Arborist Day, a Berkshire Tradition, set for Dec. 6

by Felix Carroll

It's now a tradition, begun 17 years ago by the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Each year, Berkshire arborists and tree specialists gather for Arborist Day, a day of community service, education and recreation.

This year's Arborist Day will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 8:30 to 2:30 p.m., at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, Mass.

The day will include "several removals, tree plantings and a lot of pruning," said Tom Ingersoll, of Ingersoll Land Care, in Sheffield.

About two dozen arborists from around the region are expected to attend. Ingersoll will give a presentation called "Pruning Shade Trees for Sustainability and Climate Change." Participating arborists can earn continuing education units.

Typically, on Arborist Day, the volunteering tree companies and individuals deliver between $15,000 to $25,000 worth of pruning, removals and tree plantings, all within about five hours of work before lunch. That will be the case on Dec. 6 on the sprawling high school campus.

Arborist Day was the brainchild of Berkshire Botanical Garden's former Director of Horticulture Dorthe Hviid, along with arborists Ron Yaple, Ken Gooch and Tom Ingersoll.

"In recognizing the Berkshire Botanical Garden's need of professional attention, we reached out to our industry peers and created a tradition," said Ingersoll. "After the first Arborist Day on the BBG campus, the group then reached out to other area non-profits, schools and museum properties to offer the services of as many as 25 professionals and their equipment."

Over the years, Arborist Day has visited — and provided free tree service to — The Mount, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Construct's Pine Woods Condominiums, The Bidwell House, Gould Farm, Brookside Manor, and Hebert Arboretum. This year will be the group's second visit to Monument Mountain High School.

Arborist Day not only provides a time to work together, but it's become a reunion of sorts where tree professionals reconnect with their peers to trade stories from the past season, discuss trade secrets, show off newly purchased equipment, and contemplate new challenges in the industry.

"Some 2,000 volunteer hours have been logged by Berkshire arborists as part of the tradition," said Ingersoll.

Editor's Note: Carroll is the Director of Communication at Berkshire Botanical Garden