Up in the trees, navigating the web, or educating and learning from tree experts, Mark Chisholm is the embodiment of the well rounded arborist who is as dedicated to the science as well as the competition, and the overarching community of tree climbers, arborists, and enthusiasts the world over.

His reputation of being a skilled technician, a knowledgeable arborist, and the fastest climber in the world - made him a perfect fit in his recent affiliation with STIHL-- the best selling chainsaw in the world.

Trees and Storms: A Recipe for Hazards by Mark Chisholm
Mark Chisholm's Web Site
International Society of Arboriculture
Tree Care Industry Association