OLD FORGE, N.Y. (WKTV) - In honor of Arbor Day, fourth grade students at the Town of Webb School got a lesson in tree care Friday.

The Old Forge Tree Company took their tools into the classroom to teach kids how they keep the areas trees healthy.
From tieing knots to seeing the ropes and harness equipment, students learned how arborists get into trees without harming them.

"They're living things and you have to take care of them when you're climbing in them," Arborist and Owner of The Old Forge Tree Company Paul Ritz explained to students. "Unlike a rock...a rock doesn't really care if you're climbing on it."

While some students couldn't get the knot tieing down, lessons were learned.

"They can appreciate how they're cared for, how they can care for them themselves and how they can have a profession in the industry and in our area," says Fourth Grade Teacher Diane Gaige.

Even with Friday's 28 degree temperatures and winds, the students learning didn't slow down outside. After the classroom presentations, students got a chance to belay up a tree in the Town of Webb School's front yard.

"There's almost nothing better than the feeling of just swaying on a rope every kid enjoys that," says Ritz. "The smiles came right there at the end when they could just let go of the rope and float..they were enjoying that."