CTPA’s Annual Meeting

When:  Thursday, January 21, 2021

Where: Online, via Zoom, from 8:45 am to 1:15 pm

CEUs available:  4.25 for Connecticut Arborists (Category 3D) and for Ornamental and Turf License Holders (Category 3A).  CT Forest Practitioners are eligible to receive 1.5 credits, while TWAC members may receive 4.0.  ISA Arborist CEUs are pending.  The TCIA CTSP program is not offering credits.  Details on the process to followed to receive CEUs are listed at the end of this announcement.

How to Register: Online, via the CTPA web site    (registration form may not be available until after 1/6/2021)

Registration Fee:  $45 members, $60 non-members.  Members may register non-members at the member rate.

Recordings:  This meeting will be recorded.  Only people who have registered may access the recording.  People will only need to register once.  People who attend the meeting as it occurred may also access the recorded version after the meeting based on their pre-meeting registration.   People who did not register before the meeting and did not attend it live may register after the meeting and view the recording.  The registration process post-meeting is the same as it is pre-meeting, as are the registration fees.

Meeting Details

8:45 to 9:00 – Annual Business Meeting

During the Business Meeting, Officers and Board Members for 2021 will be elected.  The Slate of Candidates has been announced.  Also during the Business Meeting, the 2020 finances will be reviewed.

9:00 to 9:20 – Update from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Dr. Jason White, Director of the CT Agricultural Experiment Station, will present highlights from the Station’s activities during 2020.  This is also CTPA’s opportunity to welcome Dr. White as Station Director.  He succeeded Dr. Ted Andreadis in this role, after Dr. Andreadis stepped down earlier this past year.

9:20 to 10:20 – Drought and Urban Trees

This meeting is also our opportunity to welcome Dr. Susanna Kerio, who joined the Experiment Station staff during this past calendar year.  Appointed as a researcher within the Department of Forestry and Horticulture, Dr. Kerio brings a background in forest pathology and tree physiology, with a specialty on urban trees.

Susanna’s describes her talk:

Connecticut has suffered from record droughts within the last decade, which has caused crop losses, tree deaths, and had negative effects on public health. Urban trees have critical importance for public health and habitability of urban areas. However, the water stress associated with the recent drought events has reduced urban tree growth and their capacity to provide shading, cooling, and other benefits. This talk will provide an outline of drought trends in Connecticut and how drought affects urban tree health. The talk presents the most recent knowledge on the factors that affect water availability in urban trees, how these effects can be quantified, and discusses how this knowledge can be used in tree health management.

10:20 to 10:30 – Break

10:30 to 11:45 – Here Comes Trouble: invasive insects, diseases, hurricanes and climate change have brought a new batch of pests to the area

Don Gabel, New York Botanical Garden’s Director of Plant Health, will provide an overview of the changes coming to our region in the face of weather events and environmental change. At NYBG, he monitors, diagnoses, and prescribes treatments for all the plants growing on the grounds, including in the gardens and glass houses. He also helps in educating and advising the staff and in teaching the public about the many aspects of horticulture.

In his talk, Dan will take a closer look at how environmental influences have impacted today’s landscape management.  These include the invasive insects and pathogens associated with the beech bark disease complex, beech leaf disease and the spotted lanternfly.  He will also discuss oak wilt and its connection with Tropical Storm Isaias, and climate change, with a closer look at the symptoms, biology, local occurrences and controls associated with the southern pine beetle.

11:45 to 11:55 – Break and Announcement of the 2021 CTPA Arborist Scholarship

During the break, this year’s recipient of the CTPA Arborist Scholarship will be announced.

11:55 to 12:15 – Update from the DEEP Pesticide Program

Diane Jorsey, Program Lead for the DEEP Pesticide Management Program, will update attendees as to the status of the Arborist Licensing and other Pesticide Supervisory Programs within DEEP.  Among the topics to be discussed will be the elicensing program now being implemented within DEEP.

12:15 to 1:15 – Restoration Pruning: After the Storm, Head for Better Form

Guy Meilleur is well-known in arboricultural circles as a highly accomplished and innovative arborist, tree expert, consultant and author.  He is the principal arborist with Historic Tree Care in the Durham, NC area.  Guy has previously spoken at a CTPA Annual Meeting.

One of Guy’s areas of expertise is working with trees following storm damage, with a particular focus on the techniques to used and the steps to be taken in order to help the tree restore itself, as to form and health.  During this talk, he will outline the approach that he recommends and the timing involved in restorative pruning.  Guy’s experience with storm damage and restorative pruning is extensive.

A Note on CEUs

DEEP Supervisory Licenses (3A and 3D)

Only individuals who have registered either for the meeting or to view its recordings may receive CEUs.  Registration may be before the meeting or, for those who just want to view the recordings, after the meeting.  Those who register to attend the meeting will not need to re-register.  The registration fee will be the same, whether registration occurs before or after the meeting.  If you wish to receive CEUs, be sure to register under your own name and have provided your DEEP license number.

In order to receive CEUs, attendees and recording viewers must pass a quiz for each section of the meeting.  There will be 3 quizzes total.  Quizzes will be made available through a link that will provided on the last slide of each of the three educational sessions.  The quiz link provided after Dr. Kerio’s session will cover her talk and Dr. White’s update.  The quiz link provided after Don Gable’s session will cover his talk.  The quiz link provided after Guy Meilleur’s talk will cover his session as well as Diane Jorsey’s update.  Each quiz will consist of 10 questions.  The passing score for each quiz is 80%.  Individual may re-take quizzes that they did not pass.  Quizzes may be taken at any time and must be submitted to CTPA for scoring.  Attendees will only receive CEUs for the quizzes they take and pass.  Attendees do not need to take all 3 quizzes.

The CEUs available from each of the three quizzes are:

Quiz 1, covering Dr. Kerio’s and Dr. White’s talks – 1.25 DEEP credits (3A or 3D)

Quiz 2, covering Don Gabel’s talk – 1.75 DEEP credits (3A or 3D)

Quiz 3, covering Guy Meilleur’s and Diane Jorsey’s talks – 1.25 DEEP credits (3A or 3D)

ISA CEUs, DEEP Forest Practitioner CEUs and TCIA CTSP CEUs are pending at this time.

Non-Pesticide Certifications

For CT Forest Practitioner and ISA Arborist, be sure to include your certification in the form when you register.  The registration list will be sent to the appropriate organization.  Proof of attendance slips for CT Forest Practitioner will be sent out following the meeting.

If there are any questions, please contact the CTPA office.