Workshops and Presentations

Educational workshops are available for municipalities, tree professionals and homeowners to help strengthen the urban and community forestry programs in Nassau County. Our professional workshops are about one-hour in length and can be tailored to meet the needs of your audience. The cost of these interactive workshops is $150 per one-hour topic.

These one-hour workshops are available free-of-charge to municipalities thanks to the support of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation through their Urban and Community Forestry Program.

AVAILABLE WORKSHOP TOPICS:

STARTING A COMMUNITY TREE PROGRAM
There are many environmental and economic benefits that trees provide to communities, including: reduction of energy usage, increased property values, improved air and water quality, and improvements to human health and well-being. A successful community tree program includes budgets, ordinances and most importantly, support from both community residents and local leaders.

ESTABLISHING A LOCAL TREE BOARD
A successful tree board involves a diverse group of residents with an interest in caring for trees on publicly-owned property.This group works closely with professional foresters, arborists, city departments and residents to ensure that necessary tree care and maintenance is considered. The benefits of having a local tree board are immense, and having a clear set of objectives and operating procedures allows the process to run smoothly.

TREE PLANTING SUCCESS
Planting trees throughout your community allows residents and visitors to enjoy the many benefits of urban trees. Since these type of projects can be a lot of work and sometimes costly, it is important to take steps to maximize the success of your newly planted trees. This workshop will cover proper tree selection, handling, planting techniques, and how to care for newly planted trees.

STREET TREES AND SIDEWALKS
Trees that are planted in the public right-of-way can add an appealing aesthetic to a community, but may inadvertently disrupt sidewalks, power lines and pose other maintenance concerns to municipal staff. Selecting the appropriate species for a street tree is the first step to avoiding costly repairs, however, there are also ways to mitigate the damages posed by existing street trees.

BECOMING A TREE CITY USA
The Tree City USA program provides direction, assistance and national recognition for your community. It’s the framework for a healthy, sustainable urban forestry program in your town or village. The purpose of this webinar is to walk you through the Tree City USA application process, and also help you integrate these processes into your existing community tree plan.

PRESENTATIONS

The Urban and Community Forestry staff and trained volunteers at CCE – Nassau are available to deliver educational presentations to community groups, environmental committees, and town or village tree boards to help promote urban forestry activities throughout Nassau county. Presentations are offered for a wide-range of topics and generally last around one-hour.

The cost of the educational presentation and brief Question & Answer session is $150 per presentation. Presentations can be delivered either in-person or virtually. Hosting requirements will be discussed at the time of reservation. To schedule a presentation, please e-mail the contact listed at the bottom of this page.

AVAILABLE PRESENTATION TOPICS:

TREE BIOLOGY
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.

LANDSCAPING WITH TREES AND SHRUBS
Often when designing a landscape, you do not realize what Trees and Shrubs will do well in your yard or commercial property on Long Island. This presentation will give you some basic knowledge needed for planting and selecting trees and shrubs. It will then highlight 30 trees/shrubs that do well on Long Island with their photos, care and requirements. This presentation should help you design a successful landscape.

SELECTING AND PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS
This in-depth lecture covers everything you need to know to select and plant the best tree/shrub for your landscape. It discusses: Selecting a Container, Balled & Burlapped or a Bare root plant. How to assess the tree and proper placement. Optimum planting time and methods. Fertilizing, Mulching & Watering. The knowledge you gain from this presentation will help you to plant and grow a healthy tree/shrub.

IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON TREE PROBLEMS
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.

WILDLIFE BENEFIT OF TREES
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.

ESTABLISHING A BACKYARD ECOSYSTEM USING URBAN TREES
Urban trees are valued for the environmental services they provide, such as energy conservation, carbon sequestration, improving air quality, and storm water mitigation. Urban trees also provide essential habitat for insects, bird, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. All of these animal residents add to the ecological function of the urban forest and by welcoming birds, bats, and other insectivores, humans and trees alike benefit from the resulting insect pest control.

EFFECT OF INVASIVE SPECIES ON THE URBAN FOREST
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.

CLEARING THE AIR ON PESTICIDES
Pesticides can be a valuable tool in the Integrated Pest Management toolkit, but finding the right information can be a challenge. This workshop will cover when and where pesticide applications should be considered, and how homeowners can ensure that their applicator is following best management practices.

Last updated February 2, 2024