Support a thriving, sustainable environment.

Natural resource industry professionals face the vital task of responsibly caring for our communities' valuable environmental resources. Evolving research and environmental changes make it more important than ever to explore responsible stewardship practices, understand how to successfully manage emerging diseases and pests, and apply sustainable landscape practices to support our future.

The conference provides a platform for sharing new ideas and research-based information as experts delve into three vital tracks: building sustainable landscapes, conservation stewardship, and tree care.

Registration Details

• $80 per person for advanced registration by March 1, 2024.
• $85 per person for late and at-door registration after March 1, 2024.
• $50 per person discounted registration for Certified Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists; to receive the discount, include a copy of your current I.D. card or letter of active status from your Extension County Director.

Lunch is NOT included as part of the conference registration; participants will have a break from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. and will be responsible for providing their own lunch.

Continuing Education Credits

Continuing education units are approved and available for professional association members maintaining certification through the following organizations:

• International Society of Arboriculture: 6 hours credit for entire day. ALL sessions are approved EXCEPT Sessions E and G.
• Illinois Landscape Contractors Association: 1 CEU per hour for Landscape Industry Certified Technicians.
• Illinois Park & Recreation Association: 0.10 per session; total of 0.60 for entire day.
• Certified Golf Course Superintendent: 0.60 for the entire day.

Conference Schedule

Choose to attend any of the sessions within the conference's three tracks. Indicate session preferences during the registration process.

Building Sustainable Landscapes

• 8 to 9 AM: One at a Time: Herbicide and Application Options When Using Individual Plant Treatment (IPT) to Control Woody Plants
  Chris Evans, Forestry and Research Specialist, University of Illinois Extension
• 9:10 to 10:10 AM: Pruning for Tree and Shrub Health
  Ryan Pankau, Horticulture Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• 10:20 to 11:20 AM: Jumping Worms are Here to Stay
  Tricia Bethke, Illinois Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, USDA APHIS/The Morton Arboretum
• 11:20 AM to 12:20 PM: Break
• 12:30 to 1:30 PM: Regional Changes in Climate: Historical Observations and Future Directions
  Justin Schoof, Director, School of Earth Systems and Sustainability, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
• 1:40 to 2:40 PM: Plants in the Energy Landscape
  Jay Solomon, Natural Resources, Environment and Energy Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• 2:50 to 3:50 PM: No Session

Consevation Stewardship

• 8 to 9 AM: No Session
• 9:10 to 10:10 AM: Caves and Other Karst Features of Southwestern Illinois (not approved for ISA credits)
  Bob Weck, Professor of Biology, Southwestern Illinois College
• 10:20 to 11:20 AM: Ecology of Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers (not approved for ISA credits)
  Chris Benda, Illinois Botanist, Researcher at Southern Illinois University
• 11:20 AM to 12:20 PM: Break
• 12:30 to 1:30 PM: Invasive Plant Ecology and Identification
  Erin Garrett, Natural Resources, Environment and Energy Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• 1:40 to 2:40 PM: Chain Saw Safety and the Open Face Boring Back Cut
  Kevin Rohling, Forestry Research Technician, University of Illinois Extension
• 2:50 to 3:50 PM: Hidden Among the Trees: Preventing Mosquito and Tick- Borne Threats
  Holly Tuten, Associate Vector Ecology Scientist, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois

Tree Care

• 8 to 9 AM: Distribution and Spread of Laurel Wilt Disease
  Alexandra Blevins, Forest Health Program Coordinator, Kentucky Division of Forestry
• 9:10 to 10:10 AM: Using Plant Phenology to Better Predict Pest Treatment Timing
  Aaron Schulz, Plant Health Care Director, Oak Bros Tree Care & Removal LLC
• 10:20 to 11:20 AM: Plant Alternatives - Plant This, Not That
  Jennifer Fishburn, Horticulture Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• 11:20 AM to 12:20 PM: Break
• 12:30 to 1:30 PM: Will This Tree Fail? Recognizing and Mitigating Conditions of Concern in Urban Trees
  Jake Miesbauer, Arboriculture Scientist, The Morton Arboretum
• 1:40 to 2:40 PM: Spotted Lanternfly in Illinois
  Kelly Estes, State Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois
• 2:50 to 3:50 PM: Even Native Plants Can Misbehave
  Elizabeth Wahle, Specialist and Commercial Agriculture Educator, University of Illinois Extension