Tree care class for homeowners

[treeguy347]

I've been asked to give a seminar in our community geared towards homeowners. I'm pretty excited to teach it, because there isn't a large awareness of proper practices in our area. Public outreach and education is one of the best things we can do to fight the hacks. I have an hour and a half to do it in. If it goes over well, they may have me back for more in depth classes. Here's the topics that seem most vital that I've thought of so far:

• Reinforce value and benefit of trees
• Basic tree biology
• Encourage them to be more observant/proactive about their trees
• Overview of most common diseases/pests in our area
• Pruning
• Proper watering
• Mulching
• Safety/knowing your limits/when to call a professional
• How to select a professional

Have any of you done something similar to this? Suggestions for topics? The biggest thing I'm concerned about is promoting it and getting people in the door. Thinking about buying a hand saw or something to give away there in a drawing.

 

[stltreedr]

sounds like a good idea...Try contacting your department of conservation, local master gardeners groups, forestry councils if you have them...You might be surprised how many people would be interested if they knew about it. I would not worry about a giveaway.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Just end every sentence "and by the way, topping is BAD!!"

 

[Nemus Talea]

I've been asked to give a seminar in our community geared towards homeowners. I'm pretty excited to teach it, because there isn't a large awareness of proper practices in our area. Public outreach and education is one of the best things we can do to fight the hacks. I have an hour and a half to do it in. If it goes over well, they may have me back for more in depth classes. Here's the topics that seem most vital that I've thought of so far:

• Reinforce value and benefit of trees
• Basic tree biology
• Encourage them to be more observant/proactive about their trees
• Overview of most common diseases/pests in our area
• Pruning
• Proper watering
• Mulching
• Safety/knowing your limits/when to call a professional
• How to select a professional

Have any of you done something similar to this? Suggestions for topics? The biggest thing I'm concerned about is promoting it and getting people in the door. Thinking about buying a hand saw or something to give away there in a drawing.

Sounds like a great opportunity. Rather than just complain about stupid HO's, you can help them make informed decisions. Who / what organization extended you the invitation?
An hour and a half huh? Not much time to cover the subjects you have listed. Question and answer group conversation would have to be kept to a minimum just to make general points. Open with a funny and relate-able "cat in a tree" type story, basic biology and environmental needs of a healthy tree, pruning, common sense hazard assessment, wow em with the physics of a technical removal, close with whats most important to them, money. Home value with a mature healthy tree, potential damage of "wrong tree wrong place," liability of a danger tree, insurance, and picking a competent pro.
There will be DIY folks with craftsman saws in their garage for sure. A cursory chainsaw safety segment will be needed. Tell them how heavy that little limb is. Show them murphys' "got ladder" video. using ladders for tree work - YouTube
As mentioned before, get them straight on "topping."
Best would be multiple engagements.
What I know of addressing groups of people is, don't try to pour a bucket of info into their shot glass brains, gonna spill. (Dang, I say that all the time but cant remember the TV show I got it from!)
Others here know much more than me - I hope they will add to the conversation.

 

[imagineero]

I'd drop discussing the value of trees. You're probably preaching to the converted there.

Bear in mind that lecturing has the lowest retention rate of all forms of information presentation. The retention rate is less than 1%. People can't generally pay attention (and retain complex information) for longer than 3-5 minutes. Give handouts, so people have something to refer to later, or you're pretty much wasting your time. Even doing it this way, people will probably not retain more than 3-5 concepts. If you have only 3 points to make, then asked each person at the end of the lecture what the 3 points were, you'd be surprised how few people got it.

The question of who engaged you to do this is a good one. That may well steer the discussion. I'd try to make it as interactive as possible. Most people learn by doing, not by listening. Try to have some actual plants there if you can, and get people to prune them during the class. Give the plants away. Break it up into a few 10-15 minute sessions.

I'd stress some basics - how trees can never heal, only compartmentalise, so damage is permanent (many people don't know that!), and maybe bring samples, or at least photos of badly pruned trees cut open so people can see what is inside. They'll remember that. Maybe talk a little about different types of pruning and which trees they work best on - property/power line clearance, crown lifting, crown thinning etc.

Beyond that, maybe just a bit of basic tree care. Try to make each segment interactive. Rather than just talking about it, get them to pick/identify different things. It keeps the brain working.

Shaun

 

[Nemus Talea]

Are people coming for the sole purpose of your presentation or will this be part of a larger event with people coming and going? Community center? Small room?
Handouts and internet resource list would be good.
Some interaction would be great. More work to prepare, but if you want this effective...

 

[treeguy347]

Sounds like a great opportunity. Rather than just complain about stupid HO's, you can help them make informed decisions. QUOTE]

Nemus, that's exactly what I'm hoping for. Most HO's don't know what they don't know. Many still think concrete and tar are good ideas to "repair" trees. I'm making public outreach a much larger priority in my marketing strategy. Hopefully by educating the public, the standard of tree care as a whole in our area will be elevated. Might be idealistic, but we have to start somewhere.

They'll be coming just for me. It's at our community library. We're a pretty small town of about 3,500. The adult programs director is the one I'm coordinating with. They do 4-5 programs a month on things like cooking, gardening, scrapbooking, writing, astronomy and home repairs. Their event room seats 60-70 people, but most attendances are about 20-25 people. The live demo idea is great. Better to show a real branch collar as well as some cutaways of defects (included bark, compartmentalized decay, etc.) will be much better than just pictures. The biggest challenge I'm facing is how to condense to the vitals in the most effective (memorable) way possible. We could talk for hours about tips/techiques, etc., but how do you boil it down to something interesting, short and easily retain by the average HO that knows little about trees.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I think the bucket into a shot glass analogy is brilliant. Keep your theme more motivational than flooding with info. It's kind of like when we get one of those threads " I want to start climbing". Where do you start? They can always learn more later,but if you just show them a peek at the resources avaiilable to a person that cares you will have done a good job. And of course invite them to join the site! All kidding aside, if they care about their trees, this is a great resource.

 

[treeclimber101]

I think you'd have more people visiting to eat the free donuts and coffee then people who actually care to know about trees , 1 outta 3 people may give you five minutes of there time to bore them with all your knowledge the other 2 just stare at you with there head slightly cocked like your speaking Tibetan !

 

[imagineero]

I think you will get people turning up who are interested in the subject matter, but they're more likely to be do it yourself types than the kind of people who are going to give you a call and ask you to do their tree work. If you're doing it for the sake of spreading information and increasing knowledge then good on you. If you're doing it to generate leads then I think you could find more effective ways of investing your time.

Shaun

 

[lxt]

Did it & wont do it again! basically you get a few young just got hired for line clearance kids who think they know everything & try to take over! they come cause a hand full of Home owners will show up & this is the fresh young hacks targets to promote their tree climbin biz.

all in all you might reach a couple dozen people who will forget everything you said except what they are planning to do themselves at home & then the 3-5 climbers with 6months to a year in will approach you enthusiastically about gear, what kinda saws you use, what kinda saddle, hooks, etc.. & then come their tree stories.............Woo Wee yep a real good time!



LXT.............