No Place For 65-Year-Old Tree Climbers?

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Don't count on writing; no money there!


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You mean to tell me the ISA isn't paying you handsomely for your "Detective Dendro" contributions?


I would have thought you'd be set for life off of the royalties.


SZ

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Yeah, you should see the bundle I picked for all those pictures.
 
Glad to hear all the responses out there (both good and bad) from the different tree workers.

I agree with a lot of them. Why should you have to retire when you reach a certain age? If you are physically able to climb and enjoy it, then do so. If you can’t climb any longer, but want to stay in this industry, you can advance your career by going back to school to learn the many different fields in arboriculture.

Hopefully the economy will turn around enough so that older workers have an opportunity to stay with a company longer without the fear of being let go. We are after all the original “Green Industry”, so you would think that in this green age that we are now living in, we could find enough positions for older workers?

I plan on climbing for as long as I can (I’m 42 years old), but if it ever gets to the point where I’m physically not able to, I plan on doing something that will still allow me to remain in tree care.
 
I'll be 60 next month. Started climbing when I was 18. My production climbing stopped the day my foot was crushed. In 7/5/07. Neuropathy from the injury makes it impossible to stand in the spurs. Even standing on the rungs of a ladder is unbearable. The majority of my work was removals using the spurs. So that's over.

Rope climbing is another thing, but there's not enough call for it to make a living on the coast. In the city I could, but I don't like living in the city.

Falling the occasional tree and cutting stumps brings in a few dollars, and my book and video sales are supplemental income. Think I'll take the early retirement.

A good friend lent me his land and trees to set up a ropes course just to keep me in shape. And it does that. I'm very fortunate in that respect because it lets me play around in the trees and tweak my climbing systems. And that's fun.

I can't see myself not ever climbing. To be in the canopy of a tree in the break between the green and the blue sky and look below to see birds fly under me is a feeling that can't be duplicated.
 
Don't worry Gerry, there will always be a place for you in the Tree Care industry. You are a valuable asset to everyone and we appreciate all that you've done.

I know that we're all looking forward to your next Rigging project dvd series and if you ever decide to write another book, we'll be standing there in line ready to purchase them!
 
Thanks for keeping the stoke alive for us younger climbers!

jp
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