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 closed for 2023. Look for the next registration in early 2024!

2023 MNTCA Core Course Schedule

Introduction to the Core Course, About Tree Care Advisor program, and Tree Benefits
Tree Biology*
Tree Morphology and Tree ID*
Soils and Tree Selection*
Invasive Plants, Insects, & Pathogens - Part 1*
Invasive Plants, Insects, & Pathogens - Part 2*
Field Session at UFOR Nursery on St. Paul Campus - Pruning Trees, Tree ID, Best Planting Practices, Gravel Beds
Abiotic Stresses, Climatic Adaptable Trees for MN*
Applied Volunteerism & Course Wrap-up

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

2023 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.

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 also a Master Gardener, and your county MG County Coordinator agrees, you may report hours you spend on tree and shrub questions at MG-sponsored events as either MG or Advisor hours (or split event hours between the two programs).

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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