common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) L. used as a street tree in a 6-8 foot tree lawn

Image by T. Davis Sydnor, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

Learn about selecting trees & caring for them Tues. April 7th, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm.

Citizen Pruner Training #1: Tree Selection and Care

Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

City Forester, Jeanne Grace will teach how to select the right tree for your space as well as how to plant and care for it in its early years. Each spring, CCE-Tompkins offers a multi-part training series for individuals who want to learn best practices for selecting, planting, caring for, and pruning ornamental trees and shrubs. The classes are part of a 3-part hybrid series, with a final hands-on workshop - take one or all. There will be a separate registration link for each class.
This class series gives the basics to start as a Citizen Pruner Volunteer. Citizen Pruners are stewards of trees in the City of Ithaca and the Town of Ulysses. Throughout the warm months, interested folks gather with experienced foresters at weekly volunteer sessions to prune.

"Tree Pruning" Tuesday, April 14th, 5:30-7:00 pm
"Shrub Pruning" Tuesday, April 28th, 5:30-7:00 pm
"Hands-on Workshop" Tuesday, May 5th, 5:30-7:30pm

Instructor's bio: Jeanne Grace has worked as City Forester for the City of Ithaca for 15 years. She previously worked on the Asian Long-horned Beetle Eradication program in NYC and holds a BS from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse and an MS in Horticulture from Cornell University. She is a certified Arborist, a Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Arborist (TRAQ) and a DEC licensed pesticide applicator.