Tree-Mendous Aerial Adventures is helping people of all ages disconnect from their smartphones and connect with nature in playful ways.
By Real Leaders
Tree-Mendous designs and builds custom aerial attractions including adventure parks, tree houses, zip lines, canopy tours and walks, and netted attractions in a variety of spaces, from forests to skyscrapers, from the East Coast to the West Coast of the U.S.
Gerhard Komenda combined his experience as a bio-dynamic forester and a social therapist to found the company in 2011. He notes that outdoor play and experiential learning in nature help nurture independence, self-confidence, creativity, coordination, resilience, improved cognitive function, and physical health.
“My goal is to motivate people to be outdoors and enable them to have non-virtual experiences, safely leaving their comfort zone and fostering personal growth,” he says. “A return to nature is an instinctive need in our modern world, creating an increasing demand for healthy outdoor activities. Tree-Mendous is perfectly poised to feed this new market.”
One With Nature
The certified B Corporation utilizes low-impact building methods and environmentally sustainable materials such as locally harvested and naturally rot-resistant lumber, avoiding toxic pressure-treated wood. Its patented friction lock-and-wrap system avoids damaging the trees by forgoing screws or drills during installation.
On the Map
The company’s portfolio includes a canopy walk in the California Redwoods, indoor adventure trails in Oregon, an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible nature trek in New York City, and a 150-foot-long suspension bridge in the Berkshire Mountains. Tree-Mendous plans to break ground on several large projects this year, including elevated netted bridge structures at the Detroit Zoo and the U.S. National Arboretum.
Listen to our full conversation with Tree-Mendous Founder and CEO Gerhard Komenda on Episode 310 of the Real Leaders Podcast.
