The Botany Lab

Hi everyone,

Last week was a success!

Over the course of 1.5 days near Anaconda, Montana, we had the opportunity to teach about native and invasive plants to over 40 students between the ages of 16-24.

We also discussed the importance of stewardship and responsible recreation on public land. It was a rewarding experience, with training and support from Society of American Foresters.

We highly recommend working with this partnership as a volunteer educator. If you’re an ISA Certified Arborist, the Rocky Mountain Chapter has approved certain sections for instructor-applied CEUs. If you’re in another chapter, it’s likely that those same CEUs will be approved, too.

Interested in becoming a volunteer educator? Fill out the Educator Interest Application.

We’re looking forward to seeing how this program develops over the next few years and the conservation education outcomes for the trades.

Tree New Mexico’s Tree Steward Program

Applications are open until August 1st, 2026. Tree Stewards is a statewide urban forestry training & education program covering popular topics, lessons, field trips, plantings (and more!) with guidance and training from various experts for 14 weeks. I supported this program last year as a mentor, lab leader and recently assisted with curriculum review. I highly recommend it if you’re wanting to assist with tree plantings as a volunteer, are seeking foundational training in tree work, or want to learn more about trees. If you are considering a career in arboriculture and live in New Mexico, this program is perfect for you too.

There are 2 live webinar CEU opportunities this week.

Thursday, May 28

Urban Wood Webinar@ 10:00am-11:00am Mountain

What:Municipal urban wood programs are a cornerstone of the urban wood industry. Across the country, cities have built partnerships with local urban wood processors. At this educational webinar, audience members will learn about Harrisonburg, Virginia urban wood projects and collaborations with Rocktown Urban Wood.

Program Description:

The Harrisonburg Urban Wood Program works to reclaim wood from trees that are removed in the city—whether due to storms, disease, or development—and redirects that material away from waste streams. Instead of ending up as mulch or landfill, the wood gets a second life.

That’s where Rocktown Urban Wood comes in as a key partner. They take that salvaged wood and transform it into usable products—furniture, lumber, and custom pieces—while also supporting local craftsmanship and small-scale manufacturing.

Together, the partnership does a few important things:

• Reduces waste by repurposing urban trees
• Supports the local economy through skilled labor and woodworking
• Preserves local character by keeping materials tied to the community
• Promotes sustainability in a very visible, tangible way

Harrisonburg has strong community buy-in and valuable public-private partnerships for this program

Register Here

Tree Pruning Essentials: Techniques for Stronger, Safer Trees @ 1:00pm-2:00pm Mountain

Register Here

On-Demand CEUs

Arbsession Training Videos

Watch Here

Forestry Webinars

The Webinar Portal, a product of Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) and winner of the 2011 USDA Forest Service’s Two Chiefs’ Partnership Award, is a “multi discipline” web platform used to promote and deliver live and on-demand virtual events and webinars focused on forestry, agriculture, conservation, climate science and other natural resource disciplines.

Watch Here

TreeStuff Webinars on YouTube

Watch a video and pass the quiz to qualify for free ISA CEUs.

Watch Here

Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)

Introduction to Arboriculture Safety (1.25 ISA CEUs)

In this program, you will learn about general tree care safety so that you can avoid accidents while working in the field.

Susan Harwood Grant program OSHA Trainings (Up to 5 ISA CEUs)

Free TCIA Member Webinars

Remember, you can always ask your local ISA chapter if your event qualifies for CEUs.

If your organization is hosting a free in-person or virtual ISA CEU opportunity, please reach out to so we can share it!

Subscribe to continue to receive free notifications for no-cost ISA CEU events.

Hi folks, we’re back!

First off, I’d like to thank you for your patience.

I’m feeling much better now and deeply appreciated the support and well-wishes from family, friends and colleagues.

In other news, I have three big updates for y’all:

Jobs Corps Program

This week, I’m on my way to Montana to collaborate with Society of American Foresters & United States Forest Service as a Volunteer Educator with the Job Corps program. I’ll have limited cell service so email and other communications may be a bit delayed.

