TreeTopia plants itself in Vallejo
By Thomas Gage, Vallejo Times Herald
Whether a newcomer or longtime attendee, TreeTopia had a winning attitude over the weekend at Mare Island.
“You can do it,” screamed Robert Albritton at a participant in the “Human Claw, a popular activity at the TreeTopia event involving a person being suspended in the air using a belay system. By operating the belay, the person moves around to pick up boxes with their feet before making it back to the platform. The boxes they successfully pick up have prizes inside, worth anywhere from $50 to $200 in gear.
“Don’t you let go of that box! Don’t even think about it! Don’t you drop it! That a way!,” shouts Albritton, the crowd joining him in cheering.
As the hype man in the “human claw” activity, and owner of Tree Works Unlimited in Georgia, Albritton dons a cape, but will once again give it away as a badge of honor to the person he feels is dedicated and has a positive attitude at the third annual event on Mare Island, featuring classes, activities and games focused on “all things tree.” While it’s a field day for arborists and tree workers, the industry event is also an accessible entry point to the highly skilled world of tree working.
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Brian Guinn, from Auburn, with Tree Pro Tree Services, footlocks a rope as he tries to grab a box in The Human Claw during TreeTopia on Mare Island in Vallejo on Saturday. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)