Advanced Principles of Urban Tree Care

New York City’s trees are an integral part of the urban environment. Trees clean and cool the air, beautify neighborhoods and parks, and enhance property values. They are the green infrastructure of our streets, parks, and playgrounds. Yet trees are biological organisms that suffer from adverse environmental and physical conditions. Urban areas present many challenges to keeping older trees healthy and vigorous and helping young trees survive into maturity. This 6-session, 36-hour course covers the advanced principles of urban tree care. Each session includes a lecture and field component. All field work will take place in the Native Forest and among the tree collections of The New York Botanical Garden. The Advanced Principles of Urban Tree Care Program begins with a class on performing comprehensive tree inspections and applying the published ISA Best Management Practices for tree risk assessment as well as understanding the various types of pruning practices detailed in ANSI A300 and how to specify them correctly. The second class will look at tree decay and the identification of key fungal pathogens often found on urban trees and their significance, as well as how to measure and assess wood strength loss as this is a key skill for advanced tree inspectors. The third session focuses on the importance of roots and what can be done to maximize the soil volume available to trees while keeping root conflicts with infrastructure to a minimum. The fourth presents and practices a clear method to assess overall tree condition, and stresses the importance of interpreting field data. Following tree health assessment is a day on tree protection and preservation during construction, stressing the important role of collaboration. The last day of the program includes time in the field, as well as information on mature tree care techniques, exploring a variety of strategies that ensure trees are managed properly for longevity, and concludes with an in-depth look at strategies to manage common pests and diseases.