Tree steward course offered in Indianapolis

Indiana DNR Release:


The Indiana Community Tree Steward (ICTS) course will be offered in Indianapolis at Fort Harrison State Park in the Natural Resource Education Center on five consecutive Tuesdays, starting July 20, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry’s Community & Urban Forestry program, in partnership with the Indiana Urban Forest Council, will sponsor.

The 15-hour training course concludes Aug. 19. The program offers education in tree care and management. Each person who completes the course is asked to provide 10 hours of volunteer service in any aspect of urban forestry for their community or state. Participants will receive an ICTS notebook, T-shirt or hat, and a certificate signed by the Indiana State Forester.

The course includes sessions on tree growth, identifying, selecting, planting and maintaining trees; pruning techniques; assessing risk; diagnosing pest and disease; and protecting trees during construction, as well as the benefits of the urban forest.

Instructors include natural resource professionals from the Division of Forestry, including Donna Rogler, conservation educator; Pam Louks, urban forestry specialist; and April Murray-Clayton, urban forester/volunteer coordinator. Others include Lindsey Purcell, Purdue Extension urban forester; and Steve Mayer of Marion County’s Purdue Extension.

The ICTS course will be pertinent to tree board members, municipal employees, non-profit organizations, arborists, landscape architects, groundskeepers, cemetery personnel, environmental volunteers, and anyone else who wants to learn more about the care of trees and urban forests. Continuing education credits (CEUs) are available for Certified Arborists.

The fee to register is $30, which includes course materials and breaks. The curriculum can be viewed at http://www.state.in.us/dnr/forestry/2854.htm.

For more information or to register, contact the CUF office at (317) 591-1170 or urbanforestry@dnr.IN.gov.