The Delaware Forest Service’s urban and community forestry program will hold its 9th Annual Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar on October 22 and 23, 2019 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall (18500 S. DuPont Highway, Harrington, DE 19952). While targeted primarily to the tree care industry, the event is also open to the public—particularly HOA’s or communities who want to create better communities through healthy trees. The cost is $100 for both days (lunch on the first day and snacks included). Register at this link or click the “online registration” graphic. All major credit cards accepted.

The 2019 Delaware Arborist Seminar Agenda covers one full-day session on Oct. 22 and one half-day session on Oct. 23. Attendees can learn the latest developments in tree care through lectures by academic and industry experts, outdoor demos, and vendor exhibits featuring the newest equipment and technology.

Tree professionals can also earn continuing education credits toward accreditation from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), Maryland Licensed Tree Expert, and Delaware pesticide certification.

For more information, contact Kesha Braunskill at kesha.braunskill@delaware.gov.

Delaware Arborist & Tree Care Seminar – Day 1 – October 22

8:15 AM
Update on EAB and Other Insects – Trent Dicks, ArborJet
The latest on emerald ash borer (EAB) in Delaware, emerging threats from insects such as spotted lanternfly, and a range of possible treatments. With 20 years experience in the landscape industry, Dicks has a B.S. from Illinois State and an associate’s in applied horticulture. 

9:15 AM
Signs and Symptoms: Identification of Urban Tree Diseases – Nancy Gregory, University of Delaware
Learn to identify a broad range of tree pests, pathogens, and problems in today’s urban forests. Gregory has an M.S. in plant pathology from Penn State University and serves as the plant diagnostician at U.D. Cooperative Extension.

9:15 AM & 10:30 AM
Drones and Tree Risk Assessment with Outdoor Demo – Dan Staley, Arbor Drone
Drones are an important new tool to survey for insect damage and identify hazard trees. Dan Staley is a certified arborist with Colorado’s Arbor Drone, which has worked with cities in the U.S. and Canada to use drones to find early signs of emerald ash borer and assess risk from hazardous trees.

11:00 AM
Soil Moisture: One of the Most Important Factors for Tree Survival – Wei Zhang, Tree Diaper®
Learn the relationship between soil, moisture and tree survival. Zhang holds a PhD in chemical engineering and is one of the co-founders of Zynnovation, LLC – a Virginia firm that developed the Tree Diaper®, winner of a recent “2019 Cool Products Award.”

Noon – LUNCH (Mission BBQ)

1:00 PM
Road Salt and Urban Forestry – Wei Zhang, Tree Diaper®
Wide use of road salt in northern cities can cause tree discoloration and canopy loss. Learn how to mitigate and prevent the effects through case studies from Baltimore and Richmond. Dr. Wei Zhang was part of the team that helped develop the Tree Diaper® to ensure greater tree survival in harsh urban environments.

1:00 PM
Permaculture and Arboriculture – Joe Murray, Tree Literacy, LLC (2 hours)
Understanding basic permaculture practices can help arborists to assess if they are being conducted properly and if they benefit trees. Murray has a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s in plant pathology and physiology from Virginia Tech, and a master’s in teaching from the University of Richmond.

2:00 PM 
Fall Fertilization and the new Tree-Age R-10 – Trent Dicks, ArborJet
Learn about the benefits of fall fertilization and advances in site applications for Tree-Age, R-10. With 20 years experience in the landscape industry, Dicks has a B.S. from Illinois State and an associate’s in applied horticulture.

3:15 PM 
Delaware’s “Big Tree” Program – Bill Seybold, Delaware Forest Service
Learn about how foresters measure large trees and what factors make a tree a “state champion.” Seybold has a bachelor’s in botany from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s in forestry from the University of Minnesota. He oversees Delaware’s forest health program and its “Big Trees of Delaware” list. 

Delaware Arborist & Tree Care Seminar – Day 2 – October 23

8:15 AM
Compartmentalization in Trees – Jason Grabosky, Rutgers University
Learn about the process of compartmentalization in trees and how it influences their overall health from a top urban forestry expert. Grabosky holds a bachelor’s degree from Cal-Poly and both master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell in ornamental horticulture. He received the L.C. Chadwick Award from ISA in 2012 for his contributions to soil design research and also was honored with Rutger University’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2017.

9:15 AM
Evolution and Management of the Urban Forest and Electric Utilities – Stephen Hilbert, Asplundh
Learn from an industry arborist about the evolution of the urban forest alongside modern utility infrastructure that powers today’s information society. Hilbert is an ISA-certified arborist who has a B.S. in forest management from Penn State University. He has extensive industry experience working as an arborist for Bartlett Tree Experts and First Energy.

10:30 AM
Construction Zones/Sidewalks with Trees – Jason Grabosky, Rutgers University
This talk will discuss various approaches to dealing with tree roots and sidewalks in close proximity to each other, as well as how to protect trees during construction events. Through a mix of audience questions and examples, learn how both challenges are influenced by soil volume and the carrying capacity of the site. Grabosky holds a bachelor’s degree from Cal-Poly and both master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell in ornamental horticulture. He received the L.C. Chadwick Award from ISA in 2012 for his contributions to soil design research and also was honored with Rutger University’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2017.

Download a copy of the draft 2019 Delaware Arborist Seminar Agenda that contains the tentative session schedule at this time. This agenda will be updated with more details as the event gets closer.

Print