Kali Alcorn says she fell into her career.
The Port Coquitlam certified arborist hopes she doesn’t fall out of it.
That would hurt.
Alcorn, 30, is competing at the International Society of Arboriculture’s world tree climbing championship Friday through Sunday at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.
It has been a quick ascent to the top for the Ontario native who manages an arborist supply shop on Broadway Street in PoCo. She only started climbing four years ago as an extension of her work as a landscaper and horticulturalist.
Alcorn says she loves the physical and mental challenge of hoisting herself up trees.
“You not only have to be an industrial athlete, you have to know math and physics,” she says. “You have to know the tree, its biology, the fungi, pests and diseases that could affect the tree.”
Respect for the tree, knowledge of her equipment and trust in her instincts are also important components, Alcorn says, because a mistake could prove fatal.
In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety says an average of 80 workers associated with tree care are killed every year in the United States.
Alcorn says preparation is key to staying safe.
“You really have to plan your work and work your plan.”
This will be Alcorn’s second attempt to test her skills against some the world’s best climbers. Last year, in San Antonio, Tex., she finished “middle of the pack” of 60 to 70 competitors from 18 countries. But she says she returned with a wealth of new knowledge gleaned from her fellow competitors and new experiences climbing different species of trees.
Competitors at the championship are tested on a series of skills, including throwing a line to precise points in the tree canopy or safely and quickly executing an aerial rescue of a 200 lb. mannequin stranded high in a tree with an unknown medical condition.
To get ready, Alcorn has been tuning her fitness by cycling and hiking. And last weekend, she scaled the highest tree in her life, a 200-ft. old-growth cedar near Harrison that’s about to be logged.
“Sometimes, you freak out,” says Alcorn of climbing to such heights. “You’ve got to check yourself constantly.”
