Most of us climbed trees – especially when we were kids. However, most of us were just thinking about having a good time and trying to keep from falling and not much about the tree we were climbing.

Van Wagner – who is a teacher at Danville Area High School in Montour County -- has taken tree climbing and knowledge of trees and the forest to a whole new level.

Wagner plans to climb the tallest tree at the highest elevation in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. All in the name of education. he has already climbed trees as part of his campaign in seven counties.

Appearing on The SparkWednesday, Wagner indicated the purpose of his campaign is to educate Pennsylvanians about trees and the forest,"A lot of Pennsylvania's forests are privately owned. And so some of your listeners, you know, I'm talking specifically about them, these are their trees. And it's not just about dollars and cents. It's also just about the the spiritual and recreational side of the forest. You can't really put a price tag on that as easily, but there's just nothing like a walk in the woods. And so I just I just want to raise awareness that these forests are fragile. And we sometimes, I think, in Pennsylvania, take them for granted as if it's just a guarantee to always be there. And that's not the case. You know, we have a wonderful forest here in Pennsylvania and it takes proper management to continue that, and all of us are part of that."

Fragile in what way? "It's a living system. And so anytime you have a living system, there are risks. For example, I know a lot of folks are probably aware of the spotted lanternfly. This is an insect that has gotten a lot of attention and I think that's a good thing. That's proof that an awareness campaign can work. I think the part of that that frightens me more, though, is that's one specie that we're talking about. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of non-native insect pests that are threats to Pennsylvania forests. So if we're going to, you know, talk about an insect past or talk about a threat, it's a lot more than just one bug. Same thing with non-native plants. So when we have non-native plants that humans accidentally or intentionally introduced to the forest, sometimes those can cause absolute havoc. So one that I'm seeing only just now show up here in Montour County is a mile a minute weed. It's a real concern and it's an Asian species of weed that just takes over."

Wagner was asked about the climbing itself,"My goal is identify the highest point in each county, the highest mountain. I climb that mountain and then once I get there, I just look around and identify the highest tree, and then I climb that tree to what I feel is a safe high point. I don't necessarily try to push my limits to the tippy, tippy top of the tree that would become, you know, unnecessarily dangerous. So I go as high as I feel comfortable doing and enjoy the moment, spend a few minutes up there and take in the view and take in the experience and then head back down."

Wagner said he's already identified the highest points in all 67 counties.

Wagner chronicles his climbs on video here.

Most of us climbed trees – especially when we were kids. However, most of us were just thinking about having a good time and trying to keep from falling and not much about the tree we were climbing.
Van Wagner – who is a teacher at Danville Area High School in Montour County -- has taken tree climbing and knowledge of trees and the forest to a whole new level.
Wagner plans to climb the tallest tree at the highest elevation in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. All in the name of education. he has already climbed trees as part of his campaign in seven counties.
Appearing on The Spark Wednesday, Wagner indicated the purpose of his campaign is to educate Pennsylvanians about trees and the forest,"A lot of Pennsylvania's forests are privately owned. And so some of your listeners, you know, I'm talking specifically about them, these are their trees. And it's not just about dollars and cents. It's also just about the the spiritual and recreational side of the forest. You can't really put a price tag on that as easily, but there's just nothing like a walk in the woods. And so I just I just want to raise awareness that these forests are fragile. And we sometimes, I think, in Pennsylvania, take them for granted as if it's just a guarantee to always be there. And that's not the case. You know, we have a wonderful forest here in Pennsylvania and it takes proper management to continue that, and all of us are part of that."
Fragile in what way? "It's a living system. And so anytime you have a living system, there are risks. For example, I know a lot of folks are probably aware of the spotted lanternfly. This is an insect that has gotten a lot of attention and I think that's a good thing. That's proof that an awareness campaign can work. I think the part of that that frightens me more, though, is that's one specie that we're talking about. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of non-native insect pests that are threats to Pennsylvania forests. So if we're going to, you know, talk about an insect past or talk about a threat, it's a lot more than just one bug. Same thing with non-native plants. So when we have non-native plants that humans accidentally or intentionally introduced to the forest, sometimes those can cause absolute havoc. So one that I'm seeing only just now show up here in Montour County is a mile a minute weed. It's a real concern and it's an Asian species of weed that just takes over."
Wagner was asked about the climbing itself,"My goal is identify the highest point in each county, the highest mountain. I climb that mountain and then once I get there, I just look around and identify the highest tree, and then I climb that tree to what I feel is a safe high point. I don't necessarily try to push my limits to the tippy, tippy top of the tree that would become, you know, unnecessarily dangerous. So I go as high as I feel comfortable doing and enjoy the moment, spend a few minutes up there and take in the view and take in the experience and then head back down."
Wagner said he's already identified the highest points in all 67 counties.
Wagner chronicles his climbs on video<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/vanwags/videos"> here</a>.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

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