Events - Event View

PACKAGE A - MUNICIPAL

TOTAL CEUs Available: 4 ISA CEUs / 3 MDARD credits / 1 CTSP

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Leadership for Crew Leaders and Managers

Todd James Kramer, Kramer Tree Specialists Inc.

Green Industry staff are often promoted to leadership roles based on their ability to complete a task but may lack the qualities and skills required to be an effective leader. Learn how to develop leadership skills that will positively contribute to developing safe, productive and quality-oriented crews.

ISA CEU: 1

CTSP: 1

Tree Biology and Pruning 101

Randall H. Miller, CNUC

Attendees will be able to:

1. Make clear how trees compartmentalize decay

2. Describe how branches are attached to parent stems

3. Articulate where basic pruning cuts are made 4. Understand different classifications of pruning, including utility pruning

MDARD: 1

Biochar and Urban Trees

Bryant Scharenbroch, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Urban tree growth may be reduced due to poor urban soil conditions. Soil management to alleviate poor urban soil conditions often includes organic amendments. Biochar is one type of organic amendment with great potential for soil improvement for urban trees. This presentation will discuss: 1) what biochar is, 2) research findings on its efficacy, and 3) its pros and cons for use in urban forestry and arboriculture. The presentation will highlight research from the speaker and others but will mostly focus on the application of this information.

MDARD: 1

Preventing Construction Damage to the Landscape

Janet Macunovich & Steven Nikkila, GardenAtoZ

Property owners who add a room, pave a sitting area, build a garage or change a walkway rarely consider losing trees and permanently disfiguring the landscape in the process, but that’s often the result. Here is a discussion of helping homeowners plan before construction begins, to identify what can be saved in a landscape, protect it and help it recover when the crews and equipment have gone.

ISA CEU: 1

MDARD: 1

Grad Session: Biology and Control of Chestnut Weevils in Michigan

Maximilian D Ferguson, Michigan State University

Chestnut weevils, a native pest, have emerged as a major pest as commercial chestnut production has expanded in Michigan and other states. This pest also threatens American chestnut restoration efforts. Weevil larvae feed inside chestnut kernels, ruining the nuts. We monitored adult weevil activity using traps in infested orchards and conducted post-harvest trials to identify effective and efficient options for treating potentially infested nuts. Hot water treatments are effective at reducing infestations, but also delay emergence for larvae that survive the treatment.

PACKAGE B - FOREST HEALTH & PLANT HEALTH CARE

TOTAL CEUs Available: 4 ISA CEUs / 4 MDARD credits

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Balsam Woolly Adelgid in Michigan

Robert Miller, Mi Dept of Agriculture & Rural Development

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae) is an invasive insect that has destroyed eastern (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) and Carolina (T. caroliniana Engelmann) hemlocks in much of their North American range. Currently HWA can be found in five Michigan counties along lake Michigan; Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa. Balsam woolly adelgid (BWA; Adelges piceae) arrived in North America in the early 20th century, the tiny insects have killed countless fir (Abies) trees in the northeast, west and southeast. In August, the invasive insect was first detected in Michigan. MDARD’s Robert Miller will present information on both HWA and BWA and what is being done at the state level to combat both of these pests.

ISA CEU: 1

MDARD: 1

Incorporating Biological Control in Your Arboricultural Plant Health Care Program

Kevin Chase, Bartlett Tree Experts

Biological control agents are an important part of plant health care and integrated pest management programs. However, they are highly under-utilized. We will discuss the most biologically and logistically feasible agents that should be considered on the urban landscape. The pros and cons of each species will be weighed.

ISA CEU: 1

MDARD: 1

Spotted Lanternfly and Asian Longhorned Beetle – Invasive Pests to Watch Out For in 2022

Amy Kennedy, Michigan Dept. of Agriculture & Rural Development

An overview of two insects that pose a significant risk to Michigan’s forests: the spotted lanternfly and the Asian longhorned beetle. Both insects have established populations in neighboring states, and it is very possible that they could spread to Michigan. Attendees will learn to spot signs and symptoms of these invasive pests, as well as how to report sightings.

