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
Pennsylvania State University Arboriculture and Community Forest Training
Here is this month’s listing of upcoming arboriculture and community forestry events in and around Pennsylvania and online. For more information on a particular program, please use the listed contact information for that program.
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1. Tree Support and Protective Systems
Thursday, November 8, 2018, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Philadelphia, PA
Offered by Morris Arboretum
An important feature in the preservation of mature shade trees in the built environment involves the installation of various support cables, rods, and guying systems, as well as lightning protection. This one-day course will explore all aspects of these techniques as well as the best practices and standards of the industry. There will be field demonstrations of each technique and an opportunity to get hands-on practice. Alex is an ISA certified arborist with many years of experience in practical arboriculture and an acknowledged expert in cable splicing and installation.
CEUs: 6.0 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists
Cost: $140, includes lunch
For more information and to register, visit https://experience.morrisarboretum.org/Info.aspx or call 215-247-5777, ext. 125
2. Trees Matter Symposium
November 14, 2018, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Silver Spring, MD
Montgomery Parks and Casey Trees, Washington D.C., present the seventh annual Trees Matter Symposium. Presentations will focus on the health and welfare of trees in our increasingly developed landscapes. Learn from some of the country’s leading experts about innovative efforts to plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and suburban settings. Trees provide many benefits: they cleanse and cool our air, stabilize our soils, provide wildlife habitat and beautify our urban and suburban areas. We encourage all arborists, landscape industry and environmental/green industry professionals, engineers, designers, housing developers and interested citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to learn new techniques and concepts on what can be done to ensure the survival of trees in our built environment.
CEUs: Maryland Licensed Tree Experts (5 Credits), ISA Certified Arborists (5 credits), Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (5 credits), and Landscape Architect LACES (5 credits)
Cost: $95
For more information and to register, visit https://www.montgomeryparks.org/about/divisions/arboriculture/trees-matter-symposium/
3. Chipper and Chainsaw Operation in Spanish
Las operaciones de las motosierras y los chippers
Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Philadelphia, PA
Offered by Morris Arboretum
This course is designed for entry level arborists. The main goal of this one-day course is to acquaint students with chippers and chainsaws and their safe operation so that they will be fully competent to operate the machinery safely, and without direct supervision. This program is designed to give an additional credential to the crew member by introducing them to the fundamentals of machine operation. The course helps employers document training as well as identify and retain motivated employees. It will verify, according to OSHA guidelines, that the employer has provided the proper safety training necessary to operate this machinery. The Chipper and Chainsaw course is a component of the TCIA Tree Care Academy Program and meets their accreditation standard. Each student will receive a helmet decal, patch, certificate, and a laminated wallet card upon successful completion of the test.
CEUs: 6.0 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists
Cost: $140
For more information and to register, visit https://experience.morrisarboretum.org/Info.aspx or call 215-247-5777, ext. 125
4. Webinar: Changing Urban Tree Canopy Cover in the U.S.
Urban Forestry Today Webcast Series – UMass Amherst, Department of Environmental Conservation
Thursday, November 15, 2018, 12 PM – 1 PM (Eastern Time)
Join Dr. David Nowak, USDA Forest Service, as he discusses the latest findings pertaining to how urban tree canopy cover and associated values are changing in the United States.
Cost: Free
CEUs: This webinar is eligible for 1.0 CEU with the International Society of Arboriculture and 0.5 Massachusetts Certified Arborist CEUs.
Where: Visit www.joinwebinar.com and enter the ID code: 150-883-555
For more information: http://www.urbanforestrytoday.org/ or email Rick Harper at rharper@eco.umass.edu
5. Webinar: Concrete Cloth: A Versatile Option for Stormwater Management and Erosion Control
Penn State Extension Community Forestry Management Monthly Webinar Series
Tuesday, November 20, 2018, 12 PM – 1 PM (Eastern Time)
Anne Duggan, CEO of KevCon/Pave Drain will present an array of land protection challenges where concrete cloth was incorporated in best management practices. Unlike an web of interlinked blocks, concrete cloth is described as a geosynthetic cementitious composite mat. Ms. Duggan here shows how KevCon’s harden-in place fabric innovation performed in a variety of site needs including erosion control, slope face protection, drainage swales etc.
Registration and connection details: Register at https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_utRC-0EfQzWo8tyqCmVFlA
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
6. Webinar: The Emerald Ash Borer: Strategies for Conserving Ash in the Urban Forest
Utah State University Forestry Learn at Lunch Webinar Series
Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 2 PM – 3 PM Eastern Time
In cooperation with the TREE Fund, USU Forestry Extension presents the November Learn at Lunch Webinar. This presentation will review research that provides scientific basis for EAB management and conservation of ash in urban environments. Results of multiyear insecticide trials with soil applied, trunk injected, and bark applied systemic insecticides show that protection of even very large caliper ash trees is a viable option to consider as part of an integrated management program for EAB. The EAB Cost Calculator and tree inventories can be used to integrate treatments with removal schedules to develop proactive, strategic management programs for ash and the EAB “death curve” in the urban forest.
