ORSON, Pa. — A man from Central Pennsylvania is on a mission to climb the tallest tree at the highest point in every county in the Commonwealth.
That mission brought Van Wagner to Wayne County. Wagner climbed a red oak on Mount Ararat, about 2700 feet above sea level.
He is a teacher in the Danville Area School District and is raising awareness of the issues facing Pennsylvania forests.
"I'm hoping to inspire my fellow Pennsylvanians to simply learn more about the forest around them. I'd like them to learn more about the jobs and the economy associated with their forest. I'd like them to learn more about these threats, non-native insects that are just decimating some of our native tree stands, and that we all play a role in this conversation of how best to manage our forest, and that's really what I hope my fellow Pennsylvania get from this," said Wagner.
This is Wagner's 50th tree. He hopes to climb trees in the last 17 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties early next year.