Become a Tree Care Advisor

The Minnesota Tree Care Advisor program, founded in 1993, aids in the development of environmental stewards through education and the promotion of volunteerism. Tree Care Advisor volunteers are dedicated to volunteerism and to improving the urban and community forests in the State of Minnesota.

2023 Core Course

Registration is now open!

The 2023 MN Tree Care Advisor Core Course will take place primarily online, with one in-person class at the UFOR Nursery on the St. Paul Campus. Course dates are one evening per week in April and May (with the exception of the in-person class).

Note that to become a Tree Care Advisor, you must participate in the full Core Course. Also, due to the highly participatory nature of the course, we strongly recommend attending each online class live. However, the online classes will be recorded for later viewing (since life and conflicts come up in this wonderful world). (Note: The in-person class will not be recorded due to the highly mobile and outdoor nature of the event.)

People looking to register for an individual class may do so starting February 13th.

2023 MNTCA Core Course Schedule

April 3 – 5:00-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Introduction to the Core Course, About Tree Care Advisor program, and Tree Benefits
April 10 – 5:00-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Tree Biology*
April 17 – 5:00-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Tree Morphology and Tree ID*
April 24 – 5:00-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Soils and Tree Selection*
May 1 – 5:00-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Invasive Plants, Insects, & Pathogens - Part 1*
May 8 – 5:00-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Invasive Plants, Insects, & Pathogens - Part 2*
May 13 – 8:30-12:30pm (Field Session at UFOR Nursery on St. Paul Campus) - Pruning Trees, Tree ID, Best Planting Practices, Gravel Beds
May 15 – 5:00am-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Abiotic Stresses, Climatic Adaptable Trees for MN*
May 22 – 5:00-6:30pm (online via Zoom) - Applied Volunteerism & Course Wrap-up

*Available to purchase as individual class beginning February 13th.

Cost: $200 (or $15 for available individual classes)

To become a Tree Care Advisor volunteer, you must participate in the full Core Course.

If the cost is a barrier for you, there may be discounts available. Please contact Sonja at [email protected] for more information.

Please be aware that registration is limited to 30 people, so register early to make sure you get a spot!

As a member of the Minnesota Tree Care Advisor Program, you receive:

The most up to date research based information
Cutting edge publications from the University of Minnesota, Minnesota's Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture, and the U.S. Forest Service
A quarterly newsletter discussing seasonal topics, fellow Tree Care Advisors and new research updates
Discounts to other programs and courses such as the Tree Inspector Program and Shade Tree Short Course
Notifications and invitations to the most interesting volunteer opportunities
Connections with others who share your interest
A venue to share your knowledge and love of trees
The ability to help create healthier ecosystems within your community

Volunteerism:

Tree Care Advisors concentrate their volunteer activities in a community-based atmosphere. It is emphasized that the majority of volunteer hours are to be spent in the individual Tree Care Advisor’s community, when practical and possible. Under the volunteer track we ask that you complete 25 volunteer hours each year. All volunteer hours need to be documented and reported through the online portal: https://mntca.umn.edu/tree-care-advisor/education-volunteer-hours-reporting. Reporting your hours helps with grant funding to ensure our community and urban forest programs remain healthy and robust!

Opportunities to volunteer may include conducting educational programs for youth groups, schools, neighborhood and community groups, or in partnership with research-based programs (Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, MN Water Stewards). You may be called upon to assist community or neighborhood forestry planning groups by conducting workshops, helping them prepare proposals, reviewing their plans, and helping the public with their tree-related questions by providing information or directing them to resources. There are many exciting urban and community forestry initiatives and programs emerging in Minnesota:

Great River Greening, the St. Paul Foundation
Fruits of the City
Federal and State grants for urban reforestation, energy conservation and tree care
Existing community forestry programs, working with your community forester
Tree City USA programs
Arbor Month in Minnesota, educational and planting projects
Arbor Day celebrations
Tree Trust
Neighborhood or block stewardship programs

*If you are a Master Gardener you may include Master Gardener hours if they relate to tree and shrub care or other aspects of urban and community forestry. In some cases, depending on your status as a Master Gardener and your county’s Master Gardener coordinator, Tree Care Advisor volunteer hours may count as Master Gardener volunteer hours. Check with your county extension educator on this. Feel free to also email Sonja at [email protected] with questions.

Continuing Education:

Every year, a total of 4 hours of education must be acquired to retain Tree Care Advisor active status. This is to affirm that volunteers are receiving the most up to date information on tree care. These 4 hours can be obtained by attending reputable education opportunities through universities, Master Gardener Updates, Master Naturalist classes, Minnesota Water Steward courses, and several other outside opportunities. Update training classes, better known as Tree Essentials classes, are offered on occasional Fridays in the summer and early fall on the St. Paul Campus UFOR Nursery. We also host an annual UFOR Field Day on the St. Paul Campus in August.

Volunteerism:

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