Urban Forestry Trainings Available Winter of 2026

Winter is an ideal time to dedicate some time to professional development or acquire new knowledge and skills. The Penn State Extension Urban Forestry Program offers several online programs that can prepare green industry professionals for arborist certification or provide continuing education credits for ISA-certified arborists. Also offered during the winter are programs for small woodlot owners and community volunteers.

Below is some more information about the winter urban forestry programs

Online Arborist Short Course

Starting January 6, 2026, the Arborist Short Course Series will provide attendees with 30 hours of training delivered through ten live webinars, including live Q&A sessions. The program covers topics including tree biology, tree identification, soils, plant nutrition, tree selection, site assessment and tree establishment, tree pruning, tree risk assessment, urban forestry, diagnosing insect and disease pests, protecting trees during construction, tree climbing, safe working practices, cabling, bracing, and lightning protection. Each webinar is recorded, and links are provided to attendees, so attendance live is not necessary. Following each session, an online quiz is provided for attendees to ensure completion of the course. The course is designed to prepare attendees for the ISA Arborist Certification exam or offer ISA CEUs for existing certified arborists who attend and complete the lectures and quizzes. 

An in-person Arborist Short Course is also being offered over 4 full days of training in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on February 16, 17, 23, and 24, 2026. A similar in-person arborist short course is currently being planned for the Pittsburgh area for spring 2026.

Tree Tender Training

Since 1993, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Penn State Extension have trained over 4,500 Tree Tenders in more than 150 Philadelphia neighborhoods. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has supported the program since 2004. The program expanded to Pittsburgh and smaller metropolitan areas in 2008 and has been available statewide since 2013, training nearly 3,000 additional Tree Tenders since then.

Penn State Extension will offer the Tree Tenders Training Series, webinars taking place from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays from January 14 to February 25, 2026

The course is designed for shade tree commissions, municipal officials and staff, community volunteers, landscape contractors, arborists, and architects who work in municipalities, as well as anyone interested in restoring and maintaining tree canopies in their community.

Participants will learn about tree biology, the ecosystem benefits of trees, how to properly plant and care for them, tree identification, common tree stressors, and how to organize volunteer tree projects.

Those who attend live sessions can earn Arborist Continuing Education Units from the International Society of Arboriculture. Certificates of attendance can be provided upon request for landscape architecture continuing education credits or other professional certifications. A link to the recorded webinar will be emailed to registrants within ten business days after the live event. The recording will be accessible for six months from the event date.

Registration includes a hard copy of the Tree Tenders Handbook, published by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, as well as numerous downloadable publications and fact sheets.

Woods in Your Backyard Webinar Series

The Woods in Your Backyard Series is designed to provide owners of small parcels with information on creating natural areas that have a positive impact on the environment through planning and implementing simple stewardship practices. The series consists of 9 webinars, which will take place on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., running from January 14 to March 11, 2026. The webinar lectures cover topics such as forest ecology and soils, tree planting and native landscaping, tree identification, enhancing wildlife habitat, water in the woods, invasive species management, and woodlot management techniques. The training is delivered through nine one-hour, live evening webinar lectures via Zoom. Live lectures are recorded and can be viewed again, or if a lecture is missed.

Participants will learn about the reasons to manage forests, forest ecology, creating and managing wildlife habitats, identifying and controlling invasive plants, forest health issues and management, forests and water, selecting native trees for various sites, establishing meadows and forests, and creating plans for their property.

Each participant will also receive a copy of "The Woods in Your Backyard: Learning to Create and Enhance Natural Areas around Your Home," a full-color, 108-page book. This self-directed book will guide participants through the process of developing and implementing projects to enhance their land's natural resources.

Consider spending some time this winter in the warmth of your home, learning about trees, forests, and stewardship of these natural resources.