Trees Virginia, in partnership with Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) and the City of Roanoke, held another educational workshop March 10, 2004.  This was the fourth year that a tree care workshop was held and they just keep getting better and better!  The conference is of value to any person that is interested in learning more about trees and their care.  The 93 people attending the conference ranged from ISA certified arborists to homeowners and all came away with some new arboriculture information.
 

2004 Workshop speakers and presenters mug for the camera.      
 L-R: Cliff Fox- (Trees VA Pres.), Jason Heizer (Bartlett Tree Experts),
Dr. John Seiler (VA Tech), Dr. Martin MacKenzie( USFS) ,Tim Tigner (DoF) ,
Dr. Jay Stipes (professor, VA Tech-retired) Front: Paul Revell, VDoF.

After a big welcome by Lee Hipp, horticulturist with  (VWCC) and Cliff Fox, President of Trees Virginia, attendees enjoyed a presentation by Dr. John Seiler, a Tree Physiology Specialist with Virginia Tech.  He spoke to the group about the tree identification principles and concentrated on winter identification.  Mr. Tim Tigner, a Tree Health Care Specialist with the Virginia Department of Forestry, spoke about insects and the latest threats to our urban landscapes.

Next spoke Mr. Martin MacKenzie, a pathologist with the USDA Forest Service, who educated the audience on urban tree diseases, how to diagnose sick trees and their overall care.  The final speaker for the morning session was Dr. R. Jay Stipes, the renowned (and now retired) professor from the Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science at Virginia Tech.  With his trademark levity, he covered various other possible stresses on trees besides insects and disease.

Following a delicious lunch, everyone headed for VWCC Community Arboretum, located across the street from the auditorium.  This 2-acre educational garden has approximately 700 plant species and contains ten theme gardens.  A wonderful living laboratory, it provides a great place for the workshop’s outdoor demonstrations. 

Participants were broken down into groups and each rotated among the different speakers.  Topics covered tree identification with Dr. Seiler and equipment demo by Jason Heizer, an arborist with Bartlett Tree Experts.

Lee Hipp from VWCC gave a behind-the-scenes tour of tree related problems at the arboretum.  The final outdoor session was led by Dr. Stipes and talked about tree stresses and how to correct them.