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UMass Virtual Community Tree Conference 2022

Event date/time: 
Thursday, March 3, 2022 - 8:45am to 3:45pm
Event Type: 
Online
Price: 
$95/pp for up to 2 attendees
$86/pp for 3 or more attendees from the same company

Join us for this virtual conference with a full day of topics designed for tree care professionals, volunteers, and enthusiasts including arborists, tree wardens, urban foresters, foresters, landscape architects, landscape contractors, and shade tree committee members. 

See the full agenda below.

Pesticide & Professional Credits

Pesticide credits: 2 pesticide contact hours are available for categories 29, 35, 36, 48 and Applicators License (MUST be present for both the Insect Pests of Trees & Shrubs talk from 9:00-10:00 am and the Diseases of Trees & Shrubs talk from 10:00-11:00 am and answer all poll questions presented during those talks).

Association credits: 5.25 ISA, 5.5 SAF (cat 1), 4 (cat 1) CFE & 1.5 (cat 2) CFE, 1 MCH, 1 MCA (safety), 2 MCA (education), and 2 MCLP (education) available. CTSP credits requested.

Agenda

8:45     Welcoming Remarks 
             
Brian Kane, Ph.D. Mass. Arborists Association Professor, UMass Dept. of Environmental Conservation 

9:00     Insect Pests of Trees and Shrubs – Updates    
            Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension Entomologist

Invasive insect updates, identification, biology, and management options. Spotted lanternfly has arrived in Massachusetts, and browntail moth activity to the north should be watched. Learn about another potential newcomer, box tree moth, so you can report it if seen. Insect relatives such as jumping worms, which have received a lot of attention from the public in recent years, will also be mentioned time permitting. 

10:00   Diseases of Trees and Shrubs – Updates    
             Nicole Keleher, Forest Health Program Director, Mass. DCR

Current diseases threatening ornamental trees and shrubs, including their identification, biology, and management options.    

10:55   Break

11:10   Working Natural Disasters Safely and ANSI Z133 Update
             Dennis Ryan, Emeritus Professor of Arboriculture & Community Forestry, UMass Amherst 

This presentation begins with a brief overview of the Z133 and its current state of revision. Following that, we will cover various aspects of safe work practices that are particularly relevant to working safely during and after storms, which are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity.

12:00   Lunch

12:45   Presentation of Scholarships 
            
Art Goodhind, Mass. Tree Wardens & Foresters Association; Neal Reilly, Mass. Arborists Association; Paul Fletcher; Gary Nedorostek; and Rich Herfurth, Bartlett Tree Experts

1:00     Managing Trees During Construction
             James Clark, Managing Consulting Arborist, HortScience, Bartlett Consulting 

Trees and built infrastructure are often in conflict, but there are ways to minimize the extent of tree damage that occurs when construction projects take place. One of the world’s leading authorities on the topic will give an overview of what you can do to help preserve trees during construction.

2:00     Tree Risk Assessment – Accurately Assessing Likelihood of Failure
             Ari Okun, UMass Amherst Graduate Student, and Ryan Suttle, Consulting Utility Arborist, HortScience, Bartlett Consulting 

How many risk trees are in your yard? Your community? Your distribution or transmission system? How do you know whether your assessments of likelihood of failure are accurate? Can advanced tools like tomography improve your assessments?

3:00     Media Matters   
             Kaitlyn Woods, Social Media Manager, Eversource Energy 

Arborists sometimes find themselves in the midst of a media circus or media frenzy when a tree fails and injures someone or when a storm knocks out power when trees contact power lines. The most effective stewardship is accomplished through collaboration and positive relationships—and the media can be a helpful ally in educating the public and sharing the stories of the trees.

3:45     Wrap-up, Instructions for Pesticide and Association Credits
 

Registration Deadline: 
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 - 12:00pm
Contact's name: 
Ellen Weeks
Contact's email: 
Contact's phone on day of event: 
(413) 545-0895
This event will be recorded: 
No