Forestry Stewardship Webinar Series 2025

The 2025 Forest Stewardship Webinar Series features a series of four presentations from Forestry Experts each Wednesday at 2:00 pm Central on July 9, 16, 23, and 30.  You can choose to sign up for any or all of them! Virtual sessions are 1-hour in length, open to the public, and free to attend.  ISA Certified Arborist Continuing Education credits have been applied for.

Register Here

July 9 - Urban Trees are a Matter of Life and Death, Geoffrey Donovan, Ash and Elm Consulting

• This presentation will discuss three studies linking urban trees with human health. 1. Women who have more trees around their home are less likely to have underweight or premature babies. 2. The spread of the emerald ash borer does more than cause environmental harm. In addition, counties infested with emerald ash borer have higher rates of cardiovascular and lower respiratory mortality. 3, Neighborhoods that have more tree planting also have lower rates of cardiovascular mortality. Taken together, these studies show that urban trees can have a profound effect on our health.

July 16 - Legacy Trees: the significance of and how to manage our forest elders, Justin Vozzo, University of Illinois

• Legacy trees are defined by many names, shapes, sizes and stories. This talk will define a legacy tree and explore the history and benefits of some of the oldest trees on our Illinois landscape. We will discuss how the ecological and cultural significance of these trees across various examples in both forested and urban settings. There will be a discussion about how these trees can be managed to support and sustain the benefits they provide. Finally, this talk will cover past, current, and future programs and initiatives that advocate for these trees. 

July 23 - Staying Inside the Lines: Best Practices for Firebreak Design, Chris Evans, University of Illinois

• Prescribed fire is an important management tool in forests and grasslands.  A well designed and correctly installed firebreak is the first line of defense in keeping your burn safe and effective.  This presentation will cover the basics of firebreak placement, installation, design tools, and techniques.

July 30 - Emerging Invasive Species Across Illinois, Kevin Rohling, University of Illinois

• Keeping tabs on the latest invasive species in our region is critical to implementing successful management strategies, such as Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR). This presentation will cover emerging invasive species based on several sources of information, including land managers, surveys, citizen science, and expert opinions. Species covered will include some new to Illinois in recent years and some species actively spreading from one region to others where they will be new invaders.  Examples include Amur maple, wineberry, chaff flower, stiltgrass, spotted lanternfly, and others. Aspects of each species will be discussed, such as their ecological characteristics, current and native distributions, spread pathways, and control techniques.