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Tree City USA Luncheon
April 3, 2025 @ 8:30 am – 2:00 pm
The Iowa Urban Tree Council, Iowa DNR, and Trees Forever invite you to the 2025 Tree City USA Awards Luncheon Thursday, April 3rd at the FFA Enrichment Center on the campus of Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny.
The photo session for Tree City USA communities opens at 10:00 a.m. with the luncheon starting at 11:00. Our featured keynote speaker is Dr. Gary Johnson from the University of Minnesota. Gary will share information on making tree policy and code work for your community.
Dr. Johnson will also be directing a morning workshop on practical applications of tree policies and code geared towards city arborists, city administrators, public works directors and more. The workshop is $20 to attend and begins at 9:30 am; check in desk will be open by 8:30 am.
The day will wrap up with recognizing award winners in several categories nominated by friends and neighbors from large and small towns throughout Iowa. Don’t miss this great opportunity to hear from an expert in the field on a topic that is front and center across Iowa with the devastation of Emerald Ash Borer.
Gary Johnson, Professor Emeritus of urban and community forestry, has been an instructor and researcher at the University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources for 33 years. His primary areas of research and publishing included avoiding construction damage to trees, predicting and preventing storm damage to urban trees, and best production and planting practices for nursery-grown trees. Additionally, through a multi-year series of grants, he ran the Community Engagement Program where he and his graduate students worked with over 100 communities in Minnesota to improve their urban forests through community volunteerism and policies that protected and expanded their urban forests.
Cost
This is a free event for the first 3 participants from an attending community; additional tickets can be purchased for $20 to offset the cost of lunch.
The workshop fee is $20 for ALL participants and is payable at the door with cash, check, or credit card.
Agenda
- 8:30 Registration Desk Opens
- 9:30 – 10:30 Optional Workshop
- 10:00 Photo Session Opens
- 11:00 – 2:00 Luncheon, Keynote, Awards
Contact
Jeff Jensen
515-320-6756
jjensen@treesforever.org