The BBC pushes a tree climbing book 'news'

[David Humphries]

.......All it takes is one person who puts their weight onto a Massaria branch or touches an OPM nest then there could be huge consequences!

 

 

Interestingly, these are our trees, and he was climbing where there are OPM nests............Mmmmm

 

Think we may have to have a word

 

.

Edited May 9, 2016 by David Humphries

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

He's released a book titled A Guide to Tree Climbing. Encouraging adults to reconnect with their inner child by climbing trees

 

https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780008153915/the-tree-climbers-guide

 

The "something" I missed, thank you Betula

 

Paul

[Andrew McEwan]

I suspect the book is well worth missing too Paul. Other than the daftness of what the floppy haired one is selling, I don't think the BBC should be running what is a just a promo vid for another iffy tree book.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Andrew McEwan
typo

[gooseflight]

I may be wrong but the guy is talking about climbing trees that are in the main readily accessible and safely* climbed. Just like we (or some of us) did when we were kids.

 

I heard the author on the radio and one of his anecdotes related to a lawyer he met in a tree who was wearing a suit and eating his lunch.

 

If the tree can be entered and climbed without assistance the level of risk is low.

 

*depending on your parental/personal risk profile

[Steve Bullman]

Its all ok, because if you lock your ankles round the tree you have an insurance policy. I think he's covered it pretty well really

[MattyF]

I was listening to a radio interview with him about this book the other day , it was vaguely interesting .... Can see David's concerns though!

[peatff]

I'm old (63) and I still have a go occasionally just for fun but I don't take my shoes off, I'm no hippy. As kids we used to climb up to nests in a local rookery and those trees were 60 feet tall. We used to take 6" nails to knock in to get to the lower branches so I bet we caused a few problems but the trees are still standing

[Mark Bolam]

Yes, the lad is a bit of a helmet, but he's only encouraging people to do what we did when we were kids, and seemed fairly responsible about damage etc.

Surely kids are better off climbing trees, keeping fit and learning about risk than festering away on their Xstations.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I saw this on TV a while back, month or so I think, on the Beeb.

 

Could it be argued (perhaps, in the crazy world of office dwellers) that this is how he (and possibly others??) derive their "amenity value" from trees?

 

Does it really do any harm or could it possibly raise the profile and public awareness of some (pretty whacky) individuals' perception of the benefits of trees?

 

If there really are any people out there daft enough to be parted with their money in return for a book that tells you how to do what a child can do - climb trees - is it really all bad?

 

I'll reconsider this post after the upsurge in fatalities from tree falls...

 

Will accidents associated with bare foot tree climbing antics be included in industry accident stats and cause HSE to revisit the issue of top handles saws.....??

 

What a mine field!

[Mark Bolam]

Has anyone ever rescued a non-arb from a tree?