Who says climbing trees is for kids? Not Bo Burke, who once had an 83-year-old climbing a tree.

Now entering his third season, the ISA certified arborist and climber specialist takes people on climbing adventures through his Climb A Tree business, the only recreational tree climbing company in the Midwest – as it is much more popular on the coasts.

“I climb trees as a living and for fun,” says Burke. “I can’t do it while I’m on the clock [in his work as a consulting arborist] so other times I take people out and hang out in trees” using ropes and a harness to explore a tree’s canopy.

And hang out they do. He’s had people lie in a hammock and read a book all afternoon. Couples have taken picnics and families have had dinner. He also has solo climbers who really want one-on-one education of the ins and outs of tree structure and climbing.

He hosts parties in trees – from family reunions to kids’ birthdays. He can get up to 15 kids in a tree at one time and will hang bags of candy for the climbers to reach, as well as bring binoculars and magnifying glasses and bubble blowing supplies. Burke also does “ecotours” with Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops and is starting to work with area employers on team-building outings.

“But no treetop wedding … yet,” he says.

He’s even had people climb a tree to try to overcome a fear of heights.

“It is not extreme,” Burke says. “I set the ropes and it’s up to participants to go as high as they want.”

Burke is a Michigan native who first learned about climbing in the trees of Colorado. He worked as the tree surgeon for the Chicago Park District before moving to Maple City in 2011. He has both judged and competed in various tree-climbing competitions around the country.

“You need a good, wide tree to get a lot of people up in,” Burke says, adding that he has several trees around the region that he regularly uses for expeditions. One is right in downtown Traverse City, a 100-year-old Norway maple growing along the Boardman River at Sixth and Union streets.

He also has a special permit with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to conduct climbs in trees overlooking Lake Michigan. “We see birds of prey, lots of wildlife,” he says.

The first step in any climb is “setting the rope,” which involves tossing a rope around an anchor point (or “crotch”) that a climber will be hanging from. He uses a branch protector so the rope doesn’t slide along the tree and do any damage.

Then climbers put on a harness and are attached to the climbing equipment. A quick tutorial on the two-rope system and climbers are off the ground. Burke can go up 100 feet in less than a minute; beginners (like this writer) take a little longer.

Has he ever had anyone start to panic during a climb? Not at all, he says. “Only the momentary, ‘Oh, wow, I’m way up here,’ when they glance around.”

Typical classes are 3 hours and cost $150; group rates are available. Children must be at least six years old. Learn more here.