CTPA (Connecticut Tree Protective Association)

Find an
Arborist Join
CTPA MEMBER
PORTAL

Beech Leaf Disease Workshop

by

The CTPA is holding one more workshop for 2023 on Beech Leaf Disease in hopes of getting the word out to as many people as possible before winter sets in.  This workshop can help those arborists and people in the green industry who have clients with beech leaf disease and would like to not immediately take the tree down.  We encourage all to listen to the science and latest findings.

Please click here to register: https://ctpa.org/beech-leaf-disease-workshop/

Jones Auditorium
CT Agricultural Experiment Station
New Haven, CT
November 27, 2023
8am – 2pm

AGENDA

8:00 – 8:30 – Check in, Light continental breakfast.

8:30 – 8:45 – Welcome and Housekeeping

8:45 – 10:00 – Dr. Richard Cowles – Overview of Beech Leaf Disease Biology

Dr. Marra will discuss the spread of beech leaf disease in North America and in Connecticut, and current research areas in studying this new pest.

10:00-10:20 – Break

10:20 – 11:20 – Dr. Richard Cowles – Biology and Management of Beach Leaf Disease. Dr. Cowles will discuss products available for managing BLD, including their modes of action, risk of environmental harm, and strategies to avoid nematicide resistance. He will also discuss bleeding canker and the relationship of its treatment with BLD.

11:20 -12:00 Lunch (A boxed lunch is included)

12:00 -2:00 – Dr. Ricard Cowles – The extraction of Nematodes from buds, exploring the nematode with microscope.

Dr. Cowles will lead the group in how to extract nematodes from beech buds, so that arborists can learn how to track progress of their treatment efforts.

2:00 – CEU’s and Adjourn

Dr. Rich Cowles is an entomologist and has worked at the Valley Laboratory of the CAES for 29 years. His experience in managing tree pests with systemics provided the impetus for him to collaborate with others to try to find effective treatments for this new pest.

Planting Trees Today for a Greener Future!

by


SALT (Smaller American Lawns Today) Conference
Connecticut College
Saturday, November 4, 2023
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For those wanting to make positive environmental change, join us at the SALT Conference to learn about planting native trees to make our landscape more biodiverse and ecologically resilient while supporting social and environmental justice. In person presentations and lunch included.

Connecticut College
Blaustein Humanities Center
270 Mohegan Ave.
New London, CT 06320

Co-Sponsored by Wild Ones Mountain Laurel Chapter

Registration required (Register by Tuesday, October 31):
$56 / $40 Members (Arboretum and Wild Ones)

Limited seating available, register early!

REGISTER NOW

Call for Nominations!

by

The Connecticut Tree Protective Association regularly honors individuals who have made significant contributions to arboriculture and to the care and protection of Connecticut’s trees. These awards are given annually and presented at the Annual Meeting. The CTPA Board of Directors is requesting nominees for awards for the upcoming Annual Meeting join January 18, 2024 and encourages you to nominate someone whom you feel deserves special recognition.

Award Categories:

  • Award of Merit– This award is presented to a CTPA member who has shown exemplary professionalism and dedication and made outstanding contributions to the care and protection of Connecticut’s trees.
  • Arborist Citation– This award is presented to a non-member who has shown exemplary dedication to the care and protection of Connecticut’s trees.

If you know of someone that is deserving of either of these awards, please print out the nomination form and email to cathy@ctpa.org.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, December 1, 2023.

TACF 40th Anniversary Celebration

by

Sunday, October 8, 2023

The Connecticut Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of TACF this fall. An event will be organized in Lockwood on 10/8 at 1 PM – 3 PM where you can see the movie “Clear Day Thunder” focusing on the work coordinated by TACF to restore American chestnut into the woodlands of North America. Please see the flyer below for details. The event is open for everyone who is interested in chestnuts!

2023 Electrical Hazards Awareness Program Workshop

by

The Connecticut Tree Protective Association presents an Electrical Hazards Awareness Program Workshop
Thursday, November 2, 2023
7:30am – 4pm
at the Eversource – Berlin Campus
107 Selden Street, Berlin, CT
Cost – CTPA Membership $85.00, Non-Members $100.00.   Price includes lunch.

CEU’s will be available for State of CT 3D (Arborist License)/5.75 CEU’s, 6 (Rights-of-Way)/ 5.75 CEU’s, ISA/5.75 CEU’s, TCIA CTSP/ 5.75 CEU’s and Forest Practitioner / 2.0 CEU’s.

