Plant Science Hosts Arboriculture Summit

An arborist in tree-climbing gear at a demonstration

About 250 high school, community college, and four-year college students came to AGRIscapes in early December to learn about arboriculture – the cultivation and study of trees in urban settings – as a possible career option.

The students, who were from Southern California schools, were invited to Cal Poly Pomona as part of the first Student Arboriculture Summit. The event was the idea of Plant Science Lecturer Tracey Takeuchi, who, in addition to teaching horticulture at Cal Poly Pomona, is a certified arborist active in the industry for more than 25 years.

“Aboriculture is a little-recognized area of agriculture and a multi-billion dollar industry. We have regular need of skilled, educated employees in the arboriculture field,” Takeuchi said. “This discipline in agriculture is undervalued.”

About 25 arbor industry partners participated in the event, including West Coast Arborists, Bartlett, Brightview, Davey Tree, Pacific Stihl, Disney, Cal-Fire, Bishop Equipment, Mauget, and the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.

The arborists performed demonstrations for the visiting students, such as skilled rigging and climbing of the iconic oak tree located at the AGRIscapes courtyard. Other demonstrations involved using different procedures or equipment, like cambial injection and sonic tomography that uses sound waves to image internal decay in trees for hazard analysis.

The arbor companies also had information booths and equipment on display, ranging from chain saw and trucks to lifts and drones.  Arborists are using drones to investigate insect and disease pressure, as well as in areas where rugged terrain makes access a challenge.

Students and industry participants responded positively to the event, Takeuchi said.  Several students said they weren’t aware of the potential careers in arboriculture, while event sponsors and professional arborists said they were excited to speak to the student and would return for future summits, she said.

“We envision this event becoming a regular feature in our effort to reach out to new, prospective students, to build a more sustainable arboriculture educational path within the Huntley College of Agriculture and to attract future students to our program,” Takeuchi said. “As a board member for the Western Chapter of Arboriculture and a lecturer at Cal Poly Pomona, there is a charge to educate both students and the public about the benefits of trees to our environment, as well as the safe and proper care of those same trees.

The Western Chapter and its educational arm, the Britton Farm, support early education programs. The programs seek to reach students when they are young and teach them about the benefits of trees, increasing the potential that they might seek an arboriculture career in the future.

The Huntley College of Agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona offers courses in plant identification and arboriculture which can lead to a career working with trees.

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