2020 Webinars


Continuing the Rendezvous tradition of great presentations, we were very fortunate to have a lineup of many incredible speakers and topics for the 2020 cloud-based Tree Climbers Rendezvous. Each presenter offered a unique glimpse into various aspects of tree climbing. We thank each of the presenters and the organizations behind them:

Normer AdamsCat Man Do Rescue
Eric FolmerTreeWolf
Nick ArayaTree Care LA
James ReedTree Monkey Project
Joyce Yousun Kim and SeeSaw StaffSeeSaw
Lawrence SchultzThe Schultz Effect
Dan HouseDan House Rope Sleeves and Tree Climbing Kansas City
Gina KentARCI
Jon Colburn and Gainesville Circus CenterNyssa Ecological, Inc. and Gainesville Circus Center (GCC)

Normer Adams, AKA – Cat Man Do Rescue 

Normer Adams began recreational tree climbing six years ago after retiring as a state lobbyist for child welfare agencies. He was an active member of the Atlanta Tree Climbing Club serving briefly as the Vice President and President of the Club.  Three and one half years ago he was introduced to cat in tree rescues by Peter Jenkins.  This became an obsession for him.  It gave him a reason to climb besides “just for the fun of it.”  Since rescuing  cats and other entities in trees, he has done more than 330 rescues.  Averaging one a day in 2020, he probably does more in tree rescues than anyone in Georgia.  He charges no fees for his services and directs those who want to give to charities that he supports.   

He feels his greatest accomplishment in cat rescues is that every rescue attempt has ended in success.  No cat has been hurt or killed.  He studies the best techniques, invests in the best equipment and is cautious and patient in his attempts.   He videos most of his rescues.  He has over two hundred videos on social media, aiming for a primary audience of recreational tree climbers. 

His videos can be found on his YouTube channel.
You can follow CatManDoRescue on his Facebook page.


Eric Folmer

Eric Folmer, aka Tree Wolf, is the brain-child for this and past Tree Climbers Rendezvous events. His initial concept of conducting a virtual vous at different times to reach a worldwide audience is the inspiration for this year’s Virtual Vous. His wealth of knowledge and breadth of experience makes Eric a true climbing legend.


Nick Araya

Nick Araya is best known for his groundbreaking training and instructional programs. He owns and operates TreeCareLA, a successful tree care business. His first-hand knowledge and experience with climbing methods and climbing tools is unsurpassed. Nick’s popularity is do to his infectious smile, combined with his witty and informative seminars, serving both professional and recreational climbers. His ongoing contributions are highly coveted and well documented. We’re honored to have Nick as a presenter at this year’s Vous.


James Reed

Climbing with Orangutans

James Reed takes tree climbing to entirely new heights (no pun intended). His applied use and tree climbing training methods within the scientific community literally saves lives and our environment. James has addressed different kinds of awareness-raising issues, whether it be helping to save displaced and orphaned orangutans in a wilderness ravaged by palm oil production, or by installing remote sensors in trees to monitor wildlife and to mitigate poaching and deforestation.


Seesaw

Using Arboriculture knowledge, we protect and manage the health of trees in the city. Using rope techniques, we connect people with nature and create an urban life culture that enjoys forests. We create a playground with ropes in urban forests and explore the world above trees, guided by an arborist who is an expert in tree management. Through activities such as pop-up playgrounds and tree climbing, we hope that forests will be located in the lives of urbanites by becoming close to nature and spreading a culture that prohibits reckless pruning of trees.

Joyce Yousun Kim

I came across tree climing through Seesaw in 2017, and this experience was so thrilling that it affected my career change. Two years from 2018 to 19 earned the GOTC qualification through the Bill Byrne. In Korea, where tree climbing is not yet well known, I am trying to connect more people with nature through recreational tree climbing with Seesaw. For the development of tree management in Korea, Eric Folmer was invited to hold a conference to promote Visual Tree Assessment workshop in Korea in 2019, and I was invited as a rendezvous host . Thanks Eric for the invitation! I am excited to meet many people who love nature.


Lawrence Schultz

Lawrence Schultz is a tree climber’s tree climber, by way of The Schultz Effect. At first glance, Lawrence moves through a tree like the Na’vi on the planet of Pandora.

“I am but a mere Arborist who loves to climb. I just happen to use video as a creative outlet. I am happy to share any information you think is pertinent to the audience. I am also happy to help any other way I can. “


Dan House

Dan House is the inventor of the Dan House Rope Sleeve. His innovations and contributions to the tree climbing community and the arboricultural industry are renowned. Dan remains committed to helping others and his Webinar about working with special needs clients is a testament to his kind and loving nature.


Gina Kent

Gina Kent, Senior Conservation Scientist, has worked for the Avian Research and Conservation Institute in Florida, USA for over 20 years.  Whether conducting bird surveys from small planes, boating around the Florida Keys, or climbing up 100-foot tall trees, Gina has worked with many specialty birds including Swallow-tailed Kites, Short-tailed Hawks, Snail Kites, Reddish Egrets, White-crowned Pigeons, Magnificent Frigatebirds and others.  She grew up in Wisconsin and went to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  Upon graduation she took tech positions on birds, herps, small mammals, and invasive plants from New Mexico to New York and Missouri to Australia. She received her Masters at Georgia Southern University on the stopover ecology, habitat associations, and parasites of Swallow-tailed Kites.  She now works as ARCI’s Senior Conservation Scientist.


Jon Colburn (Arborist) & Gainesville Circus Center

Jon, Lynn, and Corey join forces to explain a sustainable way to create a ground accessible single point tree branch connection to be used with circus apparatus such as silks, lyras, and dancing trapeze.  They are excited to share the use of equipment from the arboreal world with the aerial arts. And the aerial arts are excited to share some of their beautiful dancing using a beautiful majestic live oak.

​Aerialist Lynn Polke’s credits include the Ringling Brothers Circus, Disneyland, film and television. Her adventures include touring with Justin Bieber and presenting her act, “Madame Flambeau’s Flea Circus” at the Coney Island Sideshow Museum in New York. ​

“I am grateful for the opportunity to motivate others, help them find their muse and shine their light on the world leaving beauty in their wake and light on the path to peace.”


Dr. Corey Cheval is the founder and director of the Gainesville Circus Center (GCC). Corey specializes in aerial silks and trapeze. She teaches and performs a variety of dance & cirque styles including samba, equestrian vaulting, stilting and partner acrobatics.


Jonathan Colburn, M.Sc., founder, and CEO of Nyssa Ecological, Inc.(NEI), is certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), and additionally holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.   NEI is a precision consulting and climbing arboriculture firm in Gainesville, Florida. NEI also provides related ecological services, including invasive plant control in large natural areas, chainsaw milling of large logs into live edge slabs, and technical rope access for wildlife projects. Jonathan previously worked in renewable energy consulting, ecological data science, and invasive plant control prior to founding NEI in July of 2013.


Brian L. Fisher

Brian is a very energetic and adventurous researcher and a tree climber.   Some of us climbers have been lucky join him and a group of graduate students for canopy research. Brian’s studies and researches canopy dwelling ants in Madagascar.