Community Trees Update Education Program on Woodland Management
Featured Training Course – Stream Restoration – 6 part Course
The United States has more than 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams that, along with closely associated floodplain and upland areas, comprise corridors of great economic, social, cultural, and environmental value. These corridors are complex ecosystems that include the land, plants, animals, and network of streams within them. They perform a number of ecological functions such as modulating streamflow, storing water, removing harmful materials from water, and providing habitat for aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Stream corridors also have vegetation and soil characteristics distinctly different from surrounding uplands and support higher levels of species diversity, species densities, and rates of biological productivity than most other landscape elements.
Many miles of rivers and streams have been seriously impacted by human activity. Restoring these steams to a more natural condition is a rapidly expanding field involving a multi-disciplinary approach. This 2-hour online course is the first in a series of courses that defines the issues and provides technical guidance in a wide variety of principles involved in steam restoration. This course covers an introduction to stream restoration and an overview of stream corridors, including physical structure and time at multiple scales, a lateral view across the stream corridor and a longitudinal view across the stream corridor. It is not necessary to complete all of these courses or complete them in order, but the order of the courses provides a logical progression through the subject matter.
- Webinar: More Than Good Looks: How trees influence urban stormwater management in green infrastructure practices
USDA Forest Service Urban Forest Connections Webinar Series
Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 1 PM – 2:15 PM (Eastern Time)
While green stormwater infrastructure increases in popularity, we are still learning about the role of trees in these innovative practices. In this webinar, Andrew Tirpak will discuss recent research results from studies designed to characterize the health of trees in bioretention practices and the benefits they provide to urban stormwater management. Lyn Rutherford will share observations from managing bioretention and detention ponds, noting how design, installation, and maintenance practices affect tree health and water quality function. This information can help stormwater engineers, urban foresters, and landscape professionals be successful in integrating trees into stormwater management efforts.
Presented by:
Andrew Tirpak, University of Tennessee
Lyn Rutherford, City of Chattanooga, TN
Cost: Free
CEUs: 1.0 CEU with the International Society of Arboriculture
Where: Go to https://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban-webinars/connect.php
For more information: http://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban-webinars or contact the Urban Forest Technology & Science Delivery Team at urban@fs.fed.us with questions, feedback, requests for special accommodations, speaker suggestions, or to be added to the mailing list.
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- Tree Tenders Training
Join thousands of other concerned citizens like yourself. Become a Tree Tender and help increase tree canopy cover in your community. Tree Tenders® is a training program that empowers concerned residents to make dramatic strides towards restoring and caring for the tree canopy in their communities. The course is designed for lay people and experts alike. Become one of the Tree Tenders restoring and tending your part of the forest. Instruction is provided by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, in partnership with Penn State Extension, PHS, and other local urban forestry experts.
Tree Tenders training includes:
-Tree Biology
-Urban Stresses on Trees
-Tree Identification
-Tree Pruning and Root Care
-Tree Planting Techniques
-Community Organizing
Warwick Township, PA
May 16, 23, and 30, 2019
Offered by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
6:00 PM – 9:15 PM
Register online at https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-tenders
For more information, call 215-988-1698
Pittsburgh, PA
May 29, June 5, and 12, 2019
Offered by Tree Pittsburgh
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Register online at https://www.treepittsburgh.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/
For more information, contact Joe@treepittsburgh.org or call 412-781-8733.
- Spotted Lanternfly Public Meetings
Offered by Penn State Extension
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and surrounding states. SLF presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, including the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state’s economy. The public can do a great deal to stop the spread of this invasive insect. Learn more at a public meeting near you.
Cost: Free
Register online: https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-public-meetings
Upcoming meetings:
Uniontown, PA – May 17, 2019
Danville, PA – June 8, 2019
Exton, PA – June 13, 2019
Berwick, PA – July 16, 2019
Bloomsburg, PA – August 15, 2019
- Webinar: Thinking Beyond the Backyard: Diversity in Urban Tree Plantings across the Northeastern USA
Penn State Extension Community Forestry Management Monthly Webinar Series
Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 12 PM – 1 PM (Eastern Time)
Tree planting efforts have increased in cities across the United States in recent years. However, information on these plantings remains siloed by cities making it challenging to identify national trends or make city-by-city comparisons.
Danica Doroski, Doctoral Candidate with Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies presents this study that consolidates and synthesizes data from municipalities and non-profit organizations across the Northeastern United States. Ms. Doroski’s work illuminates patterns in species composition that can inform future plantings and improve tree-planting programs on the local level.
Registration and connection details: Register at
https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nyDMKDAQQdSkj4LZZw-fhg
Use the link above to register for the webinar early, or at the time of the webinar. If you register prior to the webinar, you will receive an email with a link to access the webinar. If you register at the time of the webinar, you will be connected directly to the webinar following registration. We recommend registering and accessing the webinar room 15 minutes prior to the webinar start time to ensure you are able to connect.
