2023 Joint Annual Meeting: Northeast and Southern Forest and Conservation Nursery Associations

Monday, July 17 

Travel day.

5:00 – 7:00 pm. Icebreaker/Social (Location TBD)

Tuesday, July 18

6:30 – 7:45 am. Continental breakfast, registration table open

8:00 – 8:20am.  Welcome – PA DCNR

8:20– 9:00 am.  Growing plant material for the People by prioritising indigenous plant production nurseries in Africa – Siya Sokomani, Founder, Nguni Nursery, Cape Town South Africa

9:00 – 9:20 am. Needs for tree seedling stock in the Urban Forest – Jessica Cavey, Program Director, Tree Pennsylvania

9:20 – 9:40 am. Challenges of nurseries and urban forestry – Alec McCartney, Nursery Manager, New Jersey State Nursery.

9:40 – 10:00. Update on resistance breeding in eastern hemlock – Rachel Kappler, Holden Forests and Gardens.

10:00-10:30 am.  Morning break.

10:30 – 10:50 am. Tree planting needs to restore watersheds in Pennsylvania – David Wise, Stroud Water Research Center

10:50 – 11:10 am. The challenges of acquiring tree seedlings for water quality protection – Jenna Mitchell Beckett, PA State Director, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

11:10 – 11:30 pm. Growing trees and collecting seed: perspective from an urban tree nursery – Megan Palomo, Heritage Nursery Director, Trees Pittsburgh.

11:30 – 12:00 pm. Need for seed: perspectives from seed collectors: in person and Zoom panel – Calvin Ernst, President, Ernst Conservation Seeds, Inc. Christopher Kiratzis, Owner, Better Forest Tree Seeds, LLC.

12:00–1:00.  Lunch.

1:00 – 1:30. Lessons learned from forest climate-adaptation projects – Denise Alving, PhD Candidate and Margot Kaye, Professor, Pennsylvania State University.

1:30 -2:00.  Ramping up seedling production of disease-resistant American chestnuts – Sara Fern Fitzsimmons, Chief Conservation Officer. The American Chestnut Foundation and Penn State University

2:00-2:15 – Vendor Introductions

2:15 – 2:45 pm. Afternoon break.

2:45-3:05. Uses of biochar in tree nurseries – Pat Sheran, Metzler Forest Products.

3:05–3:20. Market research findings on nursery production –  Harry Guinness, New Leaf

3:20-4:00. Successes in tree planting on mineland reclamation sites in PA – Eric Oliver, Mineral Resource Program Specialist, DEP Bureau of Mining Programs, Michael French, Director of Operations, Green Forests Work

4:00-5:00. Meeting of Northeast Nursery Association

6:00 – Dinner on your own

Wednesday, July 19: field tour

6:30 – 7:45. Breakfast

7:45 – 8:00. Board buses

8:00 – 9:00. Travel to Howard nursery

9:00 – 11:00. Tour Howard Nursery, Pennsylvania’s Game Commission Nursery

11:00 – 12:00. Travel to Penn nursery

12:00 – 12:30. LUNCH

12:30 – 1:30. Tour Penn nursery, Pennsylvania’s primary nursery for the production of bare root tree seedlings for state land in PA.

2:00 – Load buses to hotel

4:00 – Tour of arboretum. Walking tour to black walnut provenance trial (with Laura Leites) and American chestnut planting (with Sara Fitzsimmons)

6:00 – Banquet (Location TBD)

8:00 – Return to hotel

Thursday, July 20: optional tour

6:30 – 7:45 Breakfast

8:00 – 12:00 Optional field tour TBA