Urban Tree Summit 2022

Trees provide many benefits: they clean and cool our air, stabilize our soils, provide wildlife habitat, and beautify our urban and suburban areas. We encourage all arborists, landscape industry and environmental/green industry professionals, engineers, designers, housing developers, and interested citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to learn new techniques and concepts on what can be done to ensure the survival of trees in our built environment.

Event Format

In lieu of a traditional single day conference event, we have opted this year to continue with our multi-day virtual and field session format with intentions to promote public safety as well as provide a more impactful experience.

We are kicking off our event with a day of virtual sessions to allow anyone, far and wide, to learn from our speakers. Following the virtual session, we will be hosting three in-person field sessions. We hope these field sessions will allow for engaging conversations, networking opportunities, and an impactful conference experience. All field sessions will be held in person and on location at various sites.

Tickets

Purchase Tickets Here

Identification will be checked at the door. Ticket rate is per person. All raised funds support this event.

Getting There

Field sessions will be held in numerous locations across the DMV region. Exact maps and meeting locations for in-person sessions will be sent out to ticket holders as events approach.

Accessibility

Field sessions will be held in numerous locations across the DMV region. We will work with individual participants who have indicated need for accommodations on their ticket purchase to ensure an accessible event for all. In the event we are unable to make appropriate accommodations, we will refund tickets in full for any inaccessible events.

Our Sponsors

The Urban Tree Summit is made possible by generous financial and in-kind contributions from our sponsors. Join the ranks of the community-minded businesses working towards a collective mission by following the PDF or online forms or by reaching out to development@caseytrees.org to sponsor.

Urban Tree Summit Agenda:

Half-day Virtual Session – Wednesday September 7th

Morning Keynote – 8:30am – 9:30am

“Why Nature and The Internet Go Hand-in-Hand” presented by Dr. Nadina Galle

Can nature and technology — long viewed as opposing forces — work together to stabilize our climate, sustain our urban environments, and benefit our health? Hear from Dr. Nadina Galle, developer of the concept “The Internet of Nature” (IoN), about how to bridge nature and technology. At a time when communities urgently need ways to better create, manage, and reconnect people to green spaces, the bridge created by the IoN can be critical to understanding how nature and technology can work together to save lives, build and protect city infrastructure, and improve citizens’ health.

Concurrent Sessions 1  – 9:40am – 10:40am

“Tiny Forests- Reconnecting City Dwellers to Nature”  presented by Daan Bleichrodt, IVN

For the past ten years, Daan Bleichrodt has been on a mission to reconnect children in cities to nature. His work is focused on greening schoolyards and classrooms, promoting outdoor education, and especially planting “Tiny Forests.” A Tiny Forest is a native, dense forest that fits into the size of a tennis court. These tiny forests are not just a haven for bees, butterflies, and birds, but for people too. Children learn about nature in these outdoor classrooms, and they serve as valuable spaces to reconnect students, teachers, and local community members in urban areas back to nature and to each other.

“Large Tree Transplant Process”  presented by Chris Cowles, Wetland Studies and Solutions

For more than four decades, Chris Cowles has worked in the world of tree preservation and urban forestry. As a Senior Urban Forester, Mr. Cowles is responsible for tree preservation, large tree transplanting, and non-native invasive plant restoration plans. In this talk, Chris Cowles will take a comprehensive look at the steps needed to relocate Heritage Trees. Defined as ‘trees of one hundred inch circumference or greater,’ Heritage Trees are protected under the 2016 DC regulation. This presentation will dive into the large tree moving process, from the early stages of planning and design all the way through planting and long term maintenance.

Concurrent Sessions 2 -10:50am – 11:50am

“Boosting Tree Immunity for Disease Control”  presented by Glynn Percival, Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory

Over the past 10 years, professionals involved in urban tree management have had to battle with a dramatic increase in pest and disease epidemics. If unmanaged, these pests and diseases can devastate generations of trees, however creating safe treatments for these issues can be tricky. Use of synthetic products like pesticides can be toxic to non-target species and surrounding lands, can lead to a build up of resistance in target species, and can be very costly to apply. Dr. Glynn Percival and his team at the UK and Ireland Bartlett Tree Research and Diagnostic Laboratory are developing a unique plant health care program to combat these pathogens. This program uses a range of natural and organic soil amendments to essentially “vaccinate” the trees. These additives work by inducing resistance to pests and disease, and therefore boosting the trees own inherent immunity.

