551 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002
United States
- Lecture, Walkabout, and Book Signing with Dr. Michael Dirr
- Grand Opening of the UMass/Eversource Utility Arboretum
- Gordon King Memorial Tree Planting
Join us for an Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration with Dr. Michael Dirr!
For most people who work with trees, Dr. Michael Dirr needs no introduction. He is the author of numerous books on woody plants that have become staples on our desks. He also has some New England roots, as he earned his PhD from UMass. His fingers are always on the pulse of the nursery industry, scouting for new introductions, and having himself introduced 15 trees into commerce.
Michael Dirr is the author of seven books, including Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture and Propagation and Uses, a widely used and best-selling reference text, Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs, Hydrangeas for the American Gardner, and Viburnums: Flowering Shrubs for Every Season. A Mercer scholar, Dirr is considered one of the green industry’s most celebrated plant experts. An Emeritus Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, his teaching, lectures, seminars, garden study tours and plant introduction programs have contributed greatly to industry awareness.
He has established several arboreta, consults on tree selection, and has penned tree guides for many campuses. The green industry has tremendously benefited from his keen interest in evaluating trees and his enthusiasm to share it with us.
Sponsored by: UMass Extension, the UMass Waugh Arboretum, and Eversource
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Agenda
Friday, April 21
LECTURE: THE ORIGINS OF NEW SHADE AND ORNAMENTAL TREES: THE ROLES OF SERENDIPITY AND BREEDING – Dr. Michael Dirr
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Cost: $50
Location: Design Building, UMass Amherst.
BOOK SIGNING by Dr. Dirr
Copies of his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants and Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs will be for sale.
Time: 3:30 pm
Location: 1st floor Atrium, Design Building, UMass Amherst
TOUR OF UMASS DESIGN BUILDING WATER MANAGEMENT GARDENS – Mike Davidsohn, UMass Dept. of Landscape and Regional Planning.
Time: 3:30 pm
Location: Meet in 1st floor Atrium, Design Building, UMass Amherst
Saturday, April 22
Choose ONE of two concurrent sessions – each session includes 90 minutes at each of the following:
- TREE WALK & TALK WITH MICHAEL DIRR – Tree identification and appreciation walk and talk on the UMass campus.
- UTILITY ARBORICULTURE - FROM THE GROUND UP! - Join Paul Sellers and Bob Allen from Eversource Vegetation Management as they discuss and demonstrate the safety and strategy that is inherent in every utility pruning job set up. Details will include, Job Briefing, Work Zone Traffic Control, Drop Zone, Personal Protective Equipment, Tool Maintenance, and Equipment overview all before making the first cut. Asplundh Tree Expert Company will have equipment and tree crew on site to help demonstrate the preparation that is needed to safely and successfully provide adequate tree clearance from electric lines.
Concurrent Session 1 – start with Dr. Dirr’s Tree Walk & Talk 8:00-9:30, then move to the Utility Arboriculture presentation for 10:15-11:45. Cost: $80
Concurrent Session 2 – start with the Utility Arboriculture presentation 8:00-9:30, then move to the Dr. Dirr’s Tree Walk & Talk from 10:15-11:45. Cost: $80
MEMORIAL TREE PLANTING FOR PROF. GORDON KING - Everyone welcome!
Time: 1:00 pm
Location: Durfee Conservatory, UMass Amherst