We’re very lucky to talk with Jamilee Kempton this week. Jamilee runs her own company (Jamilee’s Trees LLC) and studies business full time at the University of Hawaii. Somehow, there’s still time to be a champion climber (2015 ITCC Champion) and be nice enough to let us ask the ‘tree talk’ questions. Thank-you Jamilee.
1. I became an Arborist because…
I love the physical challenge. When I found out I could get paid to climb trees, I was sold!
2. My favourite tree is…
A mature Monkeypod Tree (Albizia saman). The Canopy spread is typically twice the height, to work the entire tree you need several redirects.
3. I can’t leave home without…
…first having a cup of coffee!
4. The perfect day at work would include…
A large Monkeypod Tree, light pruning, overlooking the ocean above the Honolulu area, the trade winds are blowing, my two dogs are chilling out on the jobsite…and we leave the debris onsite.
5. The worst part of my job is...
Sun exposure.
6. The best slice of wisdom I can pass on is...
Work hard and learn as much as you can from others.
7. If I could hang out in a tree with one person (past/present/living/dead), it would be…
My sister Thea. She is an amazing girl and I don’t get to see here nearly enough. We were little kids the last time we climbed a tree together.
8. The one tree I’d like to climb is…
California Redwood.
9. If I wasn’t an arborist I’d be a…
Wildland firefighter or commercial fisher-women.
10. True Tale or Tall Tale? Once upon a time…
…a co-worker and I were hiking deep in Kahana Valley on Ohau to collect seeds from endemic Hawaiian palms for conservation efforts. We approached a very steep and muddy slope, hauling our gear, rope, and poles was getting a bit difficult. I went ahead and and my co-worker thought it would be a good idea to throw the pole up slope and then proceed to hike up. Well…it was a bad idea. After the first throw the pole flew back down slope and hit him square on the nose! He cursed super loud and had a bloody face the rest of the time. We can laugh about it now – he was fine and no major injuries.