ISA CEU: 1

MDARD: 1

Michigan State University Graduate Sessions

Long-term impact of Beech Bark Disease on Forest Composition - Nicholas Zoller

Michigan’s beech resource is threatened by beech bark disease (BBD), an invasive complex involving sap-feeding beech scale insects which facilitate infection by a virulent Neonectria sp. fungal pathogen. In 2021, we revisited 19 of 62 long term sites established in 2002 to track BBD progression and impacts. Data from 2021 show beech scale is now present in 18 of the 19 stands surveyed in 2021, representing a 47% increase in infested stands since 2002. Basal area of live beech in the 19 stands has decreased on average by 49% since 2002. Surveys of the other 43 stands will occur in 2022.

Native communities of longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae) in Michigan - Paige Payter

Native longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae) are woodborers that colonize dying or newly dead trees, playing an important role in decomposition and nutrient cycling. We captured 51 to 75 species of native cerambycids annually in 28 to 48 baited traps monitored from 2017 to 2021. Traps were placed in urban industrial areas and forested recreational areas across Michigan to assess species assemblages. There were 29 of those species captured all four years, while 24 species were represented by a single individual captured in only one year.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Michigan: Insecticide Strategies and Tree Recovery - Justin Keyzer

Localized infestations of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an invasive tree-killing insect, have been detected along the Lake Michigan shoreline in 5 counties. Infested hemlocks treated in Fall 2016/Spring 2017 with imidacloprid, dinotefuran, or a tank-mix of both products were monitored from 2018 to 2021. We assessed rate and level of HWA control, persistence of insecticide applied with different methods, and post-treatment recovery of treated and untreated trees.

ISA CEU: 1

MDARD: 1

Grad Session: Biology and Control of Chestnut Weevils in Michigan

Maximilian D Ferguson, Michigan State University

Chestnut weevils, a native pest, have emerged as a major pest as commercial chestnut production has expanded in Michigan and other states. This pest also threatens American chestnut restoration efforts. Weevil larvae feed inside chestnut kernels, ruining the nuts. We monitored adult weevil activity using traps in infested orchards and conducted post-harvest trials to identify effective and efficient options for treating potentially infested nuts. Hot water treatments are effective at reducing infestations, but also delay emergence for larvae that survive the treatment.

PACKAGE C - GENERAL

TOTAL CEUs Available: 4 ISA CEUs / 1 CTSP

KEYNOTE: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Bruce Coppock, Integrity Tree Service

Do you know what a rising tide is? It dates to the Kennedy era and can be used as a metaphor for industry growth. To that extent, we all know change is constant. Join me in a motivational and persuasive dialogue where we look at our generational workforce, merge science and ideas, to engage in thought provoking concepts building a deeper meaning in arboriculture through professionalism by elevating the trade to create a culture of leaders.

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Leadership for Crew Leaders and Managers

Todd James Kramer, Kramer Tree Specialists Inc.

Green Industry staff are often promoted to leadership roles based on their ability to complete a task but may lack the qualities and skills required to be an effective leader. Learn how to develop leadership skills that will positively contribute to developing safe, productive and quality-oriented crews.

ISA CEU: 1

CTSP: 1

Business Ownership: The Journey

Edward Girrbach IV, Brothers Tree Service

This session will include discussion on what it means to be a business owner. Topics include stresses and benefits, the financial concepts and capital investments, in addition to, acquiring gear and equipment, developing and maintaining staff structure, creating a culture and establishing cliental, and most importantly, the importance of customer service.

The target Audience for this session includes:

• Arborists that are new to the business
• Arborists considering going into the business
• Contract Climbers
• Established business owners

Public Relations in Arboriculture 101

Steve Lane, Great Lakes Urban Forestry Company

We as Arborists work in one of the most unique, diverse, exciting fields in the world. However, we often fail to attract the next generation of Arborists and can sometimes unintentionally be poor ambassadors for promoting our profession. Join Steve as we talk about the role that representing yourself and our industry well in your daily lives can play in growing the industry, raising awareness (and wages!), and enriching your own life as an Arborist and the various communities you interact with.