“Reforestation, Sustainability, and Empowerment in Armenia”  presented by Jeanmarie Papelian, Armenia Tree Project

Armenia Tree Project’s mission is to assist the Armenian people in using trees to improve their standard of living and protect the global environment. During her talk, Jeanmarie Papelian will discuss the impact of this work on Armenian forests and people, and the importance of engaging communities in order to find success in urban forestry.  ATP works to promote self-sufficiency, aid those with the fewest resources first, and conserve the indigenous ecosystem. For the past 27 years, Armenia Tree Project has mastered the art of growing and planting healthy trees in Armenia, using the country’s natural resources. ATP’s solution is holistic: both nature and people are integral forces that must work together to create a sustainable, healthy and non-threatening environment.

Afternoon Keynote –12:00pm – 1:00pm

“Trees in Cities: Human Health and Economic Value” presented by Kathleen Wolf, Research Social Scientist

Trees and money. Most people think of logging and timber that can be converted to marketable products. But city trees, even if not harvested, provide many economic values for communities. Dr. Kathleen Wolf will summarize studies about city trees and human health, then share some of the valuation approaches that begin to tease out substantial economic values. Rarely considered by the public and local officials, these bottom line messages can attract new partners and public support for urban forestry.

Field Session 1 – Thursday September 8

Pope Farm Nursery Tour – 9:00am – 12:00pm

presented by Brian Dahl, Pope Farm Nursery Manager and Adam Tankersley, Tree Nursery Supervisor

Located in Pope Farm Maryland – 7400 Airpark Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

Do you want to get an inside glimpse into how a tree nursery operates? In this session attendees will tour Montgomery Parks’ Pope Farm Nursery to learn about the tree care operations from how trees are selected and cared for while at the nursery to how they are transplanted and cared for out in our parks. Explore the innovative ways Pope Farm is managing the nursery, growing trees, using cover crops, and custom growing native plants and various other material for park projects.

Field Session 2 – Wednesday September 14

Street Trees in Prince George’s County – 9:00am – 12:00pm

presented by Wayne Lucas, Landscape Architect and Arborist with Prince George’s County Department of Public Works & Transportation

Located in Birchwood City Recreation Area – 1331 Fenwood Ave, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

The Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) developed the Right Tree, Right Place (RTRP) program in 2011 to replace high-risk street trees and to increase tree canopy along Prince George’s County roadways. The RTRP program works directly with community members and organizations to provide designs and recommendations that are relevant to each unique neighborhood. The RTRP program began with the Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’), a hardy tree planted in near monoculture from the 1960s onward along the county’s roadways. This tree was highly desired for its beautiful flowers, fast growth rate, and resistance to disease. However by the 2000s, its downsides had become apparent – especially its tendency to develop large, codominant stems without crucial branch collars, leading to a high rate of large branch failure. Replacing these dangerous trees and choosing the right tree for the right place safely and sustainably improves the tree canopy and transforms communities. Healthy street trees beautify neighborhoods, support human health, increase property values, and benefit our environment.

Field Session 3 – Thursday September 15

Urban Forestry Division Tree Tour – 9:00am – 12:00pm

presented by the District of Columbia Urban Forestry Division staff

Located in Spring Valley Park – between 49th Street NW and  Fordham Road NW DC 20016

Join DC’s Urban Forestry Division (UDF) for a guided tour through Spring Valley Park. Urban Forester Yasha Magarik will highlight forest management activities and city efforts underway to sustain this critical resource. During this presentation, learn about the valuable partnerships between the Urban Forestry Division, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Energy and the Environment, and local communities, and how these organizations all work together to create sustainable and long lasting parks for generations to come.

FAQs

Are continuing education units (CEUs) being offered at this event?

Yes. CEUs will be awarded by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), MD Licensed Tree Expert (MD LTE), and Society of American Foresters (SAF).

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Contact us at friends@caseytrees.org.

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

Yes. For changes to event registration, contact us at friends@caseytrees.org.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No. Guests will be checked in on arrival based on registration name.

What is the refund policy?

This event is non-refundable. If you are no longer able to make it, please let us know in advance and we will process your registration as a tax-deductible contribution instead.