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Healthy Forests, Today and Tomorrow

Events

This page lists events for the IFA and other forestry organizations in Illinois. The sponsoring organization(s) are indicated.

About Registration 
Please register for these events whenever possible, but many of our events are free and do not require registration! Some partner organizations are handling registration for certain events. For those, registration is disabled but their registration is linked

If you have an upcoming event that you feel relates to forestry in, or near, Illinois, please send the details including contact information to the program coordinator.

Upcoming events

  • Original Kaskaskia Area Wilderness Landowners' Association 30th Anniversary Meeting

    • 04/29/2025
    • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    • 511 S Hanover, Okawville, Illinois

    Join OKAW, Inc. for their 30th Annual Membership Meeting!

    Open to the public

    Presentations:

    • “The First 30 Years of OKAW” by Doane Borrenpohl & Larry Hasheider (Founding Members)
    • “Legislative Review” by Illinois State Representative Charlie Meier
    • “Managing the Lakes & Rivers” by the Army Corps of Engineers

    The Business Meeting of the Original Kaskaskia Area Wilderness, Inc. (OKAW) will be held after the presentations. The Membership will review the Treasurer’s Report and elect the 2025 Board Members. A motion to remove “term limits” on Board positions will be considered and a membership vote taken. Any area landowner wishing to serve on the Board may identify themselves at the meeting. Discussion & Snacks Follow Meeting.

    The current OKAW Board consists of:

    • President Doane Borrenpohl, Treasurer Carol Lieb,
    • Secretary Jennifer Malacarne, and Board members:
    • Dennis Hesker, Kevin Mense, Bill Calvert, Larry Hasheider.

    The 2025 OKAW Board will meet to choose officers.

    Show details

  • Virden Urban Tree Health Training

    • 05/07/2025
    • 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
    • Virden Community Center, 101 W. Jackson St., Virden, IL
    Register

    Join Illinois Forestry Association and forestry experts for a day of learning and demonstrations on urban tree health topics. Anyone can attend, but this may be of particular interest to arborists and tree care professionals. 

    Registration is $15, lunch is provided, and CEUs will be offered.

    Agenda:

    8:30 – 9:00 AM | Check-in

    9:00 – 9:45 AM | Basic Biology of Trees

    9:45 – 10:30 AM | Tree Identification and Needs

    10:30 – 10:45 AM | Break

    10:45 – 11:30 AM | What’s Wrong with My Tree?

    • Abiotic, biotic, and herbicide

    11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | General Planting

    • Including mulching

    12:00 – 12:45 PM | Lunch Break

    12:45 – 1:30 PM | Pruning and Storm Preparation & Cleanup

    • Inventorying after a storm, emergency pruning

    1:30 – 1:45 PM | Break

    1:45 – 2:30 PM | General Safety & Tree Work

    • Chainsaw, herbicide
    Show details

  • Carlyle Urban Tree Health Training

    • 05/08/2025
    • 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
    • Case-Halstead Public Library, 550 Sixth St. Carlyle, IL 62231
    Register

    Join Illinois Forestry Association and forestry experts for a day of learning and demonstrations on urban tree health topics. Anyone can attend, but this may be of particular interest to arborists and tree care professionals. 

    Registration is $15, lunch is provided, and CEUs will be offered.

    Agenda:

    8:30 – 9:00 AM | Check-in

    9:00 – 9:45 AM | Basic Biology of Trees

    9:45 – 10:30 AM | Tree Identification and Needs

    10:30 – 10:45 AM | Break

    10:45 – 11:30 AM | What’s Wrong with My Tree?

    • Abiotic, biotic, and herbicide

    11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | General Planting

    • Including mulching

    12:00 – 12:45 PM | Lunch Break

    12:45 – 1:30 PM | Pruning and Storm Preparation & Cleanup

    • Inventorying after a storm, emergency pruning

    1:30 – 1:45 PM | Break

    1:45 – 2:30 PM | General Safety & Tree Work

    • Chainsaw, herbicide
    Show details

  • Drone Demo

    • 05/20/2025
    • 10:00 AM
    • Spoon River State Forest

    Mark your calendar for an exciting field demo at Spoon River State Forest!

    On May 20, 2025, at 10:00 AM, Joe House of Digital Silva will be showcasing groundbreaking forestry drone technology — including both an inventory drone and a spraying drone.

    Highlights include:

    • Demonstration of the inventory drone over 5 acres

    • Spraying drone test with dyed water to observe spray patterns

    • First U.S. demo of this technology, brought directly from Europe

    • Free of charge, open to all divisions, consultants, and private landowners

    Joe’s bringing innovative tools that could change the way we manage our forests. Let’s get a strong turnout and see what’s possible!

    To RSVP, please email Luke.Koett@Illinois.gov.

    Show details

  • Community Hands-On Training in Urban Forestry

    • 05/21/2025
    • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
    • Willoughby Heritage Farms, 631 Willoughby Ln, Collinsville, IL 62234

    The University of Illinois Extension Forestry Program is partnering with the Illinois Arborist Association and Heartlands Conservancy to host a Chainsaw Safety and Pruning Training on May 21st at Willoughby Heritage Farms in Collinsville, IL.  The training will run from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. Registration cost is $20. More information and registration can be found at https://illinoisarborist.org/community-hands-on-training-chot/.