Tree New Mexico’s Tree Steward Program

Applications are open until August 1st, 2026. Tree Stewards is a statewide urban forestry training & education program covering popular topics, lessons, field trips, plantings (and more!) with guidance and training from various experts for 14 weeks. I supported this program last year as a mentor, lab leader and recently assisted with curriculum review. I highly recommend it if you’re wanting to assist with tree plantings as a volunteer, are seeking foundational training in tree work, or want to learn more about trees. If you are considering a career in arboriculture and live in New Mexico, this program is perfect for you too.

There are 4 live webinar CEU opportunities this week.

Wednesday, May 20

Tecnología con Raíces: Cómo Usar Innovación sin Perder los Fundamentos del Manejo del Árbol@ 5:30am-6:30am Mountain

Register Here (Scroll down)

Engagement in Urban Forestry Leadership@ 11:00am-12:00pm Mountain

Community engagement is often treated as a supporting activity—but what if it were recognized as a core leadership function?

In this dynamic Learning Series session, we will explore how to elevate engagement from a checklist of outreach tasks to a leadership-centered framework that informs strategic planning, risk assessment, and municipal operations. Drawing on real-world experience, this session demonstrates how meaningful community engagement strengthens trust, advances equity, and reduces operational and political risk.

Grounded in the UCFS Accreditation Standards, this session highlights best practices for embedding engagement into policy, building trust through transparent structures, and communicating with cultural awareness. Real-life case studies illustrate how insufficient engagement can create operational, reputational, political, and equity risks—and how those challenges can be transformed through deeper collaboration and shared decision-making. You’ll leave with a practical framework for aligning engagement approaches with project risk levels.

Designed for municipal foresters, nonprofit programs, and community leaders, Centering Community Engagement in Urban Forestry Leadership emphasizes that community engagement is not an “extra” skill—it’s a foundational leadership responsibility essential for advancing equity, mitigating risk, and ensuring long-term program success.

Join us to transform the way you lead—you’ll gain the tools, strategies, and inspiration to make community engagement a driving force in your urban forestry programs.

At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Incorporate engagement strategies that build trust, advance equity, and reduce operational and political risk.
2. Apply a leadership-centered framework to integrate community engagement into strategic planning, risk assessment, and municipal operations.
3. Evaluate how different levels of engagement (inform, consult, involve, collaborate, empower) align with project risk and community impact.

Register Here

UAA Webinar: Safely Introducing Helicopter Trimming Operations at a Rural Co-Op @ 11:00am-12:00pm Mountain

Register Here

Thursday, May 21

Lessons Learned in Atlanta’s South River Forest@10:00am -11:00am Mountain

Atlanta’s proposed South River Forest represents both the promise and complexity of creating a major urban conservation landscape. Dr. Cassandra Johnson Gaither with the USFS found that support for protecting the forest is strong, but her research underscores a key lesson: planning processes must meaningfully reflect and engage the communities most connected to the land. Join us to see how this important guidance for advancing urban forests can strengthen your efforts towards resilient and equitable management. 

Register Here

On-Demand CEUs

Arbsession Training Videos

Watch Here

Forestry Webinars

The Webinar Portal, a product of Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) and winner of the 2011 USDA Forest Service’s Two Chiefs’ Partnership Award, is a “multi discipline” web platform used to promote and deliver live and on-demand virtual events and webinars focused on forestry, agriculture, conservation, climate science and other natural resource disciplines.

Watch Here

TreeStuff Webinars on YouTube

Watch a video and pass the quiz to qualify for free ISA CEUs.

Watch Here

Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)

Introduction to Arboriculture Safety (1.25 ISA CEUs)

In this program, you will learn about general tree care safety so that you can avoid accidents while working in the field.

