Forestry

International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Preparation Course

The ISA Prep Course is a program that provides training to prospective arborists, landscape professionals, municipal workers and members of the public who are interested in receiving the International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist credential. Weekly lectures will be taught by guest speakers and will cover the items on the ISA Certification Exam. The cost of the course also includes a copy of the Arborist Certification Guide.

Program Design

The ISA Prep Course will be a 5-part program and will be available both in person at CCE Onondaga (6505 Collamer Rd, East Syracuse NY 13057) or virtually via zoom.

The interactive lecture schedule is below:

Session 1: Tree Biology, Tree ID and Soil Science – 2/26/2025

Course 1: Tree Identification with Jennifer Julianna Lerner

Lerner is the Senior Resources Educator at CCE Putnam County, with a Masters degree in Science and the Public.

Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: structure and function of buds, leaves, trunk and roots; basic composition of a tree’s vascular system; roots and mycorrhizae, processes of photosynthesis and respiration, CODIT

Course 2: Tree Biology with Rebecca Hargrave

Rebecca Hargrave is an ISA Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. She is a professor of Arboriculture and Forestry at SUNY Morrisville and a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Forestry at UMass Amherst.

Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: taxonomy and nomenclature; characteristics and how they can be used to identify trees; leaf arrangement, leaf shape and leaf margins

Course 3: Soil Science with Nina Bassuk

Bassuk holds a Bachelors and PhD in Horticulture. She was a tenured Cornell Professor of Urban Horticulture and authored over 100 papers on physiological problems of plants growing in urban environments.

Time: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: soil texture and structure and how it affects water movement; relation of soil moisture, absorption and root growth; pH, CEC and buffering capacity

Session 2: Water, Nutrition and Installation & Establishment – 3/5/25

Course 1: Plant Establishment with Dale Tuttle

Tuttle is CNLP certified and the former President of Plant CNY. He has over 20 yearsof experience in nursery and landscape work.

Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: techniques and procedures used to plant trees; varioustypes of planting stock and how to properly plant each time; requirements of newly planted trees

Course 2: Plant Nutrition with Kelly Hennigan

Hennigan is a Horticultural professional with a Master of Science (M.S.) focused in Ornamental Horticulture from Cornell University. She is a co-author of SUNY Morrisville’s Horticultural Business Management BT program and the author of the Cannabis Industry minor and Specialty Crops and Cannabis Production certificate. She has recently retired, after 23 years of teaching and developing hands-on learning for an array of plant science, biology, and environmental science courses.

Time: 2:30 pm -3:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: essential tree nutrients and how they are absorbed; reasons for fertilizing urban trees and types of fertilizer to be used; problems associated with excessive fertilization

Session 3: Pruning, Diagnosis and Plant Healthcare – 3/12/25

Course 1: Plant Healthcare with Michael Mahanna

Mahanna has been an ISA Certified Arborist for over 30 years. He is a retired professor at Hamilton College who now teaches courses at Hamilton Arboretum.

Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: causes of plant disorders; steps in diagnosis; diagnostic tools; insects and diseases; abiotic problems; treatment

Course 2: Pruning with Jeanne Grace

Grace is an ISA Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. She is the Forester for the City of Ithaca.

Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: pruning objectives; how trees respond to pruning; defining branch collar; branch size and branch protection zone; procedures and techniques used in pruning

Session 4: Tree Risk Assessment, Construction & Urban Forestry – 3/19/25

Course 1: Tree Risk Assessment with Leanna Nugent

Nugent is an ISA Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. She holds a Masters degree in Urban Forestry and is currently the Community Forestry Educator with CCE Onondaga.

Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: tree risk assessment procedures; how decay contributes to tree failure; how tree risk can be mitigated; duty of an arborist when assessing tree condition

Course 2: Trees and Construction with Jeffrey Romano

Romano is an ISA Certified Arborist and currently works as a Forestry Technician for the City of Syracuse.

Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: how trees can be injured or killed by construction; arborist’s role in planning and preventing tree damage; techniques used to preserve trees; treatment of trees damaged by construction

Course 3: Urban Forestry with Deborah Hilbert

Hilbert is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sustainable Resources Management at SUNY-ESF with training in urban landscaping and arboriculture.

Time: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: environmental, economic, aesthetic and social benefits of trees; the role of an urban forester; how to plan and conduct a tree inventory; components of an urban forestry management plan

Session 5: Safety, Climbing, Cabling and Lightning Protection with Jennifer Hause Wood – 3/26/25

Hause Wood is an ISA Certified Arborist and a NYS DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator. She is the President of Walker Tree Care.

Time: 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Topics to be discussed: appropriate safety standards for tree care operations; personal protective equipment and proper work zone procedures; potential hazards associated with working close to electric conductors; proper chainsaw procedures; safety equipment for climbing and working in trees; tree climbing techniques; principles of rigging and equipment needed

**ISA Credits have been approved. CNLP Credits are pending.

Cost of Program:

Sessions 1 and 4 cost $130 and sessions 2, 3 and 5 cost $90. The cost to register for all 5 sessions is $595 and includes a copy of the Arborist Certification Guide.

The minimum age to participate is 18 years old.

If you have any questions, please contact Leanna at lwn5@cornell.edu

To Register

CLICK HERE to register and pay through PayPal. Please note you do not need a PayPal account to continue, just choose pay with credit/debit and choose "Do Not Save Your Info".

Last updated January 15, 2025