(Please note: This workshop is no longer associated with the TCIA EHAP course. If you need to be certified by TCIA, please take their course online at the TCIA website.)

This workshop will focus on the hazards all tree care workers face when they work around energized electrical conductors. This awareness is an essential part of basic tree care safety. It is recommended that all people who work in tree care take an EHAP course. This one-day workshop will be led by Emmett Shutts, Cheshire, CT. Emmett is a licensed CT arborist and Supervisor of Arborist Skills Trainer with The Davey Tree Expert Company. A tabletop live wire demonstration will be given by Doug Pistawka with Eversource.
During the seminar Doug and Emmett will share information about the electrical distribution system and the hazards associated with working near electrical conductors. Safety standards and best
practices for working near electrical conductors will be discussed.
Line Clearance Qualification for employees can only be certified by the employer however this educational seminar can be part of the training. Mr. Shutts will discuss how employers can implement this training and document certification. CTPA will not be providing this additional training or testing.
CTPA encourages all companies engaged in tree care to have an EHAP program in place for all of their employees.

Cost for this workshop is $85 members and $100 non-members. This price includes lunch, and full day of instruction. Ensure your reservation by Oct. 30th.

OR

If you are requiring certification from TCIA, you will need to take the EHAP course online. This course put on by CTPA, is designed to give education on Electrical Hazards but is not associated with the TCIA certification process.

Please go to the CTPA website – www.ctpa.org to register for the workshop.
Checks are accepted and can be mailed to: CTPA, PO Box 1946, Wallingford, CT 06492
If you have questions, please call Cathy at 203 484-2512
The CTPA would like to thank Eversource for the generous use of their facility and for their support of this program.

2023 Membership Book Dedicated to Chris Donnelly

by

The Membership Book for 2023 is complete and available here: Membership Book – CTPA (Connecticut Tree Protective Association) .  The 2023 membership book is lovingly dedicated to Chris Donnelly who has spent countless hours working on this book over the years.  We are forever grateful and thankful for all Chris has done for the association.   Thank you, Chris, from the bottom of our hearts.  The following write up was written by his wife Rita, who also gave many years to the association.  Thank you Rita!

 

 

Chris Donnelly, Chris is a Bridgeport man, born and raised. It was Catholic schools for him K to 12, same as his 9 brothers and sisters. College was close by in New Haven at Yale where his part time job was scooping ice cream. A variety of jobs followed graduation; as with many of his peers. Notably, he did a stint with UI, first reading meters, then at the power plant (ask him about the intake screens and where his car was in a movie) and later in the engineering office. Another thing about the UI, there was a running team in an industrial league in Shelton with   the ITT team. So that is how Chris and Rita met. Running was a big thing and Chris did his first marathon (Ocean State 1982) which led to both of us running the New York, Washington, DC, and Bermuda marathons. Chris also qualified for and ran the Boston marathon which I could never qualify for!

We moved to New Haven and one day when changing the oil on his car with newspapers to catch the overflow, Chris saw an ad by Oscar Stone for an Arboriculture class in New Haven. That was the start of his career in trees.

After a graduate degree from the Yale School of Forestry Chris did some work in Kentucky for the Feds (ask him about Fort Knox). He got a full-time job with Western Wood Products and learned the lumber part of trees. We couldn’t go anywhere now without his identifying all the trees and any lumber grade stamps visible. It was a traveling time for both of us. Chris was on the road to cover the Northeast and I was traveling to Brussels regularly for work. Sometimes we got to accompany each other on road trips in the US and Europe.

When Chris started with the DEP (now DEEP) he was the go-to guy for urban trees, Urban Forestry Council, Tree Wardens, Tree Protection Examining Board and of course for CTPA. Not to mention all the town selectmen or mayors or public works people calling about America The Beautiful grants, general tree questions, or licensing requirements.

Chris is still very involved with the CTPA as a past President, writer of many newsletters, organizer of many summer and winter meetings and organizer and participant in many workshops. He and Bruce Pauley got Arboriculture 101 started (Chris still runs it twice a year and it is always full!). he and Doug Pistawka got EHAP, Electrical Hazard Awareness Program up and running every fall for years.

In retirement from the DEEP Chris is still very busy with Arbor 101 and other CTPA work with the Board and Cathy (Executive Secretary). He is always on zooms for public comments on pending or proposed legislation. Or zooms for urban forest council. So, he is at home but always on his computer! A happy retirement with a new house in Durham and lots of gardens to install. We have done some traveling and are planning lots more!

