Nora Cordier is a professional arborist, passionate climber, and proud Arbortec ambassador. In the story below, she shares her honest journey, from a wild, screen-free childhood to finding purpose high in the trees. Through moments of joy, challenge, and rediscovery, Nora’s path reminds us that nature often leads us home.
Roots of a Wild Spirit
I was born in 1993, right in the middle of a world going digital. The 2000s brought computers, smartphones, and the internet, but I grew up without screens. My sister and I didn’t have a TV or mobile phones. Instead, our world was made of forts in the woods, games of “ding dong ditch” with the neighbours, and endless hours of outdoor adventure.
I still remember those long, golden summer days right before school started again. Even as a kid, I dreaded the idea of sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day. Deep down, I already knew that life wasn’t for me.
At school, I was like a little Mowgli, always looking for a way to get outside, climbing anything I could (including the school roof). I was wild in the best sense: soil on my skin, twigs in my hair, always a bit too messy and a bit too free for the classroom.
Growing Up With Trees
When people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I didn’t hesitate; I wanted to be a forester like my parents (or maybe a horse trainer, but that’s another story). I was lucky to grow up learning about plants and animals from a young age.
The first gift I truly remember? A scientific book on fauna and flora. To me, it was a treasure map. Every animal, every tree, every flower felt like it held a secret, just for me.
For my 8th birthday, my sister gave me an earthworm hotel, an old aquarium turned into a miniature underground world. I was fascinated. I could watch for hours as the worms tunnelled through the soil, quietly doing their work. It felt like I was being let in on something most people overlooked.
Even then, I was drawn to what happened underground and naturally, I was drawn to trees too. What was their secret? How could a massive oak stand there so confidently, rooted in silence?
Behind our house, there were some big spruces where my parents couldn’t see me. I climbed them endlessly, especially when the wind was blowing. The peace I found in the treetops was unlike anything else. While the world moved toward screens and speed, I was discovering stillness and strength in the canopy.
Wandering and Wondering: School, Science & Climbing
In high school, I often felt incomplete. I studied Latin and Mathematics with genuine curiosity, and the school was located in a park filled with old trees (which, yes, I loved climbing through the teachers weren’t thrilled). But still, something was missing.
That’s when I discovered rock climbing. It reawakened my wild soul. After school, I’d train at the climbing gym; on weekends, I’d boulder in Fontainebleau with my father. That forest near Paris, with its mossy rocks, trees growing between boulders, and profound silence, became part of me.
Breaking Point to Breakthrough
At 18, I faced the big question: What do I want to become? A vet? A doctor? A climber? I wanted to make everyone proud, so I chose to study Biochemistry and Biotechnology at KU Leuven. I worked hard and got good grades. I was genuinely interested in the subject, but I couldn’t picture myself spending my life in a lab. That thought paralysed me.
Still, I was afraid to quit. Afraid that stopping would mean I had “failed.” So I kept pushing until my mind couldn’t anymore. I burned out. And just like before, I found myself returning to climbing.
I started training more than 30 hours a week. Climbing became more than a passion; it became my lifeline. I met an incredible climber who took me under his wing and began to coach me. For the first time, I began to believe: maybe I could become a professional climber.
But then, one night, everything changed. I broke my foot while running through the city. Just like that, my dream shattered. Unable to train, I spiralled into a dark period. Once again, the question returned: What now?
The Moment That Changed Everything
One day, my mother took me along to work. She had hired three arborists: one to perform a tomography scan on a sick tree, and two others to install a fall protection line. The goal was to allow the tree to remain as an ecological habitat without endangering nearby visitors.
I watched them work, and something inside me lit up. Suddenly, everything made sense. This was it. This was the light at the end of the tunnel.
Climbing Into a New Life
From that moment on, I knew what I wanted to become: an arborist, a tree climber.
I enrolled in a one-year arboriculture program, diving deep into everything about trees from the roots to the canopy. At the same time, I honed my climbing skills in a new way this time, among branches instead of boulders.
During my training, I interned with the arborist who had worked in my mother’s forest. He became both my mentor and a close friend. We still work together to this day, and now we even teach climbing courses for new arborists.
After that first year, I launched my own business and began freelancing. The people I met across Belgium welcomed me with open arms. I was brand new in the industry, but I felt like I belonged right from the start.
Living the Tree Life
Since then, I’ve entered climbing competitions, attended conferences, taken part in arborist weekends, and even joined the Big Canopy Campout expedition. With each new experience, I’ve felt more connected to this extraordinary world of trees and those who care for them.
The community I’ve found here is like family. It’s a rare and precious space, one where people are free to be their truest selves.
Now, at 31, I live in my van with my amazing dog, Wolk. I climb trees almost every day, for work, training, or simply to find peace. This life, high in the branches, is the dream I never knew I was dreaming.
Climb with Confidence
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