Agenda

The conference schedule is subject to change without notice.

Thursday - February 9, 2023

Thursday Morning

07:00 – 08:00Registration, Sponsor, and Partner Events
08:00 – 08:15Opening Remarks and Announcements – Think Trees NM Board President Andrew Lisignoli & our State Forester Laura McCarthy
08:15 – 09:15“Disaster-Proofing Your Urban Forest”
Paul D. Ries, PhD, Insightful Nature LLC

There is perhaps no bigger single change an urban forest experiences than extreme weather. Is your urban forest ready for the next big weather event? When it comes to wind, rain, ice, snow–it isn't a matter of if, but when. And what about wildfire - are you prepared? This presentation will explore what you can do to prepare your urban forest to weather the next disaster. We will cover the "six Rs" - Risk, Readiness, Response, Recovery, Resources, and Resilience. This talk will be geared to identifying your role in maintaining the health of your urban forest no matter what position or responsibility you hold in an agency, organization, or business.
09:15 - 09:45Break with 20 minute climbing demo by Patrick O’Meara RMC Past President
09:45 – 10:45“Lifecycle of a Fire Incident”
Randy Lyle, Wildfire Mitigation Strategies

Follow the life of a wildfire incident from ignition through discovery, and response to suppression and rehabilitation.
10:45 - 11:45“Identifying and Promoting Beneficial Insects”
Miranda Kersten, New Mexico State University

Trees provide important habitat resources for beneficial insects in urban areas; they can supply pollen, nectar, and shelter year-round, but they can be hosts for insect pests. This talk will focus on the suite of good insects that you might find visiting trees and how to distinguish them from the pests. We will also discuss ways to support the beneficial insects in our landscapes.
11:45 – 01:00Lunch– outdoors demonstration, Stihl

Thursday Afternoon

01:00 - 02:00“The Importance of Situational Awareness during Fire”
Randy Lyle, Wildfire Mitigation Strategies

Explore the many ways of gleaning, and the importance of having good situational awareness with regard to fire weather and burning conditions.
02:00 - 02:30Networking Break
02:30 - 03:30“Managing Resilient Urban & Community Forests: Moving Beyond EAB”
Dana Coelho, Colorado State Forest Service &
Dana Karcher, Davey Resource Group, Inc.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been plaguing urban and community forests across the US since 2002, Colorado since 2013, and now Oregon. The investments made in collaborative response, data, research, planning, management tools, and outreach methods over the past 20 years are ripe to be leveraged to respond to and manage other invasive pests and threats to urban forests. Using Colorado’s Your Ash is on the Line project as an example, we will explore how this work can be applied and adapted beyond EAB.
03:30 - 04:30“Reframing Trees: Leveraging the Lesser-Appreciated Benefits of Urban Trees”
Paul D. Ries, PhD, Insightful Nature LLC

Research studies showing the values and benefits of urban trees have increased exponentially in the last 30 years. We now know that the trees where we live are more than niceties–they are necessities. There are many research studies that can illuminate the true impact of trees on our quality of life, human health, and economic well-being of our communities. This presentation focuses on those studies, and how urban and community forestry advocates can leverage this information to advance their cause.
04:30 - 04:45Closing Remarks and Survey

Friday - February 10, 2023

Friday Morning

07:00 – 08:00Registration
08:00 – 08:15ISA CONFERENCE ANNOUCMENTMENTS - Annual International Society of Arboriculture Conference in Albuquerque! August 14 – 16, 2023
Caitlyn Pollihan, CEO and Executive Director for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
08:15 – 09:15“Using Tree Rings to Discover Natural & Cultural History in New Mexico”
Tom Swetnam, PhD, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona

Dendrochronology -- the study of environmental and human history using tree rings -- began in the Southwestern US, where it was originally applied to dating the construction of the great houses at Chaco Canyon and the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. Tree rings have now been used all around the world to study histories of climate, fires, river flows, and changes in human societies. In this presentation I will summarize discoveries from tree rings, especially from trees and forests in New Mexico. Insights from tree-ring histories offer useful lessons for managing forests and watersheds in the future.
09:15 - 09:45Break with 30-minute TREE COOKIE TABLE CHAT
09:45 – 10:45“Urban & Community Forestry in Fire-Adapted Landscapes”
Dana Coelho, Colorado State Forest Service

Wildfires are a natural part of many western landscapes. Our understanding of the wildland-urban interface is changing rapidly as the climate changes and urban areas grow. Learning from the Marshall Fire and other recent urban fires in Colorado, we will explore opportunities to better align programs, guidance, and tools from the worlds of wildland fire and urban forestry for the benefit of people and nature in fire-adapted landscapes.
10:45 – 11:45“Common Tree Pests in New Mexico, Bark Beetles and Drought
(Part one)”
John Formby, PhD, USDA Forest Service

The first presentation will help the audience identify common tree pests in NM, differentiate their signs and symptoms, and manage their impacts.
11:45 – 01:00Lunch – and outdoors demonstration, Stihl

Friday Afternoon

01:00 - 02:00“Common Tree Pests in New Mexico, Bark Beetles and Drought (Part two)”
John Formby, PhD, USDA Forest Service

The second presentation will aid in understanding the effects of drought on trees and bark beetle activity.
02:00 – 02:30Break
02:30 - 03:30“Let's Dig Deeper: Answers to YOUR Tree Questions” (Panel Discussion)

An interactive discussion panel exploring questions submitted during the conference with local & regional experts.
03:30 - 04:00Closing Remarks, Drawing, and Survey