One of the many activities at Earth Day Omaha is the chance to climb Nebraska’s State Champion swamp white oak in Elmwood Park. Participants will be trained, secured and supervised by facilitators to take climb lines 50 feet up into the tree.

The tree climb is free thanks to hosting by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and sponsorship from Barcel Landscape Products and other organizations. The tree will have 14 ropes and participants can spend 15-30 minutes exploring the tree and viewing the Earth Day activities going on below.

“How often do you have a chance to safely explore the top of a tree, let alone a State Champion tree?” said climb coordinator Graham Herbst. “Most adults haven’t climbed a tree since school days, but this is an opportunity for kids from 8 to 80 to live out a childhood pleasure most of us have given up.”

Climbs will occur from 10 a.m. (an hour before other Earth Day activities begin) to 3 p.m., with registration required before the climb. The climb will occur near the center of the eastern edge of Elmwood Park, west of 60th and Leavenworth, or visit the Nebraska Forest Service booth for directions to the climb. Participants must be at least 8 years old and have parental permission. Last year 110 participants took part in the climb, ranging in age from 9 to 67.