CSC hosts tree pruning workshop for professionals
CHADRON – Thirty participants including Chadron State College groundskeepers, tree pruning business owners and city and county employees, attended a tree pruning workshop hosted on the CSC campus March 14. CSC employees Lucinda Mays and Steve Weber were among the presenters.
Mays said the workshop covered preventative maintenance techniques for those who tend public landscapes and included demonstrations, discussions and hands-on experience.
The focus of the workshop was on proper spring pruning for structural soundness to help trees endure high winds and other severe weather with minimal damage, Mays said. A main consideration when pruning trees is strategic removal of the branches and limbs that may fall on pedestrians or vehicles.
“This is the beginning of the fourth growing season since Winter Storm Atlas hit our region and we still have years of important work to do to keep our community canopy healthy and safe,” Mays said.
She added that storm damage may create the need for pruning out of season and taking limbs larger than the ideal size for removal.
City of Chadron Parks Superintendent Scott Schremmer noted that vandalism and deer are additional adversities facing the Chadron tree canopy.
In his portion of the workshop, Schremmer, a certified arborist, emphasized safe procedures and the necessity of wearing proper safety equipment and clothing while tree pruning.
The workshop has been offered for CSC personnel for seven years and open to other public professionals for three years.
Nebraska State Forest district forester, Doak Nickerson was pleased with the workshop.
"It’s so important that the folks caring for our public landscapes start pruning when trees are small for strong trees in later years,” Nickerson said.
Category: Campus Events, Campus News