Cost: Free
Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for Landscape Architects; SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs); and PLNA Certified Horticulturalist (PCH) will be offered to attendees. One CEU for ISA Certified Arborists will be awarded with 80% or higher score on webinar quiz. Certificates of attendance will be provided after the program.
For more information contact Scott Sjolander at 814-350-7749 or sas305@psu.edu
- Tree Climbing School
Offered by Penn State Extension
The Penn State Extension Tree Climbing School is an intensive 3-day class designed to teach the fundamentals of safe tree climbing and maintenance. Major emphasis will be placed on learning the skills required to climb and prune trees. The school will include classroom and fieldwork covering safety/safe climbing practices, equipment/use of hand tools, tree terminology, tree disease and insect diagnosis, culture and pruning, tree removal, and climbing knots. Check out this video to learn more and see the tree climbing school in action.
Students completing this school will not be accomplished climbers; however, students will have a satisfactory basic understanding, knowledge, and the skills required in the field of tree maintenance and tree climbing. A great deal of time will be spent in trees climbing. To achieve success in this climbing course, all participants should be in good health and have a desire to work in arboriculture.
Allison Park , PA
May 22-24, 2019
7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Cost: $350
Register online at: https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school
Registration deadline: May 17, 2019
For more information, contact Brian Wolyniak at bjw229@psu.edu or 412-482-3455.
Elizabethtown, PA
May 28-30, 2019
7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Cost: $350
Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school
Registration deadline: May 24, 2019
For more information, contact Tim Abbey at tma13@psu.edu or 717-840-7408.
East Norriton, PA
June 3-5, 2019
7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Cost: $350
Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school
Registration deadline: May 27, 2019
For more information, contact Julianne Schieffer at jxs51@psu.edu or 610-489-4315.
- Webinar: Cultivating Innovation – Documenting 15 years of TREE Fund Research Impact
TREE Fund Webinar Series, in partnership with Alabama Cooperative Extension
May 29, 2019, 1 PM – 2 PM Eastern Time
TREE Fund contracted Drs. Andrew Koeser and Richard Hauer to conduct a comprehensive, 15-year assessment of the discoveries, impacts, and returns on investment associated with its past research grant awards. Drs. Koeser and Hauer share some of the highlights of this work – from facts and figures to personal accounts by industry leaders on how TREE Fund has impacted their professional lives in their May webinar. You may be surprised at what commonly accepted practices trace their origins to TREE Fund research projects!
Presented by:
Dr. Andrew Koeser, University of Florida
Dr. Richard Hauer, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
Registration and connection details: Register at https://auburn.zoom.us/webinar/register/f688bc627a39ed2c4ac87b605f06faf5
Cost: Free
Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs), ISA Certified Arborists, and NALP.
- Woody Plant Conference
Friday, July 19, 2019, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
Mark your calendars for the 22st annual Woody Plant Conference at Swarthmore College. This popular day-long conference focuses on great woody plants for the Mid-Atlantic states and how to use them in the landscape. The conference is geared to landscape professionals and avid amateur gardeners.
Featured speakers include:
David Rubin, Principal, DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, will discuss collaborative, human-centered landscapes that create positive change. He will focus on landscape architecture and urban design that emphasize socially-purposeful design strategies.
Nina Bassuk, from Cornell University’s Urban Horticulture Institute will highlight superior hybrid oak selections for introduction into the nursery trade. These oaks can improve biodiversity and resiliency in the urban forest.
Ed Bowen, from Issima Nursery in Little Compton, Rhode Island will speak on latest developments in hydrangea breeding. The beautiful flowers of hydrangeas and their long bloom time, from early spring into fall, make them so popular. Ed focuses on hardiness in his hydrangea breeding.
Bernd Blossey, Associate Professor at Cornell University will discuss his research on invasive plants and how they threaten native species and the integrity of ecosystems.
Continuing education units (CEUs) for landscape architects and International Society of Arboriculture
certified arborists will be available.
Register online: http://www.woodyplantconference.org/
The conference is co-sponsored by Chanticleer, Longwood Gardens, Morris Arboretum, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, and Tyler Arboretum.
- Managing Invasive Plants
Offered by Penn State Extension
July 24, 2019, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Allentown, PA
Managing Invasive Plants will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to properly identify invasive plants and develop strategies for treatment and control.
Invasive weeds and pests are a major threat to our natural and cultivated landscapes, spreading quickly and displacing or killing native plants. Invasive species (plants, insects, and animals) are costing the United States more than $138 billion each year, due to their economic impact on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, waterways, wildlife, and ornamental landscapes. Ecologists now rank invasion by exotic plants, animals and pathogens second only to habitat loss as a major threat to local biodiversity.
