Summer Workshops
Rigging Operations
Instructors: Academy Trained from California with Jared Abrojena, Lawrence Shultz, Johnny Korthius.
Throughout this course we will cover a variety of rigging techniques used in our industry which will allow you to push your skills to the highest level. Whether it be speed line, span rigging, vertical speed line, lifting techniques, double-block rigging, or just focusing on basic rigging, this course covers it all.
- Advanced rigging techniques
- Negative rigging
- Positive rigging
- Speed line
- Vertical speed line
- Lifting techniques
AMTOPP Member – $650; Non-Member – $775 (includes lunch, snacks, and beverages both days)
Basic Tree Climbing
Instructors: Dave Stice, WesSpur/Ascension Northwest; and Nick Merriman Merriman’s Northwest LLC.
The target audience for this class is ground workers beginning their transition to apprentice climbers. This is a hands-on course will cover: basic equipment selection and inspection for novice climbers, rope construction and selection, basic knots for tree workers, inspecting the tree for hazards, tie-in-points, and navigation, spur climbing, using Moving Rope Systems, and lastly working the tree.
- Basic Climbing Equipment Selection and Inspection
- Ropes: Types of Construction, Selection, and Knots
- Pre-Climb Tree Inspection: Hazards, Tie-in-Points, and Route Finding
- Spur Climbing: When and How to Use Spurs, Fliplines, and Tying into a Spar
- Throwline Techniques and Setting Climb Lines
Prior to the class, students need to learn and be proficient tying the following knots: scaffold knot (sometimes referred to as double fisherman’s), Blake’s Hitch/Michoacon, English Prussic, Klemheist, alpine butterfly, clove hitch, slippery half-hitch, sheet bend, bowline, running bowline, bowline with Yosemite tie-off, and figure 8.
AMTOPP Member – $400; Non-Member – $525 (includes lunch, snacks, and beverages both days)
Ground Crew Academy
Prepare your ground crew for tree work with this comprehensive course that covers many aspects of ground based tree work.
The course is made up of a variety of classes that include the following:
- Aerial Lift SetUp/Inspection/Operation
- Chipper Safety
- Ground Based Operations
- Small tree planting and pruning
Instructors: Michael Weible, Altec; Tom Molitor, BIG TWIG Forestry; Spencer Andrews, FMI Equipment, and Patrick Plantenberg, MUCFA
Aerial Lift Setup/Inspections/Operations – This is an osha and ansi-led familiarization course. The course will summarize and familiarize safety guidelines for proper safe setup of aerial units, safe operating procedures, and present essential important information for those with an open mind for safety as it pertains to your individual job needs that can prevent serious work related injuries and can ultimately save your life or that of a co-worker. Topics will include statements and osha regulations; aerial device daily unit inspection; traveling, job briefing; unit setup and pre-operational inspection; unit operation; line-clearance tree trimming; and iso-grip ™ system.
Chipper Safety – In depth class including practical and written material on chipper safety. Participants achieving a passing score will receive a certificate. The goal is to ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.
Ground Based Operations – An overview of ground based operations for tree work. Truck and trailer safety, tree machinery loading/unloading. Outlining a plan for tree operations in urban settings. Groundman responsibilities to include: Basic Chainsaw operations and safety. Arborist tools to assist aerial operations. Basic Tree Falling.
Small Tree Planting and Pruning – Planting will cover basics of how to plant trees properly including site selection concerns, potential soil sampling needs ahead of time, proper tree selection for the site, proper preparation the planting hole, potential amendments to the excavated soil, proper pruning and preparation of the container or B&B tree to be planted, proper watering at the time of planting, proper staking of the new tree and fencing if needed, and proper mulching.
Pruning will cover how to properly prune young trees. What tree is it? Is this the right time of the year to prune this species? The tools needed and how to sharpen and sanitize tools before beginning will be covered. The steps to complete pruning will be covered including how to develop tree structure over the first 5 years of the tree’s life; removing any dead or broken branches, removing suckers, removing crossing limbs or limbs heading for trouble in the near future, establishing or reestablishing a central leader will be stressed, and establishing scaffold branching over time. (Each attendee in this class will receive a copy of the Trees Are Good ‘New Tree Planting’ brochure.)
AMTOPP Member – $300; Non-Member – $425 (includes lunch, snacks, and beverages both days)
Plant Health Care
Instructor: Hannah Hampton, Rainbow Ecoscience
In this 2 day class we will cover many aspects of plant health care. We will cover the diagnostic process, IPM and various PHC tools, how to read a label, when and where to apply pesticides, and common pest and disease issues along with their solutions. During this presentation we will also discuss the business aspect of PHC. We will talk about how to develop a culture of PHC at our company, pricing strategies, treatment calendars and client conversations. The second day of this course will include hands on demos of equipment and application techniques. We will be doing an interactive diagnostic walk and preparing for real world scenarios.
AMTOPP Member – $300; Non-Member – $425 (includes lunch, snacks, and beverages both days)