    The morning session will cover the safety features built into a chainsaw, 4 reactive forces of a rotating chain, rotational kickback, inertia and manually activated chain brake, proper cutting procedures, proper starting procedures, bore/plunge cutting, basic maintenance, and sharpening.  Participants will have hands-on opportunities to explore the saw’s safety features, perform basic maintenance, and practice sharpening.

    The afternoon session on pruning is a “hands-on” class. All class participants will be cutting woody plants using the following arborist tools: handsaw, pole saw, pole pruner, hand pruner and loppers. This class will focus on the proper pruning of shade trees and ornamentals, following the ANSI A300 Standard-Part 1.

    Show details

  • Peoria Urban Tree Health Training

    • 05/22/2025
    • 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
    • Illinois Extension Office, 4810 North Sheridan Rd Peoria, IL 61614-5928
    Register

    Join Illinois Forestry Association and forestry experts for a day of learning and demonstrations on urban tree health topics. Anyone can attend, but this may be of particular interest to arborists and tree care professionals. 

    Registration is $15, lunch is provided, and CEUs will be offered.

    Agenda:

    8:30 – 9:00 AM | Check-in

    9:00 – 9:45 AM | Basic Biology of Trees

    9:45 – 10:30 AM | Tree Identification and Needs

    10:30 – 10:45 AM | Break

    10:45 – 11:30 AM | What’s Wrong with My Tree?

    • Abiotic, biotic, and herbicide

    11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | General Planting

    • Including mulching

    12:00 – 12:45 PM | Lunch Break

    12:45 – 1:30 PM | Pruning and Storm Preparation & Cleanup

    • Inventorying after a storm, emergency pruning

    1:30 – 1:45 PM | Break

    1:45 – 2:30 PM | General Safety & Tree Work

    • Chainsaw, herbicide
    Show details

  • Effingham Urban Tree Health Training

    • 05/23/2025
    • 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
    • Effingham Public Library, 200 N. Third Street Effingham, IL 62401
    Register

    Join Illinois Forestry Association and forestry experts for a day of learning and demonstrations on urban tree health topics. Anyone can attend, but this may be of particular interest to arborists and tree care professionals. 

    Registration is $15, lunch is provided, and CEUs will be offered.

    Agenda:

    8:30 – 9:00 AM | Check-in

    9:00 – 9:45 AM | Basic Biology of Trees

    9:45 – 10:30 AM | Tree Identification and Needs

    10:30 – 10:45 AM | Break

    10:45 – 11:30 AM | What’s Wrong with My Tree?

    • Abiotic, biotic, and herbicide

    11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | General Planting

    • Including mulching

    12:00 – 12:45 PM | Lunch Break

    12:45 – 1:30 PM | Pruning and Storm Preparation & Cleanup

    • Inventorying after a storm, emergency pruning

    1:30 – 1:45 PM | Break

    1:45 – 2:30 PM | General Safety & Tree Work

    • Chainsaw, herbicide
    Show details

  • Illinois Extension Invasive Species Symposium

    • 05/28/2025
    • 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
    • Champaign County Extension Office

    Invasive insects, plants, and animals are a serious and expensive threat to Illinois waterways, natural areas, and farm fields. These non-native species spread quickly, and once they take hold are hard to remove.

    Get the latest research updates, learn about management recommendations, celebrate invasive removal success stories, network with colleagues, and ask questions about managing invasive species effectively at the 10th annual Illinois Extension Invasive Species Symposium. The event is open to industry professionals, students, landowners and managers, farmers, foresters, volunteers, environmental stewards, and the media.

    Topics

    • Invasive Species Language: Getting on the same page. Presenter: Chris Evans
    • Emerging Invasive Species Across Illinois. Presenter: Kevin Rohling
    • Influence of light and water depth on competition between reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) and Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus). Presenter: Jeffery Matthews
    • Everything you ever wanted to know about invasive carp spawning in the Illinois Waterway. Presenter: Steven Butler
    • The association between invasive plant species, tick abundance and pathogen carriage in southern Illinois. Presenter: Teresa Steckler
    • Evaluation of species and quantity of wildlife trafficking through areas of densely populated invasive plant species. Presenter: Krescene K. Holscher
    • Science Communication: Cosplay For Science: Dungeons and Dragons Style Communication. Presenter: Philip Anderson’s Lab
    • Red Gate Woods: The Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Largest Ever Ecological Restoration. Presenter: Samuel Pirruccello
    • The State of Invasive Species in Illinois: Q&A Panel Discussion. Panel: Eric Smith, John Griesbaum, and Bill Handel. Moderated by Karla Griesbaum.


    Register here

    Show details

  • IFA 20th Annual Conference

    • 09/18/2025
    • 09/20/2025
    • Lewis and Clark Community College, Trimpe Advanced Technology Center, Walter S. Ahlemeyer Atrium, Room 141, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey, IL

    Save the date for IFA's 20th Annual Conference! This can't-miss event includes presentations and demonstrations on a plethora of forestry topics, alongside silent auctions, IFA annual members meeting, and a field trip.

    Check out last year's invite for more information: IFA 19th Annual Conference

    Show details

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