With the recent storms that have devastated the region and toppled trees too numerous to count, it is vital to have knowledgeable tree care professionals on the ground during and after clean-up to ensure public safety.
Later this month, Rutgers’ Office of Continuing Professional Education (OCPE) will bring the state’s top tree experts in to give hands-on training in tree care.
The first of several tree care courses, Hazardous Tree Identification, will be held in New Brunswick from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27.
The class is geared toward shade tree managers, arborists, landscape contractors, public parks/public works managers and other professionals who need to know how to assess a hazardous tree and when to call in the experts for removal.
In addition to practical hands-on instruction in tree evaluation, students are sometimes surprised at what they learn, from “sounding” a tree to the fact that you need to have a “target.”
“No matter how dead or dangerous a tree may be, without a target, you don’t have a hazardous tree,” said instructor, Steve Chisholm, a certified tree expert and president of Aspen Tree Expert Co.
“Targets are generally defined as anything that a tree may impact and depending on who you are, that’s usually life or property,” Chisholm explained. “It can be people, it can be cars, roadways, utility lines or buildings.”
OCPE also is offering five additional, hands-on technical arboriculture courses this winter on topics ranging from large tree climbing, pruning and chainsaw maintenance to tree planting and health care – two courses that will undoubtedly be helpful as New Jersey rebuilds.
The schedule includes Plant Health Care on February 15, Tree Planting and Installation on February 18, and Tree Pruning on February 19.
For more information, visit the arboriculture course website, call (732) 932-9271 , or send email to OCPE@njaes.rutgers.edu.
