Headline News

Women learn about the industry at Women’s Arboriculture Tree Fest 2026

June 24, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Town of New Tecumseth hosted the Women in Arboriculture Ontario TreeFest 2026 at the Tottenham Conservation Area on Saturday, June 20.

The event brought together women arborists and climbers in a supportive and educational outdoor environment.

With both seasoned climbers and those who have never climbed a tree, the event provided real insight, especially for those new to the industry, into what working with trees is all about.

Event coordinators spent a lot of time preparing by installing ropes and rigging in several trees in the Conservation Area the day before the event.

Experts were on hand to show participants how to climb a tree safely.

The Tree Fest is held annually at several locations around Ontario.

In addition to educational programming, the event included a tree-planting initiative to help restore areas impacted by the Emerald Ash Borer and to support natural regeneration in the Conservation Area.

“We are tree care experts,” explained Carolyn Dares, Chair of Women in Arboriculture and organizer of the event. “Women in Arboriculture was created to promote and encourage women in the tree care industry. We started 10 years ago, trying to get more women involved in our tree climbing competition, which happens in September. We started this event to gain confidence and introduce and encourage women to take part. We have six events going on today. We have a hang-out tree, which is just to climb up, so there’s no competition for that. We have a work club, which uses a multi-rope or a single rope. We have an assent event, where climbers try to get from the ground to the top to ring a bell. It’s about 55 feet to the top. It’s a competition to get to the top the fastest.”

Some participants were there to compete, while others were there just to learn and try climbing.

“There are a couple of ways to climb,” Carolyn explained. “We didn’t have some of this when I started, so some of this is new technology. The assent event is a good example of the new technology of how to get into the tree. You use a foot assembly. We had around 110 people taking part today.”

Three Silver Maple trees near the pond were chosen for the event. The trees are large and tall, with many strong branches that spread into a wide canopy, making them ideal for this type of event.

Participants enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about tree-climbing techniques and what the industry is all about. 

Readers Comments (0)