The Alaska Division of Forestry and Alaska Community Forest Council will host a series of classes in Anchorage and Fairbanks for arborists, landscape architects, foresters, developers and others who want to learn how to retain trees during development and to diagnose structural problems of trees.
Class 1 - Site Planning and Construction with Trees in Mind
Fairbanks class: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1
At the Council Chambers in City Hall, 800 Cushman Street
Topics covered in class: Learn practical techniques for successfully retaining trees when building roads, homes, or other structures. See examples of how retaining healthy and attractive trees will reduce costs for removal and replacement and create more attractive landscapes. Case studies will demonstrate practices that will reduce damage to trees and possible hazards in the future.
A field trip to local sites will help participants gain a better understanding of how to determine which trees can and should be retained, which should be removed before construction, andsteps to take during and after construction to maintain trees in good health.
Class 2 - Techniques for Diagnosing Structural Problems in Trees
Fairbanks class: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Oct. 2
At the Council Chambers in City Hall, 800 Cushman Street
Topics covered in class: This workshop will help you hone your diagnostic skills and ability to assess the condition of trees to determine the significance of defects. Mr. Baker will cover tree biology, structure, and anatomy, visual tree assessment and common diagnostic tools, and methods for reporting results of an assessment. A classroom presentation will be followed by outdoor field practice. The workshop is open to anyone but intended for arborists, foresters, and others with a working knowledge of tree biology, anatomy, and assessment.
Continuing education credits for ISA (6.5 each class), ASLA and SAF (6.0 Category 1 each) members will be available for both classes.
Registration is required, and space is limited. To register go to http://forestry.alaska.gov/community/news.htmto download the registration form and submit it with a check.
The registration deadline is close of business on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Please direct questions to Stephen Nickel at 269-8466 or stephen.nickel@alaska.gov
The workshops will be taught by Scott Baker - founder and principal of Tree Solutions Inc., a tree consulting company in Seattle. Mr. Baker is a Board Certified Master Arborist and Registered Consulting Arborist. He has worked with trees for over 30 years and relies on his background as a successful developer to bridge the gap between construction and trees.
