Krista started climbing trees as a youngster, taking it up professionally in 2009. Since then, Krista has competed 8 times in the International Tree Climbing Competition. Always busy, Krista has taught climbing at the Humber College for the last 4 years and works hard to promote women in the industry as a committee member for Women in Arboriculture Ontario. And it’s all done with heaps of passion because…”the industry is amazing and I love my Tree Family! We definitely have the best community of talented, experienced, exciting, knowledgeable and passionate people ever!” We couldn’t agree more.
1. I became an Arborist because…
I love trees and working outdoors. I was tired of cutting grass for a living and I loved the idea of competing.
2. My favourite tree is…
The American elm for its beautiful shape and structure. Red Oaks are my favourite tree to climb and Honey Locusts are my favourite trees to prune.
3. I can’t leave home without…
My lunch and 2 sets of safety glasses; tinted and clear.
4. The perfect day at work would include…
Dead wooding locust trees on a beautiful summer day with a fun crew and no clean up!
5. The worst part of my job is...
Waking up early.
6. The best slice of wisdom I can pass on is...
Work smarter, not harder.
7. If I could hang out in a tree with one person (past/present/living/dead), it would be…
Chrissy Spence. She’s a phenomenal climber and such a great person. She’s been a huge inspiration to me and I’d love to hang with her and learn from the best!
8. The one tree I’d like to climb is…
A Sequoia. I’ve climbed some large Douglas Fir in Portland but never had the opportunity to climb the worlds largest living organism.
9. If I wasn’t an arborist I’d be a…
A firefighter specialising in High Angle Rescues.
10. True Tale or Tall Tall Tale? Once upon a time I…
…dropped a huge tree on a house. Yup – true story! I miscalculated the trees lean and missed some dry rot that encompassed an important portion of my hinge. I had a rope in it, started my back cut…and to my dismay…it started to twist…and boom!!! On the house! Luckily no-one was hurt and the tree rolled right off and fell between the two buildings. It knocked my confidence down so hard I almost quit. Instead, we used it as a training opportunity to learn about the importance of leans and loads and everyone benefited. The homeowner was also very understanding of the situation and even wrote me a letter to say that mistakes happen and not to be discouraged. It was a humbling experience and now I take extra caution when felling trees. Stay safe out there!