-Rita Smith

Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant Program Opportunity

by

 

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant Program with support from the US Forest Service. This grant program is available to municipalities and non-profit organizations in Connecticut to pursue planning projects such as tree inventories, management plans, or other monitoring programs that will help communities make informed management decisions about their urban and community forests. You can find more details including the RFP and grant application at Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant Program (ct.gov).

 

This is just the first of several urban forestry grant opportunities that will soon be available, you can learn more about all of these programs including eligibility criteria at Urban Forestry Grant Opportunities (ct.gov).

CEU Opportunities

by

1 CEU 3A y 3D en Español!

September 5, 2023 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm


To register for this event, please click here.

Urban Forestry Today w/ Dr. Cecil Konijnendijk – Webcast

Monthly Noonhour (Eastern) Webcast Series returns Thurs Sept 07.

Join Dr. Konijnendijk, Univ of British Columbia, as he outlines the latest research related to the “social perspectives and human health implications of urban trees”.

To view the broadcast & receive a Free ISA/MCA CEU, join live or pre-register by clicking here or by visiting www.joinwebinar.com & entering: 893-044-643

(Space is limited. Attendees are strongly encouraged to join promptly, the day of the broadcast)

Smart Tree Inventory Workshop

September 8, 2023 9:00am – 3:00pm

We are excited to announce the world’s first Smart Tree Inventory! Smart Tree Inventories bring the advancements in LiDAR & machine learning to enable the digital transformation of tree inventories. Our innovative Smart Tree Inventory system harnesses the power of these cutting-edge technologies to generate dynamic, 4D models of trees. This breakthrough not only delivers an unparalleled level of detail directly to your desktop, but it also paves the way for more precise, data-driven decisions. By integrating this technology into your urban forest management strategies, you can significantly enhance your operations.

Check out the agenda for this Smart Tree Inventory Workshop:

9:00 Coffee and Registration
9:15 Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Urban Forestry – Josh Behounek, Davey Resource Group
9:45 Creating a Smart Tree Inventory – Gabor Goertz, greehill
10:30 Implementing Your Tree Inventory – Brian Breveleri, City of Worcester
11:00 Data-Driven Decisions with a Smart Tree Inventory for Risk Management, Urban Heat Island, and Tree Equity – Josh Behounek, Davey Resource Group
12:00 Lunch (included)
12:30 Equipment Demonstration & Ride-Along (Optional)
3:00 Adjourn
The Smart Tree Inventory workshop is approved for up to 5 ISA CEU’s and includes lunch for only $25.

Click Here to Register

Tree Wardens Fall Workshop

September 15, 2023 8:00 am – 2:00 pm


For more information, click here:
Tree Wardens’ Association of CT – Tree Wardens in the Field: TWAC Fall Workshop & Picnic (cttreewardens.org)

2023 Hixon Conference on Urban Forestry (free)

Friday, September 15, 2023 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EDT

Virtual and in-person registration is free. In-person attendance includes CEUs, continental breakfast, lunch and closing reception. In-person registration is limited, so register as soon as possible.

Click Here to Learn More and Register

Arboriculture 101 Fall 2023 Registration Open

by

 

 

Arboriculture 101 is CTPA’s well-regarded class series geared for those individuals who are seeking the CT Arborist License. The class series takes place over 13 weeks, for one night a week, with each class 3 hours in length (6-9pm). Further details regarding the course and what topics are covered are outlined on the Arboriculture 101 page on the CTPA website.

CTPA will hold the Fall 2023 session of Arboriculture 101 in-person, at the Jones Auditorium in New Haven. The Jones Auditorium is a part of the New Haven campus of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and is located at 123 Huntington Street.

Because of this change in venue, adjustments may also have to be made to the class schedule. While CTPA aims to hold most classes on Wednesday evenings, it may have to move some classes to a Tuesday or a Thursday. A final class schedule will be made available before the start of class.

There are a still few spaces currently available in this fall’s Arboriculture 101 course. To sign up, visit the Arboriculture 101 Registration page. or the view the current class flyer for further details.  Please note that this post is intended as an update of the flyer, which was printed and distributed earlier this summer.

To sum up this message:
• Arboriculture 101 will be held this fall, at the CT Agricultural Experiment Station Jones Auditorium in New Haven. Classes will run from September 7 to December 7.
• Full details, including as to how to register for the class, are on the CTPA website. 

Post CT Climbing Competition Day

by

On Saturday, May 6th, the CT Tree Protective Association held its annual Connecticut Tree Climbing Competition at Fairfield Hills in Newtown.  The weather the perfect weather for climbers, sunny and warm from start to finish.

