New York State Arborists, ISA Chapter, Inc.

04/25/2026

Happy Arbor Day 2026!
If you had a local project or celebration in New York State, please send your updates with pictures to us at [email protected]. We would be glad to post them on our blog!

04/21/2026

We look forward to hosting the 2026 NYSA Tree Climbing Championship at Stewart Park in Ithaca, NY. See details on our website: https://nysarborists.com/education/tree-climbing-championship

03/20/2026

Three Presidents! Incoming President Jim Dublar, Immediate Past President Angelo Schembari, and Past President John Wickes, who was presented with the President's Award for his volunteer efforts over many years. All of them had a huge impact on the success of our Annual Conference this past week.

03/12/2026

2026 ISA Certified Arborist Training
Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Dutchess County

This training program is designed for green industry professionals looking to obtain the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist designation. DEC Pesticide recertification credits and ISA credits have been applied. Join speakers Barb Neal, Mark Chisholm, Steve Chisholm, Amy

Mackenzie, Don Gabel, and Isabella Yannuzzi.

For info and registration, go to:

ISA training, Certified Arborist Training, DEC Credits, ISA Credits, Farmer Event

02/19/2026

Please note that we have TWO key deadlines approaching for the 2026 NYSA Annual Conference rescheduled for March 15-16, 2026:

1. Book your hotel room by this Friday, February 20
2. If you need to cancel, please let us know by Wednesday, February 25

If you previously registered for the original January conference dates, you do not need to register again. However, you need to make a new hotel reservation. Please see the hotel information below.

Anyone who did not register for the original dates is welcome to join us in March. Regular registration rates are good through February 25 at https://nysarborists.com/education/winter-conference.

If you registered for January but cannot attend in March, you must email us at [email protected] no later than Wednesday, February 25. It is important that we know by this date in order to confirm plans with the hotel.

Please reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions.

01/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey about their availability for a rescheduled Annual Conference. Our members have spoken, and the Board has voted to hold the Conference on Sunday, March 15 - Monday, March 16 at the same location, Resorts World Catskills.

Many speakers have already confirmed that they can come at that time, including our Keynote Speaker, Dr. John Ball. The updated schedule will be posted soon as all the speakers are confirmed.

If you previously registered, you do not need to register again!

If you did not register previously, you can still join us. Go to https://nysarborists.com/education/winter-conference for details.

01/23/2026

Canceling This Weekend's 2026 NYSA Annual Conference!

After carefully reviewing the latest weather forecasts, the Executive Committee has made the difficult decision to cancel this weekend's event. Updated predictions show the weather system arriving earlier and with significantly greater intensity than originally anticipated. Your safety is our top priority, and we believe this is the most responsible course of action.

Please help us spread the word! If you know anyone planning to attend, kindly let them know about the cancellation.

Hotel Reservations: To ensure your reservation is properly canceled, you need to call the hotel directly at (833) 586-9358 for confirmation. If you encounter any issues, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

Refund Policy? Our standard policy states that registration fees are non-refundable after January 18, 2026, as we must confirm commitments with our venue and vendors by that date. We need time to review these commitments, and will provide an update soon. One possibility is to reschedule the event, or some similar opportunity for those who need credits.

Have questions? Please email us at [email protected]. We've already received many messages and want you to know that while we may not be able to respond immediately, we're reading every email and taking your input seriously as we determine our next steps.

Thank you for your understanding and flexibility during this unexpected situation. We look forward to connecting with you soon!

Warm regards,
Michael Thompson
NYSA Executive Secretary

For the survey about rescheduling for March 15-16, go to: https://s.surveyplanet.com/1zdxff98

01/13/2026

Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors!
To learn more about all of our exhibitors or to join us at the conference, please visit https://nysarborists.com/education/winter-conference.

01/08/2026

One final reminder that the deadline to book your hotel room for the 2026 Conference & Expo is TOMORROW, Friday, January 9! Call Resorts World at (833) 586-9358 and mention the NYS Arborists. Our booking ID is 2789.

The full Conference schedule is available now on our website. Those who attend the entire program can receive up to 10 ISA credits and up to 8.25 DEC credits, which are now published on the website. We have applied for CNLP and CTSP credits as well. We anticipate at least 5.0 CTSP credits.

Please be sure to register for the conference this weekend, as we need to provide the hotel with numbers for meals. Full Details at: https://nysarborists.com/education/winter-conference

12/16/2025

This year, there will be Spanish language sessions scheduled both Sunday and Monday for NYSA's 2026 Annual Conference:

*Practical Training for Supervisors: How to Teach in Short Periods with Jamie Duran, NYC Parks
*TBA with Ruben Mendoza, Davey Tree Expert Company
*Low Voltage with Leo Roldan, Davey Tree Expert Company
*Women in the Tree Climbing Industry with Johanna Oliveros, Davey Tree Expert Company
*Purification through the Forest with Joselyn Benitez Chavez, NYC Parks
*Bridging the Gap between Treework and GIS with Carlos Lucero, NYC Parks

Have you registered for the Conference yet? Do it today while you're thinking about it, and cross it off your list before the holiday season gets hectic.

For more information or to register for the Conference, go to our website at https://nysarborists.com/education/winter-conference.

12/09/2025

Jerry Bond, a long-time member and frequent speaker at New York State Arborists meetings, died peacefully on December 5, 2025. He was given NYSA's 1999 Senior Scholars Award. Jerry was well-known and respected as a consulting arborist in New York State and in the US. His arboricultural career was his second after tenure at the University of Rochester in an unrelated field, and started by obtaining his Master's degree on the nutrition of oaks at Cornell. He worked for Cornell Cooperative Extension, Davey Resource Group, Urban Forestry LLC, and finally for his own consulting company, Urban Forest Analytics LLC. Jerry was an out-of-the-box thinker and thrived on developing and presenting new ways to look at common topics, helping clarify their importance and field application. His book “Urban Tree Health” is a good example, as is his critique of the t/R theory as a stem breakage threshold, which was published along with many other articles in trade and professional journals. He was very knowledgeable about native plants, particularly woody species, which he cultivated on his property on Seneca Lake. Jerry loved running, swimming and rowing, backpacking and hiking the ADK high peaks, and traveling abroad. A life well-lived with many lasting contributions to arboriculture in New York and beyond. Jerry is survived by his wife Martha, son Ben, daughter Rachel, and several grandchildren.