Michael01

Hello Does anyone have some advice on collecting leaf material (for herbarium specimens) from very tall trees? The South African forestry dept. started many arboreta across SA to test exotic species to see which ones would be useful commercially. I am starting a project on these sites, many of them being a century old and the trees massive. The three options I have heard of are: 1. Climbing the tree 2. Shooting twigs off with a hunting rifle 3. Shooting a cutting chain over a branch with a crossbow I am not a trained climber and therefore would prefer a different method. It may be though that there is not quick fix way of getting to the canopy! The rifle method sounds practical and easy but to get past the red tape may exceed the project's life span. The crossbow method sounds interesting...not sure how one would get a cutting chain attached to a rope though. I would be grateful for any advice!