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Go Climb a Tree! Experts Show Kids How

Third-graders at Calypso Elementary School in West Bethlehem celebrated Arbor Day by climbing a tree—with the help of arborists.

It was a pretty special week for Calypso Elementary School third-grader Jenna Pinkowski.

She turned 9 years old and got to celebrate by climbing a tree—during school, and with the blessing of her teachers.

Actually, all of the third graders at Calypso got a turn climbing the crimson king maple tree at the corner of Ninth and Calypso avenues in West Bethlehem.

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It was all part of the city’s celebration of Arbor Day. Friday was the 24th  consecutive Arbor Day that Bethlehem was recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Mayor John Callahan came to the school to accept the Tree City award and to spend a little time talking to pupils about the importance of trees. Back at City Hall, residents were able to get free eastern redbud, sugar maple, concolor fir, American mountain ash, and kousa dogwood seedlings to plant.

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Meanwhile, the arborists from Joshua Tree, a tree maintenance business from Stockertown, were showing third graders the proper way to climb a tree. One by one, each was given some instruction, a helmet, safety goggles, hooked into a harness and guided up into the maple.

“We all climbed trees when we were kids, but once you go past 10 feet, having a harness and the proper safety equipment is really important,” said Joshua Malik, a certified arborist.

The reward in the bucket at the top of the tree? A piece of candy.

Jenna said her tree climbing experience was “scary, but easy.”


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