Registration and connection details: Register at https://extension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FmFndHwpT0-VlI1qdf84sg
Cost: Free
Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs) and ISA Certified Arborists
7. Designing Native and Ecological Plant Communities
Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Philadelphia, PA
Offered by Morris Arboretum
Join us as we translate the ecological principles of wild plant communities into planting design tools that will help you create better planting. Functional and ecological plantings, such as rain gardens and meadows, are increasing in popularity but simultaneously face severe challenges. They often fail to wow the public, offer a low level of ecological function, and simply don’t survive on low-budget maintenance. Examples of failed projects are plentiful and hurt the image of the native plant movement. We won’t solve these issues if we continue to compare planting design to painting on canvas and perceive plants as individual objects in space. It is time for a new approach—a plant-community-based method that has evolved in the world of ecological science. This interactive workshop will introduce you to the science behind stable and lasting plant combinations. You will learn the skill of creating plant communities in four hands-on design exercises and practice this technique in a hypothetical planting project at the end of the workshop.
CEUs: 5 CEUs for ISA certified arborists and LACES credits for landscape architects
Cost: $180
For more information and to register, visit https://experience.morrisarboretum.org/Info.aspx or call 215-247-5777, ext. 125
8. 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
Johnstown, PA
December 1, 2018
Offered by Penn State Extension
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-tenders
For more information, contact Brian Wolyniak at bjw229@psu.edu or call 412-482-3455
Pittsburgh, PA
December 1, 2018
Offered by Tree Pittsburgh
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Register online at https://www.treepittsburgh.org/ways-to-give/volunteer
For more information, contact joe@treepittsburgh.org or 412-781-8733
Online
Thursdays, January 24- March 7, 2019
Offered by Penn State Extension
One hour sessions each week at 12 noon or 7 pm
Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-tenders-online
For more information, contact Vinnie Cotrone at vjc1@psu.edu or call 570-825-1701
9. Financing Urban Tree Canopy: A How To for Chesapeake Communities
Thursday, December 13, 2018, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Washington, DC
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center invite you to a workshop on sustainable approaches to funding and financing an urban forestry program for Chesapeake Bay communities. This workshop comes with the launch of a newly developed written guide for Chesapeake Bay communities by the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and the US Forest Service with support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. All participants will receive a hard copy of this guide at the workshop. This workshop is an opportunity to hear from and speak with experts as well as peers from across the Chesapeake Bay watershed on effective, transferable, and often novel approaches to leveraging existing resources or increasing access to funding for implementing urban tree canopy.
This workshop is intended for local government staff, elected officials, volunteer tree boards and/or commissions, and any other individuals or groups involved in urban tree canopy efforts in their community.
Cost: Free, pre-registration is required
For more information and to register, visit https://www.allianceforthebay.org/events/funding-urban-tree-canopy-for-chesapeake-communities-workshop/
10. Arborist Short Course
Offered by Penn State Extension
These four-day short courses teach the basics of arboriculture (tree care), including tree biology, tree risk assessment, tree planting, and other topics, providing training for those interested in taking the International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist Examination.
Specifically, this course covers:
— Diagnosis of plant diseases and arthropod pests
— Plant nutrition and fertilization
— Selection, installation and establishment of trees and shrubs
— Soil and water interaction and management
— Tree identification
— Tree assessment and risk management
— Proper pruning and the ANSI standards
— Construction impacts and management
— Safety and tree climbing
CEUs: ISA Certified Arborist, PCH, and PA Landscape Architect CEUs and Pesticide Credits are available for this course.
Registration is available online for all four locations at: https://extension.psu.edu/arborist-short-course
Please note different registration deadlines for each location.
Upcoming Arborist Short Courses:
Dallas, PA:
January 4, 11, 18, and 24, 2019
For more information, contact Vinnie Cotrone at vjc1@psu.edu or 570-825-1701.
Registration deadline: December 20, 2018
York, PA:
January 30 and 31, February 6 and 7, 2019
For more information, contact Tim Abbey at tma13@psu.edu or 717-755-5968.
Registration deadline: January 29, 2019
Additional locations (western PA) to be offered in early 2019 to be listed soon.
If you would like to have programs shared via this monthly newsletter, please email information to Brian Wolyniak by the 25th of the current month for publication in the following month’s newsletter.
Brian Wolyniak
Extension Urban Forester
bjw229@psu.edu
(412) 482-3455
Penn State Extension
1435 Bedford Avenue, Suite A
Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Julianne Schieffer
Extension Urban Forester
jxs51@psu.edu
(610) 489-4315
Penn State Extension
1015 Bridge Rd
Collegeville, PA 19426
More Training in Sustainable Systems