Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course

Letter from the STSC Host

Trees in the Time of COVID

The Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course has been an annual event since 1963. Neither blizzards nor economic down turns have ever prevented the Short Course from providing excellence in arboriculture and urban forestry education. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 Minnesota Shade Short Course to cancel its time-honored run of excellence.

As the COVID restrictions remain in place at the start of 2021, the Short Course steering committee was once again faced with a decision: Cancel the Short Course for a second year or offer a version of the Short Course online. We choose to offer the Short Course online at a reduced price. We recognize the 2021 Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course will not be the same experience as years past. However, many of the speakers who had agreed to present in 2020 happily agreed to provide their expertise at the 2021 Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course. To all the presenters: We thank you for your flexibility and generosity.

While the 2021 Short Course will be different than previous years, we sincerely hope you will join us online for sessions ranging from electric chainsaws to equitable pathways in urban forestry to wacky weather and tree ascension through time and space. The steering committee and conference staff have been working hard to overcome technical challenges and deliver a worthwhile conference: We thank you for your understanding and support during these unprecedented times. Even with a shorter Short Course, the 2021 Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course has a lot to offer.

The start of 2021 marks my first year chairing the Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course steering committee, but the credit for the excellent programming and speaker line-up for this year’s short course goes to the steering committee members and the past committee chair - Emeritus Professor Gary Johnson. To Gary, who skillfully, thoughtfully, and lovingly put years of time and energy into the Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course: we thank you, I thank you, for your tremendous contributions to educating volunteers and professionals.

Sincerely,

Eric North, Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course, Chair

Department of Forest Resources

College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

University of Minnesota

Credits

International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

ISA CEUs will be offered at the Annual Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course. For more information about ISA CEUs, please visit ISA Certification and Credentials.

Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) CEUs

Select sessions at the Annual Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course may qualify for CTSP CEUs. More information will be available when the program is finalized.

Society of American Foresters Continuing Forestry Education Credits

Most sessions are approved for SAF Continuing Forestry Education credits.

Minnesota Tree Inspector Recertification

Certified tree inspectors will be recertified for 2021 by attending the entire short course. For questions about tree inspector status, contact the Department of Natural Resources at [email protected]. For information on tree inspector workshops visit www.mntreeinspector.com.

Contact Us

Questions about Registration
612-625-2900

General Information: Suzanne
612-625-2391 | [email protected]