May 12: Trees in A Changing Connecticut – What You Need to Know – A Symposium

Trees in a Changing Connecticut – What you Need to Know
Presented by the Rockfall Foundation in Partnership with The Middletown Garden Club and The City of Middletown Urban Forestry Commission

Join us for an examination of the impact of changing climate on Connecticut trees. Topics include Climate Change in CT, Pests and CT Tree Diseases, CT Urban Forest Council / Funding Sources, Resilient Tree Species / Varieties, Equity/ Environmental Justice & Greenspaces, and State Legislation REGISTER ONLINE TODAY.

Who should attend: Land use planners, tree wardens, arborists, public works officials, environmental planners, landscape architects, land trusts, conservation commissions, horticulturalists, environmental groups & societies, and all concerned with tree selection for a sustainable future.
AICP 5.5 CM “Sustainability and Resilience” credits
CT Tree Warden CEU 4.25 credits
CT Arborist CEU 3.75 credits “3D of the Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification”

Open to Register Online | Download a Registration Form To Mail In| Sponsorship Opportunities

Download the Full Program Description Here

8:00 – 8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:35 Welcome – Tony Marino, Executive Director, The Rockfall Foundation

8:35 – 8:55 Keynote Speaker – Katie Dykes, Commissioner CT DEEP

8:55 – 9:25 Climate Change in CT – Andrea Urbano, Supervisor of Private & Municipal Lands Program, Division of Forestry, Bureau of Natural Resources, CT DEEP

What do climate models predict for weather patterns, storm intensity, and average and extreme temperatures and precipitation? How do these changes specifically stress trees?

9:25 – 9:55 Pests and CT Tree Diseases – Frank Cervo, CT DEEP Eastern District Service Forester

What important insects & diseases (pathogens) will (or could) significantly affect the state’s trees. How does climate change affect the spread of pests/diseases in CT?

9:55 – 10:25 CT Urban Forest Council/Funding Sources – Heather Dionne, Forester, City of Hartford

How does Hartford’s Tree Canopy Action Plan guide tree planting and other landscape activities? Are there funding sources that municipal land managers and tree wardens should be aware of for projects to mitigate current challenges?

10:25 – 10:45 Break

10:45 – 11:15 Resilient Tree Species/Varieties – Mark Brand, Professor of Horticulture, UCONN

What tree selections (species, genotypes or cultivars) are struggling or better-suited given current and projected climate in CT? Which might prove resilient against climate change and pathogens?

11:15 – 11:45 Equity/Environmental Justice & Greenspaces – Mayra Rodriguez Gonzalez, Urban and Community Forestry, UCONN

What tools and funding can land managers and planners use to equitably implement maintenance & plantings when addressing current challenges? What are the legal requirements, especially for publicly funded actions? Tree Equity Scorecard demonstration.

11:45 – 12:00 State Legislation – Eric Hammerling, Executive Director, CT Forest & Park Association

12:00 – 12:30 ‘We All Live In The Woods’ – Wrap Up by Tom Worthley, Extension Educator Forest Sustainability, UCONN

12:30 – 1:00 Panel Question & Answer Session

1:00 Optional Lunch with an opportunity to chat informally with colleagues and our featured speakers.