A portion of the day will be spent in the field looking at invasive plants, the results of management, and a calibration demonstration.
Register online at: https://extension.psu.edu/managing-invasive-plants
Cost: $75
Registration deadline: July 17, 2019
For more information, contact Julianne Schieffer at jxs51@psu.edu or 610-489-4315.
Training
Sustainable Design
audioEARTH, a podcast from the American Geosciences Institute – Greenhouse
audioEARTH, a podcast from the American Geosciences Institute
Listen now to Episode 6: “Greenhouse“
The word “greenhouse” brings to mind a few different ideas. Agriculture and growth, for starters. Protection from the cold, perhaps. Glass walls. Glass ceilings. Greenhouse also refers to a fundamental idea in climate science – the greenhouse effect. But did you know that the greenhouse effect was first discovered by a woman? In this episode we’re telling the story of this discovery by geoscientist Eunice Foote, and we’re talking with some of the people and organizations that are promoting women in the geosciences.
Guests are Mackenzie Cremeans, Ph.D. (Association of Women Geoscientists), Professor Collin Roesler, Ph.D. (Bowdoin College), and Heather Houlton (American Geosciences Institute).
This is the final episode of season 1! If you’ve enjoyed listening, please consider leaving a review on iTunes. It helps others find the show. Thanks!
audioEARTH connects Earth, science and people by sharing compelling audio stories about geoscience.
Suggested Reading:
President signs water infrastructure legislation advancing NGWA key policy priorities
President signs water infrastructure legislation advancing NGWA key policy priorities
President Donald J. Trump signed into law the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) on October 23, a re-authorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) combined with legislation building on the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Doing so provides support to several programs including flood control, water storage, and drinking water programs.
NGWA CEO Terry S. Morse, CIC, hailed the legislation’s passage, calling it “a validation of the collective efforts made by NGWA volunteers to promote the importance of investing in groundwater.”
AWIA was passed overwhelmingly by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in September. Typically, WRDA legislation has a narrow focus on navigation, dams, and levees, but after concerted efforts by NGWA and other organizations, the AWIA legislation includes a significant number of provisions affecting drinking water programs.
NGWA’s top priorities in AWIA:
- Drinking Water Infrastructure: Authorizes increased funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. DWSRF funds can be used for a range of purposes including supporting construction, upgrading, and maintenance of rural infrastructure such as wells and well systems.
- $1.174 billion FY2019
- $1.3 billion FY2020
- $1.95 billion FY2021
- Groundwater Recharge: Re-authorization of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFA) program for two years at $50 million per year, which finances large projects like managed aquifer recharge projects. The legislation also removes the “pilot” designation of the program.
- PFAS: Requires water systems serving more than 3,300 people to monitor for unregulated contaminants.
- Resilience Planning: Provides funds to water systems to develop resilience plans to address extreme weather.
Passage of AWIA highlights the effectiveness of NGWA advocacy as several provisions NGWA advocated for during the NGWA Groundwater Fly-In in 2016, 2017, and 2018 were signed into law on October 23.
For more NGWA Government Affairs information, including details of the 2019 NGWA Groundwater Fly-In, visit: https://www.ngwa.org/get-involved/advocacy.
Blog Post related to Social Justice, Climate, Water Infrastructure and the Water Professional.
Just a few points:
For Professionals and Planners
- Please remember we must work with the processes on Planet Earth and not against them and we need to ADAPT!
- We must start being honest, the biggest problem or concern is not carbon dioxide or methane emissions, but inefficiency, building in the wrong areas (like floodplains, unstable ground, and land that is actively sinking.)
- We must consider water as a resource in all its forms. So instead of stormwater, wastewater, drinking water, we have to consider this as a resource to reuse, promote groundwater recharge, and stop water mining and over allocations.
- Education – Continuing Education Courses and PDH Credits
For Public and Citizen Scientist
- We must remember that water is not the only path for contamination migration and many times we are are the last line of defense and it is our home environment and the consumer products and lifestyle that plays a major role.
- We recommend, the following:
- Get in indoor air quality checked – mold, radon, lead dust.
- Get your drinking water tested and please clean the screen on your sink faucets.
- Conservation Helps
- Get a Neighboorhood Hazard Reports.
- Get the Facts and Do not Push the fear!
Sustainable Infrastructure & Resilience Webinar Series
NCSE, Arizona State University School of Sustainability, and the Security and Sustainability Forum are hosting a series of webinars in a lead up to the NCSE 2019 Annual Conference. The first webinar focused on Actionable Science Solutions for Local Resilience. Speakers shared successful practices at the local science-policy intersect and explored the role of universities in local resilience. Learn more and watch the webinar recording.