Although Mel Hamilton is completely at ease when she works high in the branches of a tree, she said her mother was anxious while watching her compete in the Illinois Arborist Association Annual Tree Climbing Competition last month at St. James Farm in Warrenville.
“My mom and my dad and my boyfriend went to the competition, and my mom was not a fan of my leaving the ground,” Hamilton said. “I can tell you her favorite event was the throwline because I never left the ground. My mom was a nervous wreck. My dad and boyfriend thought it was cool.”
Hamilton, an arborist for the village of Homewood, took second place in the two-day contest, qualifying her to compete in the regional North American Tree Climbing Competition set for March 2025 in Texas. A top finisher there earns a spot in the International Tree Climbing Competition.
This year’s Illinois competition included a milestone that added to Hamilton’s pride in her accomplishment.
“One of the coolest things is we made our Illinois Arborist Association history with the most women who turned out to compete. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a very historical moment for the IAA,” she said. “All of the women, they had their own challenges and they exceeded all of them. It was a very uplifting and inspiring event. I made a bunch of cool new friends. I’m so proud of all of the women, and I think it’s going to make a movement. I think more women will want to do it.”
Hamilton is one of four certified arborists for the village, and one of three who are trained to climb trees. Colleague Katie Becker also competed, but fell just short in scoring to advance to the finals on the second day.
April Toney, executive director of the Illinois Arborist Association, said Illinois was part of the Prairie chapter of the organization when the competition started in 1976 in St. Louis. It became the Illinois chapter in 1984. A European competition began in 1994 and an international one started in 1996. “If you’re a chapter, you have to host a competition.”
The competition includes five events, each of which “tests a competitor’s ability to quickly, professionally, and safely maneuver in a tree while performing work-related tree care tasks,” the association’s website notes. “Tree climbing competitions are designed to simulate working conditions of those arborists who work in the field.”
The ascent event tests a competitor’s ability to safely climb the tree and ring a bell. Aerial rescue is timed and tests a climber’s ability to climb to and safely lower an injured climber. The belayed speed climb tests the ability to climb a predetermined route about 60 feet up and ringing the bell. The throwline event tests the ability to install a climbing line into a tree using a throw bag and throw line from the ground.
Hamilton’s favorite event, however, was the work climb, which requires moving in a tree using a rope and harness and visiting five workstations to perform a task, such as pruning or a limb walk.
“That resembles what we do and why we climb trees,” she said.
Hamilton, who’s worked for Homewood for six years and been a certified arborist since 2020, said she joined to compete in honor of a “tree industry legend.”
“There’s no other way to describe him,” she said. “Norm Hall passed away last fall. A member from the IAA reached out to me and our coworker, asked us to do the competition in memory of him,” she said. “We both signed up, and leading up to that competition, I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. There were a lot of rules for the competition so it’s very overwhelming.”
She said she was in “shock” when she saw the results. “I never even walked over to the scoreboard so when I was done with all my events, I was just happy to be done. Originally I took third but the second day the top three compete against each other.”
Hamilton gave a shout-out to Libby Bower, the top female competitor. “She went out of her way to get us together so we could meet before the competition so we had names to faces and could talk to each other. She’s phenomenal,” she said.
Although they were put into small mixed groups to compete and were held to the same standards, “women were scored against women and men were scored against men.”
“It was intimidating for me finding out my group (of competitors) was all men. Luckily they were all gentlemen and all cool and let me ask them umpteen questions throughout the day,” she added. “But it would have been nice to have a familiar face in my crew. I had my coworkers – Bryon (Doerr), Aaron (Meyer) and Randy (Long). It was very nice of them. They devoted their whole saturday. We all get the same small weekend, so it was nice they supported us on their day off.”
Doerr, landscape and maintenance supervisor for the village, was pleased to be able to support Hamilton.
“I would have to say besides mom and dad, I was one of the biggest fans for her and Katie and anyone on my crew,” he said. “One hundred percent in any of their endeavors, I try to make whatever is needed to happen. I was one of the biggest social media guys to show off, resharing Illinois Arborist (Association) Facebook posts, throwing up some pictures that I had. I’m very proud of what they’ve done and what Mel’s done.”
He said the competition’s events meld perfectly with the work arborists do. “You have to ascend the tree in order to work it. You have to be able to move around in the canopy to do the work. In the case of a rescue, it’s multiple efforts. I think the competition is tailored that way – it mimics a somewhat daily thing you would do.”
Homewood was one of two government agencies with entries in the competition, which took place May 18 and 19.
Doerr thinks Hamilton has a good shot in the regional competition next spring. “I’ve known Mel for a long time. I’ve seen fun Mel and serious Mel. I think she’s going to give it all she’s got and will do all in my power to be there and support her with everything she may need along the way.”
Hamilton said she’s already training for the next event.
“I don’t have an aerial rescue and don’t have another person with me or firefighter weighted mannequin, but am practicing as much as I can before the regional because I have the feeling it’s going to be more overwhelming and challenging than the Illinois chapter.”
Luckily, her job means she gets to practice some of those skills almost every day and have fun while doing it.
“I’m very fortunate. I have a fun crew,” she said. “One of my favorite things to do is tree work. I think probably tree removals are my favorite. Felling trees is a puzzle, and no tree is alike. I think it’s super interesting.”
Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
