What is the Connecticut Tree Protective Association?
CTPA is an educational association dedicated to advancing the care of Connecticut’s trees. Currently, we have over 780 members, of whom approximately three-quarters are licensed arborists. About two-thirds of the licensed arborists in Connecticut are CTPA members.
The Association seeks to accomplish its purpose through educational events such as our two large meetings held each year (our Annual Meeting in January and our Summer Meeting in July), through regular workshops, through outreach and publicity, and through the example provided by our membership. One of our most successful programs is our class in arboriculture, called Arboriculture 101 , for those interested in learning more about tree care or in pursuing their arborist license.
To learn more about CTPA, visit What is the CTPA?
What is the Arborist License?
Tree care has made enormous strides over the past several decades. Increased scientific knowledge, constantly improving techniques and solid adherence to professionalism have each played their part in bringing tree care in Connecticut to a level that may be the best in the country. Certainly, the reputation for quality in tree care in Connecticut is recognized on the national level.
A major reason for the state’s success is the fact that Connecticut requires that individuals who practice arboriculture commercially have an arborist license. The law that establishes the arborist license in Connecticut, CGS 23-61a-f, dates back to 1919 and is one of the oldest laws of its kind in the country. The law sets standards for what arboriculture is and sets out the qualifications an individual must demonstrate in order to call him or herself an arborist. Along the way, the prospective arborist must pass 3 separate tests, none of which is easy. However, the process protects the trees, those who own the trees, and those who will be safer and better able to enjoy those trees in the future.
To learn more about what an arborist is, including information on how to become an arborist, please visit Becoming an Arborist in CT.
Why are Trees Important? Why Does Tree Care Matter?
Trees, and other green plants, have perhaps the most important job on the planet. They are the organisms that capture the energy of the sun and convert it into chemical energy, storing it into simple, useable molecules that serve as the building blocks for all life. In the process, plants, trees included, produce oxygen. Oxygen gives all other living things, including humans, the ability to unlock the energy storehouses produced by green plant.
On a less sweeping but no less meaningful scale, trees are just as important. Lately, scientists have learned in detail what many of us know intuitively – that trees contribute to the quality of life in many significant ways. The shade us, they cool us, they reduce energy consumption, they contribute to our sense of belonging and community and they lift our spirits and improve our outlook on life. And, they do all of this without asking much of us in return.
But, trees are living organisms, as complex as any other living organism that exists. They are also long-lived. Many of our larger shade trees have life spans that cross several human generations. When these complex, long-lived creatures need care, they should receive if from knowledgeable individuals who understand trees. In addition to the ‘normal’ difficulties trees face – from insects, diseases, storm-damage and age, trees must also deal with the ongoing influences that humans have on the natural environment. As soils are disrupted and compacted, tree roots and crowns injured by various activities and new diseases and insects are introduced, the need for experts in understanding how these factors affect trees is greater now than ever.
