The Tree Projects

COLD, GUSTY, RAINING & BLISS so good to commit to a climb in far less than ideal conditions. As we in the south plunge deep into a bleak winter is always nice to still get out with good folk and explore some of natures finest.

If you haven’t been put to the Huon Valley Grove of Giants or the Styx Valley so far this winder I can tell you right now it’s pumping with fungi out there 🍄

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
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Sweet Pseudotsuga sinensis climb with .tl.chiu. After the hectic documentary premiere it was so good to get into the forests. I’d never been in this type of forest before so really psyched to get up close and personal with a few new trees. This one was so fun with a series of stems to play in and allllll the spready branches to get out on.

Oh and a special orchid.

Oh and a flipping earthquake in a tree YEW that’s a first.

We were having a big tree frother party out at a research station after the premiere and… well… there was trees to climb. 3 tree is one day!

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
| website Link in bio
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GIANT TREE POSTERS & PRINTS
$60 for 3 x 100cm tall posters use code “insta10” for 10% discount. Link in bio

TAIWAN, Magical climb w of this epic 50m tall cedar deep in the mountains. The epiphytic diversity was pumping with two species of epiphytic rhododendrons, orchids and the fluffiest moss pillows.

We spent the previous day at his village and I learnt so much about the indigenous Tsou tribe, a group of around 5000 people. This is my fourth time to Taiwan but my first time travelling and leaning about the people, it’s usually Taipei - epic tree mission - Taipei. The Tsou and other indigenous groups are very diverse with cultural backgrounds and languages.

Taiwan is the place to be!!

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
| website Link in bio
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We thank our sponsors

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GIANT TREE POSTERS & PRINTS
$60 for 3 x 100cm tall posters use code “insta10” for 10% discount. Link in bio

THE ISLAND & THE TRESS premiere last night in Taipei was mental. So many people, cameras, lights and selfies. Such a privilege to be a small part of an incredible group of people doing such magic work. Imposter syndrome for realzies, was told a minute before that I had to do a speech after the Director of National Parks. No pressure.

This feature length documentary follows the story of Taiwanese big tree seakers as they find, climb and measure Taiwans tallest trees. I’ve been lucky to be part of 3 expeditions to photograph these trees as they have been found.

Huge congratulations to .tl.chiu and all the team that do all the hard work!! You’re an inspiration ❤️

Leaving Taipei today and heading to the trees!!

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
| website Link in bio
——-
We thank our sponsors

——-
GIANT TREE POSTERS & PRINTS
$60 for 3 x 100cm tall posters use code “insta10” for 10% discount. Link in bio

Seed collecting in the highlands, all the wintery bleakness. So nice to put the saw down and just climb in silence.. well except for the joyful whistles sometimes mimicking the birds others just going along with the tunes in the head.

Cole ting for the project with the seeds going to the to add to seed stocks there and restoration and replanting projects.

E. gunnii subsp. divaricata is an endangered species and grows around grassy open woodland at the exposed edges of treeless flats or hollows (frost hollows) around the Great Lake region on the Central Plateau. Making it soooooo cold and wet

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
| website Link in bio
——-
We thank our sponsors

——-
GIANT TREE POSTERS & PRINTS
$60 for 3 x 100cm tall posters use code “insta10” for 10% discount. Link in bio

My favourite photo. Racetrack Palya, Death Valley.
The long diverging paths of the rocks and weird convergent path between them. The playas plated texture with the much smaller salt textures on each plate. The sharp uneroded surfaces of the rock as if it’s just tumbled down from the hills. The clear desert skies long before dawn catching that first glow.

Spent 3 days on the playa just wandering around looking for the best rock and paths that faced the best direction for a sunrise shot. So quiet and alone for days then PHWOOOSH an F16 would do a super low level pass up the valley. Scared the s**t outta me.

Back to the regular tree stuff tomorrow

ABUNDANCE OF JOY. The Ghana tree climbing crew is kicking goals. Anita, Kenny, Tony, Prince and Yaw defended their MPhil theses… YES TEAM❤️❤️ CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR HARD WORK. The crew has also been holding monthly climb practice sessions to keep the skills fresh.

One of my life’s loveliest acts was to do what I could to play a small part in facilitating, with expert training by and , someone else’s success. I like trees, I like climbing…. that’s me and that’s how complex I like to keep it. But those skills in the hands of really smart people with enthusiasm and passions…. just shut up and get out of their way. To the MOOOOOOOON

In just a few weeks Anita, Tony and Prince from Ghana will join us in Rwanda. There we’ll be working to setup another canopy research hub and train a stack on young passionate scientists how to access the canopy. What a joy.

Life’s been a mess lately in so many ways but seeing these smiling faces just made me do backflips.

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
| website Link in bio
——-
We thank our sponsors

——-
GIANT TREE POSTERS & PRINTS
$60 for 3 x 100cm tall posters use code “insta10” for 10% discount. Link in bio

ATCC 2026 yeah to all the people doing their amazing things. The weather was unseasonably rubbish but it made for some nice light to work with at times.

What can I say, all youse inspire me sooo much and it was so good to see all the Tassie competitors hanging and chilling between events.

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
| website Link in bio
——-
We thank our sponsors

——-
GIANT TREE POSTERS & PRINTS
$60 for 3 x 100cm tall posters use code “insta10” for 10% discount. Link in bio

ATCC 2026 Techy Judgey appreciation post. Who their days before to devise the courses and scenarios. Who’s there first on the day and last to leave. Who’s silently stationed at the top of a tree all day. Who there to be consistent in scorning all the competitors and their individual flairs.

Here’s to the Judges and Technicians that volunteer their time and experience so literally everyone else “can haz a good day”.

More sweet climbing pics to come in the following days.

TASMANIA IS THE BIG TREE STATE
For free guides to Tasmania’s giant trees
| website Link in bio
——-
We thank our sponsors

——-
GIANT TREE POSTERS & PRINTS
$60 for 3 x 100cm tall posters use code “insta10” for 10% discount. Link in bio