This year’s Northern Rockies Tree School (NRTS) in Dillon, MT brought in over 160 attendees from around the region, including nearly 40 from Wyoming. Attendees were comprised of a diverse audience representing municipalities, tree care businesses, extension agents, state government, school districts/colleges, tree boards, counties and consulting firms.
Dr. Ed Gilman discusses girdling root issues in container grown nursery stock
A wide range of topics were presented by regionally and nationally known experts in arboriculture. Several sessions were lead by Dr. Ed Gilman, a well known author and educator from the University of Florida. A full day of pre-conference activities was instructed by Dr. John Ball of South Dakota State University. Topics included: tree risk management,
An arborist gets direction in structurally pruning this tree
structural pruning, nursery stock selection, storm damage response, and more. Also included were interactive outdoor sessions featuring pruning, utility vegetation management, and using dogs to detect invasive plants and insects.
The NRTS began as a joint effort between the Montana DNRC and the Wyoming State Forestry Division, with the intention of creating a venue for attendees to network with colleges across state boundaries and build partnerships while learning the latest in arboriculture from respected arborists and foresters from around the country. The inaugural NRTS was held in Cody, Wyoming, followed by Red Lodge, Montana and Sheridan, Wyoming. Next year’s event will be back in Wyoming in late September and is sure to build on the spirit of partnership that this event has cultivated between the two states.
WYOMING STATE FORESTRY DIVISION 