Students in Rick Abrahamson’s arboriculture class at the University of Minnesota Crookston climbed to new heights this week.
A visit by experts Liam McClannahan from Branch and Bough Tree Service, St. Paul, Minn., and Chad Giblin from forestry resources at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities led students during an introduction to tree climbing. Between the two, there are some 30 years of experience as tree specialists.
Prior to the lab, students in the class including Devin Brown, Zoe Everett, Tou Yang, and Quinn Bauer, conducted a risk assessment of several ash trees on campus under the guidance of Abrahamson, a lecturer in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department. McClannahan and Giblin spent part of their visit reviewing and evaluating the students’ assessment of the ash trees as part of the lab.
The common thread running among the students was a love of nature. For Bauer, a senior majoring in ecological restoration, a passion for trees comes from growing up among them in his hometown of Mondovi, Wis., while for Everett, a Post-secondary Enrollment Option student from Crookston, Minn., the class is one that simply piqued her interest.
Brown, an agricultural aviation major and senior from Festus, Mo., has planted hundreds of trees on his own and as part of planting shelterbelts, and Yang a senior from Spring Lake Park, Minn., wanted the experience as a major in natural resources.
Along with climbing, the introduction to arboriculture students learned about basic pruning techniques, tree rot assessment, and important safety measures for climbing.
About UMN Crookston
One of five campuses in the University of Minnesota System, the University of Minnesota Crookston cultivates curiosity by engaging students in hands-on learning connecting theory to practice. As the experienced leader in delivering education online, the Crookston campus offers a distinctive learning environment providing personal attention and mentorship to develop leaders, lifelong learners, and engaged citizens. Visit Crookston at c.umn.edu
About UMN
The University of Minnesota System, with campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester, and the Twin Cities, is driven by a singular vision of excellence. We are proud of our land-grant mission of world-class education, groundbreaking research, and community-engaged outreach, and we are unified in our drive to serve Minnesota. Learn more at system.umn.edu
In the photo, left to right, are Chad Giblin, Zoe Everett, Devin Brown, Quinn Bauer, and Tou Yang, and Liam McClannahan.