Susan Harwood Grant program OSHA Trainings (Up to 5 ISA CEUs)

Free TCIA Member Webinars

Remember, you can always ask your local ISA chapter if your event qualifies for CEUs.

If your organization is hosting a free in-person or virtual ISA CEU opportunity, please reach out to so we can share it!

Subscribe to continue to receive free notifications for no-cost ISA CEU events.

Last week’s presentation in Taos was a resounding success! We’re so honored that UNM Taos HIVE hosted our presentation and it sounds like we may have another community event in the works later this year.

Here’s the link to the presentation and some helpful resources if you’re looking to DIY.

In other news, we’ll be out of the office for the next 10-14 days or so. We’ll be reviewing emails as they were received and getting back to y’all ASAP.

Are you interested in skill development as an ecosystem manager, but aren’t able to attend the in-person event?

We offer consultations with sliding scale or alternative pricing structures for individuals and organizations.

There are four live webinars for free ISA CEUs available this week.

Tuesday, April 28

Colorado Intermountain Urban Forestry Council Meeting @ 9:00am-11:00am Mountain

2 CEUs will be available to Certified Arborists who attend the (entire) live meeting.

Presentation by Dr. Emily Luna, Head of the CSU Spur Plant Diagnostic Lab
She will present on the services offered at the Plant Diagnostic Lab and highlight tree diseases they have been seeing in the clinic over the past season. Her research is also on 1000 canker disease, so she will also discuss that as a potential re-emerging disease.

Presentation by Susan Carter from the City of Grand Junction
Water Conservation While Conserving Trees
The City of Grand Junction realized that rocking of tree lawns was killing trees, by the hundreds. When developing the Turf Conversion Program, considering and saving the trees was considered. Other rebates were developed to assist in the watering of trees when lawns were removed. The city also does water budgets and irrigation assessments to assist with watering trees. The forestry department and the utility department along with others have worked together to ensure the tree canopy is protected.

Learn the methods of protecting trees, which trees don’t do well with turf removal, the simple calculation for a water budget and more. Susan heads these water conservation programs and is herself a longtime horticulturist, QWEL certified and certified arborist. Susan is a CSU Extension Emeritus Professor and has worked with plants for many years. Waterwise landscapes can be beautiful and have trees!

Register Here

EAB University: Spotted Lanternfly @ 9:00am Mountain

Register Here

Wednesday, April 29

Reading the Leaves: Common Hardwood Tree Diseases with Foliar Symptoms @11:30am -12:00pm Mountain

Dr. Ellen Crocker (Associate Professor – University of Kentucky) will cover the biology and management of some hardwood tree diseases with foliar symptoms.

Hardwood tree species are widely distributed across the southeastern United States and provide significant economic and ecological benefits. Hardwood forests support wildlife habitat, contribute to food resources, nutrient cycling, offer recreational opportunities, and supply valuable timber. However, many hardwood species are susceptible to diseases that produce symptomatic leaves such as bacterial leaf scorch, anthracnose, and others that can reduce aesthetic value and overall tree health. Accurate identification of these diseases is essential for effective management. In this webinar, Dr. Ellen Crocker will discuss the biology, symptoms, impacts, and management strategies for several common hardwood tree diseases with foliar symptoms.

Register Here

Thursday, April 30

Soil Oxygen: The Real Limiting Factor For Urban Trees @ 10:00am-11:30am Mountain

When soil oxygen is low, it not only affects the growth of tree roots, but also significantly affect the soil microbiome and soil health. Then can we measure soil oxygen? Conventionally, it is very cost-prohibitive and inconvenient to measure soil oxygen with expensive laboratory equipment. So it is rarely discussed and prescribed in tree planting projects. In this talk, we will demonstrate a novel, easy, fast, low-cost, and convenient way of measuring soil oxygen. With this new tool in the toolbox, arborists and landscape architects can have a better insights of the root causes instead of just suspecting, prescribe the often neglected soil oxygen, grow better trees, and serve their clients better.

