The 2014 Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar will be held March 4 and 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at Baywood Greens Clubhouse, 32267 Clubhouse Way, Long Neck, Delaware 19966. Cost is $80 with lunch included both days. Registration forms are available at delawaretrees.com and should be postmarked by February 21.
The event will feature both indoor and outdoor demonstrations by experts in the tree care field. Sponsored by the Delaware Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, the fourth annual symposium offers classroom lectures, hands-on training, and exhibits offering the latest knowledge and techniques for those interested in proper tree care and safety. The event also includes talks on how trees can help with stormwater management and the potential threats to ash trees from the emerald ash borer. This year marks the first time the event will be held in Sussex County.
This year’s featured speaker is Mark Chisholm, a certified arborist, tree climbing expert and champion, business owner, and instructor. Mark will cover topics that include indoor and outdoor instruction on balancing techniques, raising limbs, and multi-block rigging.
- Mark Chisholm is a third-generation, certified arborist with his family-owned Aspen Tree Expert Company in New Jersey. His expertise in tree care has made him a sought-after consultant and industry spokesperson for the world of arboriculture. Chisholm won the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) New Jersey Chapter Tree Climbing Championship 19 years in a row and won the ISA International Tree Climbing Championship in 1997, 2001 and, again, in 2010. Chisholm currently holds the world record in the 50-foot secured footlock climbing event, with a time of 13.8 seconds.
- Thomas Whitelock of Advanced Arborist Solutions will present a session on advanced climbing for tree professionals.
- Jay Ashby, tree program manager at the Tunnell Companies and member of Delaware’s Urban and Community Forestry Council, will present a talk on site preparation and safety. Ashby currently helps manage over 3,000 acres of community forest.
Featured exhibitors and sponsors include American Arborist, ArborJet, Baywoods, New England Ropes, and Vermeer.
Special room rates are available for attendees at the Holiday Inn Express, 19953 Shuttle Rd, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Phone: (302) 227-4030.
Tuesday, March 4
8 a.m. Registration – View Exhibits
8:40 a.m. Welcome
8:50 a.m. Job Site Safety and Setup – Jay Ashby, Tunnell Companies
10:50 a.m. Break
11 a.m. Insight to Advanced Rigging – Mark Chisholm, Aspen Tree
Noon Lunch
1:00 p.m. Outdoor Advanced Rigging – Mark Chisholm, Aspen Tree
4 p.m. Closing Comments
Wednesday, March 5
8 a.m. Registration – View Exhibits
8:40 a.m. Welcome
8:50 a.m. Borer Insects and Treatment Methods – Trent Dicks, ArborJet
9:50 a.m. Break
10 a.m. Advanced Climbing for 2014 – Thomas Whitelock, Advanced Arborist Solutions
Noon Lunch
1 p.m. Managing Stormwater Using Trees – Jason Grabosky, Rutgers University
3 p.m. Break
3:10 p.m. Ash Trees – Jimmy Kroon, DDA Plant Industries
4 p.m. Closing Comments
Directions to Baywood Greens
For more information, contact Kyle Hoyd, Delaware Forest Service Urban and Community Forester, at 302-698-4578 or kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov.