Educating our Landscapers

In conjunction with the Northern Kentucky Urban Forestry Council, Kenton County Cooperative Extension hosted the annual Public Workers’ Tree Seminar this past March.  This is a traditional event here in Northern Kentucky, and was attended by persons from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and from as far away as Lexington, KY and Middletown, OH. In addition to utilizing local UK Extension expertise, instructors also represented Purdue, The Ohio State University, and the University of Florida.   

Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area have a thriving landscape industry.  Those who work in the industry vary in educational background, from no training at all through advanced degrees and professional certifications.  This seminar is aimed at people of all backgrounds who work with trees in one way or another.  Although it possible to become a certified arborist locally, there are no local certification or continuing education programs for other categories of landscape workers.  As an Extension Agent for Horticulture, I want to fill in that gap by offering educational opportunities so that all landscape workers can provide better, more knowledgeable plant care.  

Ninety-seven people attended the day-long seminar. They included municipal grounds crews, arborists, landscapers employed in the private sectors, master gardeners, and others.  Participants got updates on the Emerald Ash Borer situation but also heard about new up-and-coming diseases from a nationally known researcher. They had a refresher course on correct tree-planting techniques (most people do it wrong, even in the industry); how to utilize ash and other downed hardwood trees for shiitake mushroom production; how to preserve trees with historic value; and they heard updates on invasive and other problematic insects. The seminar provided CEUs for pesticide license holders in Kentucky and Indiana, and ISA CEUs for residents of any state.

Landscapers have realized valuable, tangible benefits as a result of participation in the Public Worker Tree Seminars. 32 participants said that the training has saved them almost $250,000 during the past three years.  Included in that figure are savings from lime and fertilizers applied as recommended in soil test results (which usually means less overall); lower energy consumption; increased business profitability; and monies saved through mulching, composting, recycling, reduced pesticide use, and more.  

Respondents also indicated they had become more knowledgeable and skilled in their jobs and/or had acquired new jobs as a result of this training; had improved their decision-making and problem-solving skills on the job; had adopted safer practices involving the use of equipment and pesticides; had become more active in addressing significant community issues, and were actively working towards a cleaner, healthier and safer environment.

In additional, survey respondents noted they had planted more than 1400 new trees, and contributed more than 600 volunteer hours to their communities in the past two years as a result of attendance at the annual Public Tree Workers Seminars. 

Surveyed participants also commented, “Extremely good, expert speakers”; “Love the diversity of speakers”; “All very good, important topics”; “Tree planting was especially helpful”; “The pruning demo was good”, etc.  

This is one of our key annual events, and we plan to continue.