Month: August 2016

A Talk in the Trees with…Stef White

Up this week is the very talented Stef White.  Stef is one of the nicest people you’ll meet and one of a only few female arborists in NZ.  Originally from Hamilton, Stef is based in Queenstown as a Foreperson for Asplundh.  Surfer, Soccer Player, Tree Climber and lover of laughs and silly things…we give you Stef White.

1. I became an Arborist because…
My arms are longer than my legs.  Or maybe that’s a result of being an arborist!

2. My favourite tree is…
Never ask a person over 18 to have a favourite because it always depends…but big trees.  ‘Quercus rubra’ (Red Oak) are pretty cool, strong and have amazing Autumnal colours.  Next small favourite is a ‘Michelia doltsopa’ (Magnolia) – real cool fluffy buds and deep green leaves.

3. I won’t leave home without…
My glasses – you only get one set of eyes!  Clogger Zero’s, Pulley Saver, water and food.  No-one likes a ‘hangry’ worker!

4. The perfect day at work would include…
Suns out, loads of laughs, crown reducing a medium to large Oak tree…and when you get down all the brush is tidied up.  Then off to the beach for a surf and a BBQ.

5. The worst part of my job is...
Working in the rain, getting wet underwear and then standing in dog poo.

6. The best slice of wisdom I can pass on is...
Enthusiasm.  Even when the job sucks it makes it go faster.

7. If I could hang out in a tree with one person (past/present/living/dead), it would be…
That’s a tricky one.  So many cool tree friends to share a laugh and a swing but it would have to be my tree hero, Chrissy Spence: 4 x World Champion and better than most of the boys, fellow Clogger pant wearer and all-round awesome chick.  Why?  Because it’s always a laugh and she always challenges me and I always learn something new.  Gangbusters!

8. The one tree I’d like to climb is…
The first Copper Beach I climbed when first started working in Cambridge, NZ.  It had a steel brace running through the middle of it, standing 20 metres high and just as wide.  Graves underneath and not to drop anything on them, new rope, new prussic…I’m sure it would be much more enjoyable if I went back.

9. If I wasn’t an arborist I’d be a…
Builder

10. True Tale or Tall Tale? Once upon a time I…
…was working in a remote part of the Waikato and was busting for a pee.  So I found what I thought was a nice quite part of the site.  When I was done, I turned around to a whole herd of cows just by the fence!

A Talk in the Trees with…Chrissy Spence

This week the ‘talk in the trees’ series catches up with the reigning World Tree Climbing Champion, Chrissy Spence.  Chrissy claimed the 2016 title with a stunning climb in San Antonio, Texas, in April of this year.  A four time World Champion, Chrissy also held the title in 2005, 2007 and 2011.

1. I became an arborist because...
I suffer from ADHD. And this is a good way to control it.

2. My favourite tree is…
A mature Oak tree.

3. I won’t leave home without…
Car keys.

4. The perfect day at work would include…
Getting a cuppa tea and home made cookies for morning tea.

5. The worst part of my job is...
Having the customer tell me how to do my job!

6. The best slice of wisdom I can pass on is...
Listen to your gut instinct, most of the time its right.

7. If I could hang out in a tree with one person (past/present/living/dead), it would be…
This is a hard one. I have been lucky enough to go climbing with lots of cool people.

8. The one tree I’d like to climb is…
The big trees in the west coast of America

9. If I wasn’t an arborist I’d be a…
Jet boat driver.

10. True Tale or Tall Tale? Once upon a time I…
One day at work, I was on stop go duties. My 2 work mates were just cutting a small tree down on the side of the road and chipping everything. One of them had relieved himself at the front of the chipper where nobody could see him, which had left a puddle under the engine. Then he went back to the Foreman who was cutting trees down and tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the puddle under the engine.  Because the engine had been running full for an hour and was still running loudly the Foreman went racing over to the chipper, went down on his knees and put his hand in the puddle to identify what liquid it could be that the chipper was losing. After a few sniffs he jumped up turned round to his work mate who was laughing hard out and in his anger the Foreman tried to tackle the worker to the ground…but he was way bigger.