Beginning in 2002 Kevin Hamm began a project in Guatemala consisting of teaching botanists how to access the rain forest canopy. The project began by donating 3 full sets of climbing equipment and a week of training that culminated in a forest climb in the cloud forest of El Biatopo del Quetzal, a forest preserve in central Guatemala dedicated to preserving the habitat of Guatemala’s national bird the Quetzal. The 2004 project brought more equipment, training and a trip into the remote Sierras de las Minas, a cloud forest above 8,000 feet of elevation.
For the 2005 project, Kevin became a proctor for the International Society of Arboriculture and brought three certification tests down for his primary students. If you search for a certified arborist on the ISA web site, you will now find one in Guatemala thanks to this project. This trip culminated with a forest climb in the beautiful Cerro San Gil forest preserve on the Gulf of Honduras.
In January 2006, David Mendieta will be traveled to Mexico to complete his studies at the University of San Carlos, Guatemala. He utilized the climbing skills and equipment that he acquired through this project. Additionally, another student completed a study comparing traditional research climbing techniques with the new less invasive, and safer methods taught through this project.
Now there is the potential for an academic course for credit featuring tree climbing techniques for canopy research. Below are pictures from an outing with students to Cerro San Gil, and the first ISA Certified Arborist in Guatemala, Jorge Mario Vargas. Jorge teaches at The University of San Carlos in Guatemala City, one of the oldest institutions in the Americas.
https://www.hammsarborcare.com
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