Videos - Online Classes/Webinars

Funding for these projects is provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and is administered by the Urban and Community Forestry Program in DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests.

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Effect of Invasive Species on the Urban Forest - November 30, 2020

Presenter: Vincent Drzewucki

This workshop will cover common invasive species that effect urban forests throughout the state. We will learn about invasive species that are commonly found across New York State. The class will cover details about each species, how it was introduced into our native landscapes, how to properly identify, why they are detrimental to native plants and trees, and how to manage the invasive species.

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Identification Of Common Tree Problems - November 16, 2020

Presenter: Vincent Drzewucki

This workshop will cover some of the common pests and diseases of trees and shrubs. Learn how to recognize signs and symptoms, how to account for abiotic stresses, site constraints, and species type to analyze plant problems, as well as some preventable measures to keep plants happy and healthy. You will walk away knowing how to diagnose many everyday problems through specimen collection and research.

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Wildlife Benefit of Trees - November 9, 2020

Presenter: Vincent Drzewucki

Trees and shrubs provide an essential habitat for native insects, birds, mammals, and other wildlife in our urban forests. This workshop will discuss how pollinators and wildlife use and benefit from our urban trees and shrubs and how establishing habitats in our own backyards can enhance the regional ecosystem.

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Tree Biology - November 2, 2020

Presenter: Vincent Drzewucki

This workshop will give homeowners a foundational understanding of tree physiology and what trees need to survive. Healthy trees are more resilient to drought, disease, and pests, and require fewer inputs from the property owner. We will learn how pest damage can inhibit tree growth, interfere with nutrient absorption, and quickly wreak havoc on an unsuspecting victim.

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Urban Tree Pests and Diseases - June 12, 2020

Presenters: Dan Gilrein and Margery Daughtrey

Tree Pests - Dan Gilrein will cover the latest on important invasive pest threats -emerald ash borer, which is now killing trees around Long Island, and spotted lanternfly, which is expected to arrive in the near future to help in early recognition and management. This presentation will also review some of the other troublesome tree pests including fall webworm that was in outbreak status the last two years, and eastern tent caterpillar which also appears at high levels periodically. Arborvitae leafminer, oak shothole miner, bagworm and several others of recent importance will be mentioned, including some management suggestions.

Tree Diseases - Trees in the urban landscape are beset with all sorts of contagious disease threats, in addition to having many “people pressure diseases". Margery will cover anthracnoses and other leaf diseases including rusts, cankers, galls, root rots and vascular wilts that are commonly seen on Long Island, and also describe the new beech leaf disease (caused by a nematode!). You’ll learn how to recognize these plant problems and how to minimize their effects culturally.

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Big Trees in the City - June 3, 2020

Presenter: Andy Hillman, Davey Resource Group, Inc.

Description: We know that large trees in the urban environment provide the most in ecosystem services; whether it is carbon sequestration, pollution removal, stormwater mitigation, or cooling the ambient temperature. For years we have been able to quantify this using the i-Tree suite of tools. www.itreetools.org.

The real challenge is getting big trees to thrive and attain their biological potential in the heavily built up urbanized environment. These challenging conditions can be found in large cities but also in the commercial centers of small towns and villages.

In this talk we will go back a couple decades and discuss what was done in Ithaca, NY to plan and engineer for trees and we will take a look at the results today. Methods to help trees to thrive such as daylighting paved areas, using engineered soils, and selecting cultivars to match the site will be explored.

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Managing a Vital Asset:  Tree Inventories and Urban and Community Forest Management Plans - May 28, 2020

Presenter: Andrew Ullman, Davey Resource Group, Inc.

Proactive management of our urban and community forests is of rapidly growing importance in the efforts to mitigate the expected impacts of climate change. In this webinar presenter Andrew will cover the ins and outs of performing tree inventories and leveraging inventory data to develop an urban or community forest management plan.

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The Arc - Lifecycle Planning for Trees - May 13, 2020

Presenter: Mike Galvin, RCA, Director of SavATree Consulting Group

This presentation starts with planning for places where trees can be planted and where existing trees can grow, using our Los Angeles City and County tree canopy assessment as a case study. We then look at maximizing tree service life at the site level with tools like the AirSpade and TreeRadar and concepts like critical root zone (CRZ) and structural root zone (SRZ) in tree preservation planning. Finally, we look at opportunities to sequester carbon and reuse and recycle wood in trees and buildings that are removed using the Baltimore Wood Project as a case study.

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American Chestnut Restoration Project - May 6, 2020

Presenter: Niko Nantsis, Director of District 1 for the New York State Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation

This presentation will cover the American Chestnut tree, it's natural history on Long Island, the fall from dominance due to the American Chestnut blight, and the amazing restoration effort that is bringing this magnificent tree species back from the brink of extinction.

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Long Island Urban Tree Selection Online Workshop - May 1, 2020

Presenter: Nina Bassuk, Cornell University

Join us for an online workshop with Nina Bassuk, Program Leader of Cornell University’s Urban Horticulture Institute.

Nina will detail four principles of urban tree selection: Trees should be pest-resistant and adapted to urban conditions. They should be highly diverse (including native and non-native species but avoiding invasives), they should meet functional and design objectives, while matching management limitations.

This is a tall order. How do you begin to choose the right tree? Too often a few ‘tried and true’ trees are chosen because of familiarity and easy availability which often gives rise to monocultures that increase trees’ susceptibility to diseases and insect attack.

We’ll go through a process of tree selection for Long Island that highlights the great diversity of trees that can be grown there to maximize a successful result.

Last updated February 2, 2024