Tree Care Workshop

Area residents who want to grow healthy trees for their homes and communities are invited to a tree care workshop on Saturday, April 14, at the University of Illinois Extension Building, 550 N. Madison, in Carthage. The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch served. There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested for a meal count. Participants can register at www.treesforever.org/Carthageworkshop.

Topics covered include:
• How a Tree Works and Why That’s Important
• Selecting the Right Tree for the Right Place
• How to Plant a Tree Correctly
• Pruning Techniques
• Planting Demonstration and Winter Tree ID (dress for outdoor activities)

Presenters at the workshop include Trees Forever Program Manager Barb Grabner-Kerns and University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Kari Houle.

“Ensuring a healthy tree starts before the tree is planted,” said Barb Grabner-Kerns, Field Coordinator for Trees Forever. “The tree’s success is determined by why you select that tree, where you put that tree, how you plant that tree along with the care you give it, especially in the first 5 – 10 years of its life.”

According to Kari Houle, Extension Educator Horticulture with University of Illinois Extension “Trees provide a multitude of benefits that many my night think about. Some of those benefits include reduction of atmospheric CO2, reduced heating and cooling costs from properly placed trees, runoff reduction, increased property values, and improved air quality.”

The workshop is part of Trees Forever’s Recover, Replant, Restore! program that helps communities respond to natural and man-made disasters and to plan and care for healthy urban forests. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Trees Forever members.

For more information or if you would like to register by phone, call Barb Grabner-Kerns at 217-561-1062 or bgrabner@treesforever.org or Kari Houle, 217- 357-2150 or khoule@illinois.edu.