
Rafael Barajas starts climbing a coconut tree, machete in hand. Photos by Jory Westberry
Such is the life of a tree trimmer, or in this case, a climber of coconut palms that stretch up to 50 feet into the air with nothing but the earth to cushion a fall.
Rafael Barajas has been in the business of trimming palm fronds, cutting out pre-blooming coconut branches, the early, miniature coconuts, the adolescent, mid-size cocos and the full-grown, heavy-as-heck coconut racks for 23 years. He still enjoys the tree trimming part of his business, which includes lawn service and landscaping in addition to tree service.
“I get up at 6:00 every day, I’m out of the house by 7:00 or before and on the job every day as early as I can be. I like to work. People ask me when I’m going to slow down and I say, that’s not for me, I like to stay active,” he grins.
Active is an understatement. Before he climbs each tree, Rafael takes out a well-used file and sharpens his machete to a gleaming edge and starts climbing.
Watching

When he reaches the feathery top of the palm, he takes out his machete and begins the process of trimming off the dead fronds. The cuts are strategic. Some cuts are quick and sever a smaller size rack, which falls easily. Some of the baby coconuts bounce off the

Palm fronds crash to the earth, cut by Chris Rodriguez who has been with Rafael’s business for 23 years.
As he finishes a section, he circles the tree to cut the unopened flower pods, the racks of immature coconuts and the huge racks of mature coconuts, eventually finishing in about 30-40 minutes. When a rack of mature coconuts hits the ground, it’s like a small explosion. They can weigh about 200 pounds so you don’t get in their way.
Coconut palms, cocos nucifera, were always a sign that we had reached th“South” when I was younger and traveled to Florida. It meant warmer weather, sandy beaches and the sway of the palm trees that completed the picture-perfect setting for fun. Today, it means trim your palms to prevent someone being injured by falling coconuts or palm fronds. The fronds themselves are extremely heavy and crash to the ground with no warning, sometimes on a

The flower buds of the coconut palm bloom are pollinated by bees and then start growing as miniatures of the full-grown coconuts that are a vital crop for Florida.
Rafael’s crew includes his son, Jose, who was just born when Rafael started his business. Jose will be 23 next month. He worked alongside his dad from the time he was about 8 years old and is still working hard today.
“My dad likes being in a routine, it keeps him fit. There were times my mom didn’t want me to go with him, I think she was afraid I’d get hurt, but I didn’t and I’m still here,” Jose told me. He said they have about 100 clients on Isles of Capri for lawn service, sodding, landscaping, tree trimming and other side jobs, which keeps them busy.
Jose said that his dad has had several accidents with his razor-sharp machete. “One time he cut a big slice of flesh almost off his forearm, but he cleaned it, bandaged the flap back on and it was fine. He doesn’t like to go to the hospital so he takes care of things himself.”
Chris Rodriguez, another highclimbing, tree-trimmer

Rafael Barajas (left) and Chris Rodriguez in adjacent trees. A dead coconut tree was retained to offer habitat for local birds.
Jory Westberry has been a dedicated educator for over 40 years, the last 14 as Principal of Tommie Barfield Elementary, where she left her heart. Life is rich with things to learn, ponder and enjoy so let’s get on with the journey together!
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