When Brenda Sandberg was a little girl growing up in Durham, N.H., a large maple tree separated her childhood home from the neighbor’s. The tree’s limbs were big and low, and on nice days after school, kids of all ages would make their way up to hang out at different heights.
Sandberg, now 59, lit up as she recalled the memory on a recent cool-in-the-shade, warm-in-the-sun fall morning at Washington Square Neighborhood Park in Gaithersburg. But decades had passed since she had last climbed a tree, despite her degree in environmental science and more than 20 years working in parks.
She got another chance on Wednesday, when she and four others gathered under a grove of sawtooth oaks, elms and dawn redwood trees for a three-hour climbing course called “Canopy Connection.”
The Montgomery Parks department has hosted tree climbs for children in the past as part of its health and wellness classes held throughout the year in the county’s 419 parks.
But this class was a first: It was for adults, specifically those 55 and up.
“You know, you’re never too old to learn things,” said Colter Burkes, a senior urban forester at Montgomery Parks, who spent more than a year organizing the course with the help of special-events supervisor Megan DeMillo and special-events coordinator Anne Levis.
Participants arrived at 9 a.m. at the park, where they were paired with a Montgomery Parks arborist. After getting suited up, instructors showed them how to tie a rope and connect it to their harness. They were also taught the best method for climbing trees based on factors such as the size or distance from its trunk.
Levis stood in awe as Sandberg ascended a sawtooth oak, not once but twice. She climbed higher on her second try, reaching 50 feet.
“Who would think we could do this?” Levis said. “But, I mean, look at this group. We’re all fit. We’re all excited to be here.”
Another participant, Paul Smith, 68, made it about 40 feet up the redwood tree he was climbing in less than 30 minutes. Off to the side, April Outman, 71, employed the more challenging hip-thrust method — keeping her core tight and utilizing her upper body strength — to pull herself up.
“Go, April!” someone yelled.
While in the air, Outman tried to get to a branch. She pulled herself up again.
Sensing she was tired, arborist Alexis Fuenzalida offered Outman some encouragement.
“You’re not quite ready to sit,” said Fuenzalida, who has been climbing trees for 30 years.
Outman pulled herself up two more times until she could hold her legs straight, closing the distance between her and the tree trunk. Then she used the ropes to get even higher, finally reaching the branch. She sat on it and took a deep breath.
“At any age, it’s good to challenge yourself,” said Outman. “This may have not been on my bucket list, but I’m glad I did it.”
Montgomery Parks staff said the tree-climbing course was a way to help expand its program offerings for older adults. Staff said they intentionally tailored the course for people 55 and older to help create an atmosphere in which participants would feel comfortable among others their age.
A parks employee leading introductions told participants the goal was to get them to climb a tree, then look around. But he stressed there was no pressure to do more than they could handle.
Another goal, organizers said, was to have participants better understand the work of arborists.
Nic Powell, an arborist for Montgomery Parks, spends most of his days up in the canopy, where he might cut off dead limbs or remove a tree. From that perch, he says, there are often moments for reflection. “You’re the last person to ever see from that perspective,” Powell said.
The wind steadily grew stronger as the morning went on. The rustling of the leaves mimicked the gentle pour of a rain stick, and the sun shone behind them, leaving shadows of dancing light on the earth.
Burkes, one of the course organizers, said he hoped some participants would leave the program feeling more connected with trees.
After the class ended, Sandberg was one of the last participants to leave the park. She had completed three climbs, stopping at one point to sit on a limb as it swayed in the breeze.
“I was resting and just hanging on to the tree,” she said. “And it was very nice.”
