I called and spoke to the manager of the parks department about climbing "The Senator". WOW! What a jerk! ! ! ! ! ! !
I just got off the phone and man, am I ticked off. He raised his voice at me and said that it would be degrading and a disgrace to this 3,500 year old tree to have people just climbing it like it's a rock. He had no room to hear me out and might as well have told me to go stick my rope where the sun don't shine. I introduced myself as an arborist from Tallahassee and stated that I have a # of arborist from around the state that would like to participate in a educational recreational climb. He stopped listening when he heard recreational climb and started on and on about how the only people to climb this tree are those taking "scientific samples for cloning purposes." He said, "The scientists are truely doing a wonderful thing and no one will climb this tree just to climb it." I told him that our climbing would not hurt the tree in any way and that we will use ropes to access the top. He said, "Yeah, the scientists use ropes too." I told him that we would remove any dead wood or overhead hazards from The Senator in good will for the use of the park. He didn't like that either. I told him that we have 1/2 mill liability insurance coverage too, but he didn't like that either. I told him that the printed rules of the park did not say anywhere that climbing was not allowed. So when all seemed final, and I was ready to tell him to F off, I said, "I don't understand." The only answer he had was, "That it is just degrading to this tree to have people climbing it just to climb it."
Ok, I understand his love for this tree, but he obviously doesn't understand our love for trees.
I see two options. . .
1. We could wait 2 months, have someone else call back and play Dr. Treeman. We'll bring white lab coats and yellow rubber gloved and big goddy eye goggles. Maybe then he'll let us climb it!
2. Or, we could just plan the ninja climb as previously mentioned!
Sorry folks, I tried! ! !