Agenda subject to change without notice.
Midwestern ISA 2018 conference
DoubleTree Hotel Kansas City
1011 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
January 30: Tuesday
6:00 pm Executive Committee Meeting
January 31: Wednesday
8:00 am Arborist Certification Testing
Board of Directors Meeting
1:00 pm Welcome and Intro
1:10 pm Pruning Myths (Linda Chalker-Scott)
Linda Chalker-Scott is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist with Washington State University and she is a one-woman myth buster for the arboricultural industry! Anyone that attends one of Linda’s presentations comes away with an entirely different way of looking at our craft and probably have some of their most cherished ideas completed destroyed. Linda’s presentations are science-based, not opinions, and expect to hear a completely new view of one of our most common arboricultural operations – pruning.
2:45 pm Break with Exhibitors
3:00 pm Moonlighting at Monticello (Don Blair)
Don Blair is a legendary arborist having been active in the industry since the early 1970s. He managed one of the first arborist equipment suppliers, Sierra Moreno Mercantile Company, and wrote the book on rigging Arborist Equipment: A Guide to the Tools and Equipment of Tree Maintenance and Removal. This presentation is a showcase of Don’s talent as a rigger as he takes us through the removal of one of the landmark tulip-poplars at Monticello – a project completed in one night!
4:45 pm Reception with Exhibitors
February 1: Thursday
7:00 am Past Presidents Breakfast
Concurrent sessions in the morning
Utility and Tree Worker Safety track_____________________________________
8:00 am The Importance of Utility Line Clearance (Randall Miller)
Randall Miller had a long career with in the utility industry with PacifiCorp and has recently moved to CNUC where he is the director of research and development. Randy is well known to reader of Arborist News and TCI Magazine as he has published numerous articles over the years on topics ranging from felling to line clearance. Randy will begin the morning with an overview of the challenges to the utility line clearance industry.
9:00 am Electrical Safety (Randall Miler)
Randy returns for his second presentation of the morning to discuss the risks associated with working near energized conductors. He will also be discussing the new Utility Specialist Study Guide.
9:45 am Break with Exhibitors
10:15 am The New Z and the Tree Care Industry (John Ball)
John Ball is a Professor of Forestry at South Dakota State University. He also serves as the International Society of Arboriculture’s representative on the ANSI Z133 American National Standard for Arboricultural Operations – Safety Requirements. He will explain the changes in the new 2017 edition, including the new incidental line clearance arborist requirements, and the incidents they were crafted to reduce.
Tree Management track______________________________________________
8:00 am 21 Steps to Diagnosis (Jim Chatfield)
Jim Chatfield is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Extension at the Ohio State University and is one of the best (and most entertaining) diagnostician in the country. He is the author of numerous articles in Arborist News and TCI Magazine on the art and science of determining trees stressors, abiotic and biotic. Expect to come away with an array of new tips to help you answer the question; What’s killing my tree?
9:00 am Mulching Myths (Linda Chalker-Scott)
Ready to have some more of your ideas on arboriculture practices destroyed? Now Linda will explore all the myths we have on the use and value of mulching!
10:15 am Strategies of Wood-Decay Fungi (Dr. Kevin Smith)
Kevin Smith is a Plant Physiologist with the USD Forest Service and spent many years working with Dr. Alex Shigo. Kevin is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable person on wood decay and can explain the importance of this complex topic to arborists in a manner both enlightening and humorous – there is no better way to describe a presentation of Kevin’s!
Noon Business Meeting Luncheon and Award Ceremony
1:30 pm Tree Response to Ice Storm Damage (Dr. Kevin Smith)
For most of us in the Midwest, it’s the ice in late autumn and winter that are the real “winter” risks for trees. Kevin will discuss the defects that set trees up for failure, what we can do to reduce this threat, and what can be done after the damage occurs.
2:30 pm Break with Exhibitors
3:00 pm Thigmomorphogenesis? How Trees Respond to Wind (Dr. Frank Telewski)
Frank Telewski is a Professor of Plant Biology at Michigan State University. Not only will this talk give you a new word for Scrabble, it will also introduce you to how trees respond to mechanical loading and how the alterations in tree growth and structure improve their ability to resist future loading.
5:00 pm Evening Social and Silent Auction with Exhibitors
A great opportunity to continue discussions with our speakers and meet with friends!
February 2: Friday
8:00 am Anatomy of an Accident (Don Blair)
Don returns for his second presentation to walk us through an incident he investigated. He goes through the entire event and as Don works through the process we can all see how everything was lining up. Don uses this actual incident to show everyone how they can recognize the ‘dominos’ lining up and how to get out of this process before it’s too late!
9:00 am The Threat of Emerald Ash Borer and other Key Stressors (Laurie Stepanek and John Ball)
Laurie Stepanek is the new Nebraska Forest Health Specialist, having worked with Mark Harrell for many years until his retirement early this year. Laurie and John will team up to discuss the latest on management of emerald ash borer as well as other present or potential pest to our trees.
10:00 am Break
10:30 am Tree Diversity: What to Plant (John Ball)
John will close the conference with a look at what we can do to avoid the next exotic threat to our urban and community forests. The lessons we should have learned from Dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer and what we should be planting. He will also discuss new species and cultivars that are being introduced.
Noon - Adjourn
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