Tree Pest and Disease Diagnosis Bootcamps

This hands-on training is designed for urban forestry professionals, municipal staff, tree board members, and others involved in tree health and management.

Participants will build practical diagnostic skills through classroom instruction, applied examples, and real-world case studies. Topics include tree ID, abiotic disorders, nutrient deficiencies, and disease/insect diagnostics.

Bootcamps presented by Montana Urban and Community Forestry Association (MUCFA) and Montana State University Extension.

Bootcamp Dates & Locations:

·  Polson – February 19–20

·  Lewistown – March 16–17

·  Miles City – March 18

·  Whitehall – March 23–24

Space is limited to 25 participants per location. Early registration is encouraged.

Registration Fee: $25 (include meals and take-home diagnostic supplies) Late Registration: $50 (applies one week prior to each session)

Register Now 

Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) 

April 13-15, 2026

Buffalo, WY

The ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (ISA TRAQ) is a voluntary qualification program designed to train and assess candidates in a specialized field of arboriculture. When a professional earns the ISA TRAQ credential, they should be recognized by their peers and the public as a tree care professional who has specialized knowledge in tree risk assessment. To earn the qualification, eligible candidates must complete a training course, and pass both a comprehensive written assessment and a performance-based assessment. To maintain the qualification, current credential holders must retrain and retest every seven years.

View Agenda and Qualification Requirements on the International Society of Arboriculture's Rocky Mountain Chapter (ISA RMC) website. Sign up here.

International Society of Arboriculture Rocky Mountain Chapter Tree Climbing Competition

June 18-20, 2026

Billings, MT

Competing climbers must reside within the Rocky Mountain Chapter boundaries for more than seven months out of the year and be a current International and Rocky Mountain Chapter member. Competing climbers will be competing to qualify for the Masters' Challenge for a chance to win the ArborMaster Grand prize package, the Chapter title and registration for the NATCC and ITCC. We have the ability to accommodate 45 competitors this year.

View Agenda and Registration Information on the International Society of Arboriculture's Rocky Mountain Chapter (ISA RMC) website. Sign up here.

What's Bugging You?

New York State IPM Program

This monthly series explores topics to help you use integrated pest management to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. Each month, speakers will share practical information about how you can use IPM. Advanced registration is required. Dates and topics below.

• January 2: Stratifying native perennial wildflower seeds | 2025 Year in Review
• February 6: The value of insects | Feeding Friendly Insects: cut stems
• March 6: Here come the Jorō spiders! | Lookout for termite swarms
• April 3: Mole control | Feeding Friendly Insects: delay garden cleanup
• May 1: Jumping worm management | Feeding Friendly Insects: look for seedlings
• June 5: Protecting pollinators in urban areas | Say NO! to bug zappers
• July 3: Cicadas & cicada-killer wasps | Feeding Friendly Insects: weed management (pre-recorded video only)
• August 7: Managing Spotted Lanternfly at Home
• September 4: Mosquitoes are still active | Is that a bee?
• October 2: Fall clean-up for your flower and vegetable beds | Leaf piles and ticks
• November 6: Emerald Ash Borer Biocontrol Update
• December 4: Hemlock Wooly Adelgid Biocontrol Update
• Moths
  

Registration: Free, but required. Register here.