Join the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities and SacTree to learn how to prune young shade trees for strong structure and beauty. A few simple cuts made now will save a ton of time and money when the trees are mature.

We'll start inside with a classroom presentation, and then we'll go outside to practice together on young trees. SacTree provides all tools. This class covers pruning of young shade trees and does not teach fruit tree pruning.

Please note: Workshop consists of a 45-minute indoor classroom-style presentation, followed by 1 hour outdoors of hands-on practice together on the school grounds. Please bring weather-appropriate clothing. Must be 18 years or older to use pruning tools.

Instructor Pamela Sanchez is an ISA Certified Arborist - Municipal Specialist with over 10 years of experience teaching people how to care for trees in Sacramento as the Education Programs Manager at the Sacramento Tree Foundation. Pamela's passion for young tree care and connecting people with their urban canopy spurs her work creating educational experiences from tree care workshops to monitoring historic elms, to harvesting native oak acorns, to engaging elementary school students. She has a degree in Urban Forestry from UC Davis.

Register now! The week before this event, we will send a logistics and directions email with detailed information about how to get to the site. You will receive this email ONLY if you are signed-up for this planting.

Who should attend?

Anyone, but those who live or work nearby are especially encouraged to attend! This event is open to the general public and you do not need any prior experience to join us.

Requirements

Register in advance: Space is limited. If your plans change prior to the event, please update your registration status so we are sure to have the necessary number of volunteers.

Youth attendees: Due to the tools and techniques used at this event, attendees must be 18 years of age or older to use pruning tools.

Waiver: All attendees must pre-register and sign a completed volunteer waiver form during registration and BEFORE participating in the event.

COVID safety: Although we encourage attendees to be fully vaccinated, all attendees can choose to wear facial coverings at their own discretion. Anyone who has tested positive for COVID should not attend, unless more than 5 days have passed and they are asymptomatic and have tested negative on day 6 or later - please provide advance notice of cancellation when possible.

Clothes and shoes: Closed toed shoes are required. Dress comfortably and appropriately for the weather, and plan to get a little dirty.

Arrival: Arrive on time. Check-in begins at 9:45 AM and attendees must be present at the start of the event.

Food and drink: Bring a refillable water bottle.

Skills: No specific skills or tools required.

Group registration

At all of our events, we prioritize including people who live or work in the community where the event takes place. Not all events can accommodate groups from outside the immediate project area. If you represent a group of 5+ people, please email volunteers@sactree.org to discuss potential volunteer opportunities.

Getting there

Public Transportation: SacRT bus route 38 stops at Broadway and 60th Street, adjacent to the school.

Parking: Parking is available at the school and along 60th Street.

About this project

At the Sacramento Tree Foundation, we steward our urban forest from seed to slab. With your help, we plant over 12,000 trees every year, but the work doesn't stop there. Trees need regular care to thrive, especially for their first three years after planting. We provide free resources, workshops, and educational volunteer opportunities to teach people how to plant, water, prune, and care for their trees and ensure our urban forest thrives for generations to come.

This event is sponsored by the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities.

If you have questions about caring for your trees or bringing a workshop to your neighborhood, please reach out to treetips@sactree.org.

Make a gift to SacTree

Donate to SacTree to support our work growing thriving communities through stewardship of our urban forest! SacTree relies on the support of friends, neighbors, and volunteers like you to make our work possible.

Questions about volunteering?

Reach out to volunteers@sactree.org with any questions about registering for this event or volunteering with SacTree.

Young Shade Tree Pruning Workshop

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