“What’s wrong with my tree?” This is a common question for county agents. Diagnosing and managing tree problems, whether in a client’s yard or their woodland, can be very difficult and many county agents have limited prior training in tree health. Trees provide numerous benefits to landowners across the state.  From the value of timber in the woodland setting to the human health benefits of trees in urban landscapes, promoting the health of trees is important economically and ecologically.  Understanding the basics of tree health provides a solid foundation for supporting trees in many different settings. 

To better prepare ANR and HORT agents for tree health-related questions, I organized and presented at an “Advanced Tree Health Training” for agents on Oct 4, 2019. This all-day program involved partnership with a range of other Extension specialists and agents including Forestry and Natural Resources, Plant Pathology, Horticulture, Entomology and Madison County Horticulture.  Topics covered during the training included tree disease identification, tree pest identification, mock site visits, case studies in responding to tree questions, tree risk assessment and more.

This training provided new and experienced agents with advanced training related to tree health and care. Through this session, attendees learned to identify common tree health issues, appraise tree issues in the field, develop appropriate management approaches, and recognize the risk posed by trees.  Based on the positive feedback by those participating in this training, we have developed a more intensive tree health certificate program for agents that will be offered this fall.