Register Here

On-Demand CEUs

Arbsession Training Videos

Watch Here

Forestry Webinars

The Webinar Portal, a product of Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) and winner of the 2011 USDA Forest Service’s Two Chiefs’ Partnership Award, is a “multi discipline” web platform used to promote and deliver live and on-demand virtual events and webinars focused on forestry, agriculture, conservation, climate science and other natural resource disciplines.

Watch Here

TreeStuff Webinars on YouTube

Watch a video and pass the quiz to qualify for free ISA CEUs.

Watch Here

Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)

Introduction to Arboriculture Safety (1.25 ISA CEUs)

In this program, you will learn about general tree care safety so that you can avoid accidents while working in the field.

Susan Harwood Grant program OSHA Trainings (Up to 5 ISA CEUs)

Free TCIA Member Webinars

Remember, you can always ask your local ISA chapter if your event qualifies for CEUs.

If your organization is hosting a free in-person or virtual ISA CEU opportunity, please reach out to so we can share it!

Subscribe to continue to receive free notifications for no-cost ISA CEU events.

This week we are presenting to the Taos community, exploring the relationship between plants and their maps.

If you’ve ever wondered why plants are vital to your community, how to collect data and use that data to make management decisions, this is the community event for you.

Register below for this free in-person event as there is limited seating available.

Are you interested in skill development as an ecosystem manager, but aren’t able to attend the in-person event?

We offer consultations with sliding scale or alternative pricing structures for individuals and organizations.

There are four live webinars for free ISA CEUs available this week.

Tuesday, April 21

Tree Health Implications of Long-term Strategies to Treat Emerald Ash Borer: Long-term Effects on Tree Injections and Tree Tissue @ 11:00am Mountain

Dr. Richard Hauer along with Dr. Andrew Koeser and Dr. Jake Miesbauer will present their 2021 Hyland Johns Grant Program titled, “Tree Health Implications of Long-term Strategies to Treat Emerald Ash Borer: Long-term Effects on Tree Injections and Tree Tissue”

Register Here

Western US: Oak Decline Issues @ 12:00pm Mountain

Over the past decade, oak trees across the Western U.S. have experienced significant decline due to prolonged drought, changing climate, emerging diseases, invasive pests, and general neglect. As keystone species in both urban forests and residential landscapes, oaks play a vital ecological and aesthetic role, making their protection a valuable service you can offer your customers.

Register Here

Wednesday, April 22

UAA Webinar: Remote Sensing Fundamentals: A Technical 101 for Utility Arborists @11:00am Mountain

Register Here

Thursday, April 23

Diversity As a Resourcing Solution – A Lived Perspective @1:30pm Mountain

Join us for to hear how Ali Jasper’s colleagues, employers, and community in Australia created a supportive environment for her to succeed despite the health challenges she faced for years. We’ll learn how the differences in people can help us develop accommodation in the workplace that make our teams stronger and our work more impactful.

Register Here

On-Demand CEUs

Arbsession Training Videos

Watch Here

Forestry Webinars

The Webinar Portal, a product of Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) and winner of the 2011 USDA Forest Service’s Two Chiefs’ Partnership Award, is a “multi discipline” web platform used to promote and deliver live and on-demand virtual events and webinars focused on forestry, agriculture, conservation, climate science and other natural resource disciplines.

Watch Here

TreeStuff Webinars on YouTube

Watch a video and pass the quiz to qualify for free ISA CEUs.

Watch Here

Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)

Introduction to Arboriculture Safety (1.25 ISA CEUs)

In this program, you will learn about general tree care safety so that you can avoid accidents while working in the field.

Susan Harwood Grant program OSHA Trainings (Up to 5 ISA CEUs)

Free TCIA Member Webinars

Remember, you can always ask your local ISA chapter if your event qualifies for CEUs.

If your organization is hosting a free in-person or virtual ISA CEU opportunity, please reach out to so we can share it!

Subscribe to continue to receive free notifications for no-cost ISA CEU events.