TreeTopia – a tree event experience like no other.

This event is only made possible through generous sponsorship, ticket sales, and the dedication of thousands of volunteer hours from both presenters and staff. It’s an incredible representation of the industry's eagerness to unite and create something extraordinary. Boasting a turnout of over 900 attendees, alongside 25+ vendors, and over 50 instructors and presenters, Treetopia stands as a unique opportunity for tree enthusiasts and their families to learn, network, and enjoy an immersive experience.

From the opening ceremony below the giant eucalyptus, Cyrus DeVere, CEO of A Plus, opens with a heartfelt message about how arboriculture is more than a trade; it’s a lifestyle. Regardless if we are competitors or working side by side, there is mutual love and respect.

There was a moment of silence for A Plus’s founder, Jeremy Tibbets, who passed 6 years ago. And recognition of his father, Paul Tibbets, who continues to love and support the company every step of the way.

That energy continued for the entire three days of festivities. With the Human Claw game, TreeStuff’s most popular attraction, the enthusiasm was great. Contestants maneuvered around in the air using three climbing systems and attempted to retrieve the prizes. TreeStuff, Sampson Rope and other vendors provided over $50,000 of prizes for the game; Kask supplied over 300 of climber helmets! On average, each box was worth over $200 in gear.

Training sessions covered a wide variety of topics ranging from “Crane Removals in Tight Spots” by New Jersey Crane Experts to “Rigging Baby Hippos” by Danny Mendez (A Plus Tree’s Technical Rigging Ninja) and Lawrence Shultz (Certified Arborist and Contract Climber). The California Urban Forest Council even merged in a full day of incredible speakers focusing on Urban Forestry and Climate Resilience.

Being that the classes were held outdoors, instructors let the chainsaws rip and demonstrated techniques high up in the eucalyptus canopy. Jared Arbrojena, shared a funny and relatable story during the “Maximizing Your Climbing for Speed and Efficiency” class that he co-presented with Mark Chisholm: “Your throw line sets the pace for the day. [After missing a lot of throws] by the time you are up in the tree, you are shaking inside and you want to cut the (expletive) out of this tree.”

Arborists arrived from far and wide. One arborist came from as far as Tokyo, Japan. Nanako Seki, was inspired to take part in Treetopia through TreeStuff in social media. As a contract climber in Japan, she wanted to experience tree work internationally. “I learned English when I was [studying abroad] in Pocatello, Idaho because I wanted [full immersion] and not have other Japanese-speakers close by. It’s difficult to understand the words [technical terms] in English however I can make friends, make connections, and work [with trees] outside of Japan. I would also like to learn about European methods as well.”

Perhaps one of the biggest sponsors and industry partners is Vermeer Corp and RDO Equipment. When asked about the potential of Vermeer’s work in Treetopia, Dave Steege, Account Manager at RDO, paused with great reflection and remarked, “I see endless potential and possibilities here. With our partners around the globe, we do our best to support our client base. How the factory, dealer, and client are working together in a show like this proves that.”

Keegan Van Maanen, Vermeer Product Marketing and Training Specialist II, added, “I am encouraged with what I see at Treetopia. There is potential to grow bigger than what it is now to provide better education, opportunities and best practices.”

Putting an event as large as Treetopia together takes the coordination of many hands, too many to name and give credit here. However, such effort would be impossible without Sarah Gaskin, A Plus Tree’s VP of Strategic Initiatives and TreeStuff’s GM, Nick Bonner, who also gave her the name “Queen of Treetopia”. When people ask him why they throw these events? He says, “The answer is easy. We do it for the Treelationships. The old ones, and new ones. This is our tree family.”

Treetopia pushed limits and changed perspectives. Brian Riley, A Plus commercial driver and groundsman, remarked, “At first I thought it was just about making money and doing trees, but after coming here I come to find that it’s about people; we’re in the people business.”

This theme was reflected in Treetopia’s curriculum. Megan Bujnowski, CEO and lead instructor of Upward Training and Development LLC, demonstrated this in “Compassion is Key: Effective Instruction and Leadership” presentation. She opens with, “We trim trees for people.” She goes on to say we not only manage trees, but ourselves as well. We need to invest and lead those below us because their success is our success. She succinctly puts it, “Rising tide raises all ships.” Her passion and enthusiasm out-shined her bright teal climbing pants!

Every afternoon featured a fresh band to infuse the park with a vibrant atmosphere, while each evening ignited a lively after-party. Friday night’s after party was held at the Coal Shed Brewery where climbers and other tree folks mix it up. The main event of the night was the TreeStuff-hosted footlock competition, a nail-biting elimination-style race for the $1000 top prize! And guess who emerged victorious? None other than Chad Brey, a nationally ranked tree climber.

Saturday’s after party was held behind the Admiral’s mansion with drinks and food trucks. The main event held in collaboration with Elderid in “Capture the Canopy” competition where the top west coast climbers swung from branch to branch collecting game tokens for time. The final winner who dominated the canopy was Doug Tochtrop, self-professed Tree Climbing Dragon Slayer out of Hawaii, who walked away with a complete set of Elderid climbing gear.