April 17, 2026

Ohio Chapter's Field Day

Westerville

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Date: Friday, April 17, 2026
Time: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: Heritage Park, Atrim Park Shelterhouse, 60 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville, OH 43081
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This one-day event is open to all tree care professionals and field workers. Participants will rotate through stations for a hands-on learning experience.  Dress for weather conditions; the event will be held rain or shine. 

• Ohio Chapter Members - $75
• Non-Members - $100

Whether you’re aiming to build strong industry relationships, elevate your services, or support Ohio tree care professionals, sponsoring the Ohio Chapter’s Field Day offers a strategic and rewarding investment.

• Vendors - $50 (includes one lunch ticket)
• Sponsors - $50 plus the cost of the item. (Examples include lunch, donuts, coffee, and bottled water.)

Schedule tentative

1.5 hour stations include:

• Pests & Disease Walkabout - The primary focus of this walk will be on pests and diseases. It will include all management options based on integrated pest and disease management strategies. However, it is also a diagnostic training, meaning all facets of tree health will be on the table, from environmental to physiological issues. Participants will be expected to provide input, sharing the knowledge they have gained through experience.

• Practical Tree and Soil Health Walkabout - Join us for an interactive walkabout focused on real-world tree and soil health practices. This hands-on session takes learning outdoors, where we’ll examine common issues and discuss practical solutions. We’ll look at examples such as:

  • Mulch Missteps: Why improper mulch rings can harm trees and how to correct them.
  • Soil Compaction: How compaction affects root growth and overall tree health, plus strategies for mitigation through Plant Health Care (PHC).

  This session is designed to keep things approachable—less about deep soil science and more about actionable steps you can take to improve tree and soil conditions in your landscapes. Perfect for arborists, landscapers, and anyone passionate about healthy trees!

• Proper Tree Planting - Learn about the proper techniques for the installation of trees following the newly updated Sample Ohio Tree Planting Specifications. Students will learn how to apply this standard to their everyday tree-planting assignments.  Participants may receive a certificate of completion and appear on the Chapter’s consumer site, Trees4Ohio.org. 
• Tree & Plant ID Walkabout - Walk with us as we learn how to identify some of the trees in our park.

Half-day sessions include:

• Aerial Rescue - This interactive Aerial Rescue Training course is a hands-on class that will focus on the fundamentals of effective Aerial Rescue in trees. Scene size-up (assessment), critical information to relay to dispatchers/first responders, techniques for gaining access to victims, patient assessment and care/packaging, and decision-making concepts to aid rescuers are all topics that will be covered during the class. Participants must bring their own PPE and climbing equipment to participate in the training.

• Assessing Trees for Risk - The ISA offers the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), a two-day course that includes a half-day exam—but this workshop is different. Instead of classroom instruction, you’ll join experienced ISA TRAQ arborists for a guided walk through the park. They’ll demonstrate what a TRAQ assessor looks for when evaluating individual trees—skills you need every day on the job. You’ll learn how qualified professionals identify potential targets and defects, assess risk factors, and determine the likelihood of failure. This hands-on discussion will also help climbers make informed decisions when selecting tie-in and rigging points, recognize when supplemental support systems may be necessary, and know when a more detailed inspection is warranted.

• Tree Felling Notches & Techniques - In this course, we will cover chainsaw safety, the 5-step felling plan, notches, and back cuts. Participants will be running chainsaws and are required to bring PPE, including chaps or pants, helmet, eye and ear protection, work gloves, and boots,

Field Day Co-Sponsors