CT TCC 2023 Pictures – CTPA (Connecticut Tree Protective Association)

For the event, there were 26 competitors this year.  24 males and 2 females. Fairfield Hills provided an excellent venue for the event and trees that were close together so there wasn’t a long walk between events.  The volunteers who helped on Work Day did an incredible job making the trees safe and presentable.

This was the 17th time that the CTCC has been held, although CTPA is calling it the 19th Annual Competition, to include the 2 year pause for COVID.  The enthusiasm among the climbers and volunteers was obvious.  Of particular note were the many past climbers who returned this year as volunteers, helping to maintain the safety lines that are needed in several of the competitions, time events and serve as judges.  The events all ran smoothly and there was plenty of spectators and friends and family to cheer everyone on.

The results of the competition are listed below, along with a partial list of the volunteers and of the Gold and Silver level Sponsors.  The results of the Master’s Competition will be included in a separate post.

 

NAME OF COMPETITION: CT Climbing Competition 2023 DATE: 6-May-23
Men’s Preliminary Winners
Aerial Rescue Overall Preliminary Ranking
Name Chapter Score Name Chapter Score
1 Ryan Torcicollo 0 48.33 1 Tim Reynolds 0 156.09
2 Brandon Dobnick 0 48.33 2 Ryan Torcicollo 0 150.82
3 Jake Slade 0 44.67 3 Kyle McCabe 0 133.08
4 Brandon Dobnick 0 127.95
Belayed Speed Climb 5 Jake Slade 0 126.00
Name Chapter Time (secs) 6 Sebastian Slizowski 0 119.06
1 Ryan Torcicollo 0 26.23
2 Kyle McCabe 0 26.42 Head-to-Head Ascent
3 Tim Reynolds 0 27.09 Name Chapter Time
1 #N/A #N/A #N/A
Ascent Event 2 #N/A #N/A #N/A
Name Chapter Time (secs) 3 #N/A #N/A #N/A
1 Ryan Torcicollo 0 14.60
2 Tim Reynolds 0 18.08 Secured Footlock
3 Andrew Avalone 0 17.84 Name Chapter Time
1 #N/A #N/A #N/A
Throwline 2 #N/A #N/A #N/A
Name Chapter Score 3 #N/A #N/A #N/A
1 Tim Reynolds 0 26
2 Brian Carpenter 0 23 Masters’ Winners
3 Sebastian Slizowski 0 23 Name Chapter Score
1 Jake Slade 0 242.33
Work Climb 2 Tim Reynolds 0 238.00
Name Chapter Score 3 Ryan Torcicollo 0 200.00
1 Tim Reynolds 0 63.67 4 #N/A #N/A #N/A
2 Ryan Torcicollo 0 61.49 5 #N/A #N/A #N/A
3 Brandon Dobnick 0 59.25

Sponsors:

Gold Level Sponsors

Emmons Tree & Landscaping Service;
Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co; Stamford, CT
Bartlett Tree Experts; Southampton, NY
Davey / The Care of Trees; Hamden, CT
Emerald Tree and Shrub Care; West Harrison, NY
ESSCO Distributors of CT; Milford, CT
Ferguson & McGuire; Wallingford, CT
RBI / Shelter Tree; North Attleboro, MA
STIHL; Shelton, CT
Bart’s Tree Service;
Acadia Insurance;
KraneWorks, Inc.;
The Tree Company;
All Access Equipment;
HUB Arbor Group;
Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group;
Crane Solutions, LLC;
Newtown Power Equipment; Newtown, CT

 

Silver Level Sponsors

Muench Company; Stamford, CT
Rayzor’s Edge Tree Service; Stratford, CT
Marc Warren; Colchester, CT
Cambridge Landscape; Cambridge, MA

And a special thank you to all the volunteers that came for the day.  Without the volunteers, this event could not have been possible.  Thank you!

 

Thanks to Newtown Arbor Services, Emmons Tree and Landscape Services, Northeast Horticultural Services and Bartlett Tree Experts who generously donated the equipment needed to complete Work Day and Set Up Day as well as make Competition Day work as well as it did.

Special thanks goes to the Carl Samuelson and Lauren Ravo from the Town of Newtown, who were invaluable in helping to make the Park ready.

Contact CTPA

MAILING ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 1946,
Wallingford CT 06492

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
60 Church Street (Rte 68), Suite 3A,
Wallingford , CT 06492

PHONE: 203-484-2512
EMAIL: info@ctpa.org

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook    “Instagram”

 

Join Our Facebook Group

 
Privacy Policy