Branch out at the New Jersey Tree Climbing Competition

Professional arborists will take to the trees in Central Park of Morris County on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 for the annual New Jersey Tree Climbing Competition, hosted and organized by the New Jersey Arborists Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (NJAISA).

Thirty professional arborists from across New Jersey and beyond will demonstrate their skills through a series of five preliminary competition events, culminating in a final Master’s Challenge event to determine the 2026 NJ Tree Climbing Champions.

The competition will begin on Friday, June 12 at 10 a.m. with a thorough inspection of the personal gear each competitor anticipates utilizing throughout the competition. Once this inspection is complete, the competitor may complete the Ascent event or the Belayed Speed Climb. Each event will be timed and scored by a team of five volunteer judges in accordance with the rulebook compiled by the ISA’s International Tree Climbing Committee. Events will conclude by 4 p.m. Friday, June 12.

On Saturday, June 13, competitors will walk to each of the final three preliminary events for a detailed explanation of each by various head judges. The day will include Aerial Rescue, Work Climb and Throwball test for each climbers’ competency in assessing and responding to an emergency climbing situation aloft, accuracy and agility at routine maintenance tasks, and the expedient setting of ropes in a tree.

A team of five judges will again assess each climber at the preliminary events while a team of administrators track scoring across the five events. The NJAISA will provide a Licensed Tree Expert and an ISA Certified Arborist to answer any questions guests may have about trees.

By mid-afternoon on Saturday, June 13, the scores will be tallied and preliminary winners will be announced for men and women. The top three competitors from New Jersey will be escorted to a location removed from the site of the competition while the final Master’s Challenge is prepared for these competitors.

After each competitor completes the final Master’s Challenge, scores are tallied and the competition champions are announced. The champions of the Master’s Challenge will earn the right to represent the state of New Jersey at the International Tree Climbing Competition to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, this October 2026.