MISS WEST CENTRAL
Carly Hansen
Class of 2026
Class of 2026
Talent: Science Demonstration
Community Service Initiative: Arbor Day, Every day Director: Dawn Kosbab Email: [email protected] Pageant Date: TBA Combined competition with Miss Morris Area, Miss Midwest and Miss West Central |
“Are you the Tree Girl?”
I absolutely am. My name is Carly Anne Hansen, and I am a climbing arborist in training. I work full-time at Rainbow Tree Care in Minnetonka as a ‘climber in training’. In July, I achieved my goal of earning my gear and choosing my mentor to start my journey as a climbing arborist truly. I’m frequently asked what drew me to the field. In honesty, Arboriculture found me. I finished my undergraduate degree thinking that I wanted to pursue a career in Human Resources. After a crazy shift in life working as a Temporary Forestry Worker for Three Rivers Park District, my path drastically changed. During my two seasons, I grew so much professionally and personally. I participated in my first controlled forest burn, removed invasive species, assisted in planting over 112,500 native trees, and climbed a tree for the first time. After the climbing demonstration, I realized that my career goals had completely shifted. In March of 2024, I started at Rainbow Tree Care as a Plant Health Technician. After obtaining my pesticide applicator license, I spent the spring and summer applying pesticides in various methods to treat tree diseases. I have treated diseases like Dutch Elm Disease, Apple Scab, Magnolia Scale, Rhizosphaera, and many more. In the fall, I moved to the Prune Care department, where I learned the necessary skills and knowledge to become a successful and safe ground worker. Now that I have started my journey to becoming a C climber, you can keep up with my progress on CarlytheArborist on Instagram as I slowly become a skilled climber. Outside of work, I am honored and blessed to be your Miss West Central 2026. The Miss Minnesota Organization has helped me grow, promote, advocate, and educate about my Community Service Initiative, “Arbor Day, Every Day”. I educate and advocate about Minnesota’s climate trends, the importance of caring for your mature trees, and protecting our ecosystems. My goal is to help others find their connection to nature and discover their appreciation of their trees. You can find me volunteering my time with Athleta, Three Rivers Park District, and more. I love visiting science centers to educate kids on how trees work, creating blog posts on my website, creating infographics, and more. When volunteering with TRPD, I assist in seed collecting, invasive species removal, tree planting, seed cleaning, and more. I am always open-minded to new experiences. I attended college at Minnesota State University Moorhead from fall 2016 to spring 2021. All scholarship funds that I would be blessed to win will be used on supplemental classes that the University of Minnesota and adjusting my Undergraduate Degree at Minnesota State University Moorhead. In my free time, I love hiking, running, paddleboarding, kayaking, spending time with loved ones, caring for my cat and house plants, horseback riding, and more. During cooler weather, I enjoy reading, baking, and watching movies. |