Tree Tenders
Become a Tree Tender!
Join over 600 people in caring for City trees
Register for a Tree Tender Course by clicking here! Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest is offering 6 different courses city-wide in 2010.
Tree Tenders are trained city residents who care for young street trees during Tree Care Days. This special group of volunteers participate in a three-session course that equips them with the skills necessary to care for trees. Local tree experts provide instruction, and the course covers everything from tree biology to planting and pruning. Following completion of the course, Tree Tenders-in-Training participate in 8 volunteer hours (often at plantings in their neighborhoods) and a hands-on Pruning Workshop.
What will I learn in a Tree Tender course? 
Session 1 Introduction to Urban Forestry
1. Program Overview
2. Test Pre-Existing Level of Knowledge
3. History - Inventory, Management Plan, Flow Chart
4. TreeVitalize
5. Urban Tree Condition and Stressors and the Need for Tree Tenders
6. Benefits of Trees & Advocacy
Session 2 Tree Biology and Planting
1. Tree Biology
2. Tree Planting, Right Tree/Right Place, Review Permit & City Requirements
a. Bare Root
b. Container
c. B&B
3. Basics of Tree ID
Session 3 Tree Pruning and Health
1. Pruning – Why we do it, workshop introduction
2. Mulching, Staking, and Watering
3. Pest &Diseases
4. Organizing a Tree Planting
* Each class includes both classroom and field instruction
Want to become a Tree Tender? Click Here to Register Online!