Part ONE: Tree Care in Micronesia

Charley Wagner is an arborist based out of Colorado, and he’s been asked to perform tree work and train residents on the island of Nan Madol, otherwise known as the Atlantis of the Pacific.

How did you become an arborist?
In 1996 I was a sophomore in high school and an avid rock climber working a crappy summer job melting cheese on burritos. One day I saw Jeff Jepson and Ryan Pels climbing trees to prune and/or remove. Absolutely fascinated and excited about the opportunity to make money climbing, I begged for a job. Jeff said they were looking for full-time help; he wasn’t interested in spending the time and energy it takes to train a seasonal. A month or so passed, tree work got real busy, Jeff called me and decided to give me a chance. I drug brush until I almost puked. I trimmed spruce branches with four sections of pole saw for hours. I was humping, bucking, rolling, lifting, throwing, splitting logs that first month or so with the promise to teach to climb. Paying my dues, Jeff and Ryan gave me my first glimpse at tree climbing and the world of arboriculture. At that moment I never could have  imagined where trees would take me. 

I decided tree work was fun, but was dangerous and hard work, and I was pushing the top of the pay scale getting $10/hr. A good summer job but somewhat dead end and time to move on. School is what everyone does. At 18 you should decide what you want to do for the rest of your life, take out school loans, live a modest life, get married, have kids. I tried this for about a year. Some of the best lessons I've had are figuring out what I don't want to do! 

Rejoining my tree crew at Beaver Tree Service in northern Minnesota, I had a new lease on life! I was outside everyday, at different job sites, meeting all sorts of different people that deeply care for their property and trees and have hired us to responsibly care for them. Climbing in the tops of trees, swinging around in this dynamic world of marvel, flex and give. I got bit, I became addicted to the sport of tree climbing. I was losing sleep with ideas of how to solve climbing and rigging problems. Jeff talked me into my first ISA Tree Climbing Jamboree. He had done a few before and he told me stories of his time competing at Internationals. Internationals!!! Internationals!! I'm going there. I footlocked until I couldn’t anymore. I sprinted until my lungs were burning. Not knowing what to expect, I was going to prepare as best I could. All the while developing a deep appreciation and respect for the strength and resilience of the trees I was working with. Competitions treated me well. I learned a lot about mind over matter, and my best results came when I was calm and prepared. I met and worked with some of the most enduring and wild characters this world has to offer. Hard to capture my appreciation for all the crews I’ve worked with and all the trees that have held me. Then, In 2001 I earned my Certified Arborist number.  



What is Arbor Global?
Kevin Eckert is the owner of Arbor Global and has been a good friend for about 20 years. I believe he has and/or has taught just about every tree related certification you can get. There are climbing champions, and then there are intellectual champions. Kevin can move in a tree and has paid his dues in the field, but has really shined in his ability to make connections, build relationships and offer expert advice and training. Arbor Global is based in Hawaii and works to educate on best arboricultural and safe working practices around the world.

What are you doing in Nan Madol? 
It’s a joint effort by many parties and I'll list them later to honor their efforts. Nan Madol was the capital and ceremonial center of the Saudeleur dynasty until about 1628. It has been referred to as the 8th wonder of the world, or the Atlantis of the Pacific. The amount of basalt stone moved from one side of the island to the other, building a network of temples and waterways on a shallow reef has been compared to the marvel of the Pyramids of Egypt. It’s located on the island of Temwen in the Federated States of Micronesia. We are part of a team to remove trees that are prying stones apart and preserving trees that are holding things together. Mangrove have filled the channels, holding back silt and clogging waterways. The selective removal will allow these channels to open again. We won’t be able to bring in the normal large equipment that would make this project relatively easy, and so it will be very manual and low impact to maintain these sacred ruins. I guess it hasn't been done yet because of the complexities of the project. However, improved education and equipment over the last few decades will make it possible.



How is preparing for work in Nan Madol different from the US?
Essential equipment will be brought in suitcases since receiving shipments isn’t dependable. The tropics with salt water spray mist, rain, humidity and sand can be hard on people and equipment. Also, tropical trees have different characteristics than the northern arboreal trees I’m used to. Working slowly, exercising a high level of awareness and caution will mitigate my concerns. My clothing is also essential. ArborWear is coming on this trip and they’ve been a huge part of my everyday workwear since 1998 and am excited to share their wears with my trainees. The cuts and fabric allows a hard working arborist comfort and durability in a variety of conditions from ice cold northern Minnesota to Colorado mountains to Pohnpei tropic.

How are you working with the locals?
This project was supposed to start just after COVID hit. To my knowledge, there has been a workforce clearing mangrove and allowing us access to the platforms where the trees are. My task in two weeks will be to teach six climbers basic climbing and rigging practices for the pruning and removal of smaller trees. I will need to climb some bigger tricky trees and teach some intermediate rigging and lowering techniques.

What is your measurement of success on this job?
Fun, style and safety. Safety first is the best practice. However, I have found that it’s more than that. A culture of fun, style and safety allows magic to happen. Brains are lighter and sharper. Dangerous jobs are not just about safety protocol, although extremely important, it's about creating a culture of watching each other's back, not complaining and carrying your weight. We have a choice to stay, go, improve, complain, motivate. If you can’t find a way to make it enjoyable or fun, even laughing out loud in miserable conditions then you have a hazardous outcome. My hope is to encourage individuals' roles on their crew. The crew is a beautiful magical thing. We spend more time with our crew than our families or kids. It’s important to respect ourselves, abilities and intentions. It’s equally as important to recognize and respect others' strengths and weaknesses. If I can plant the seed of good gear and techniques into a culture of comradery I feel I will have been successful. 

Stay tuned for Part TWO of the Nan Madol adventure.