Jim Thorpe to host tree care seminar

Jim Thorpe residents hoping to learn more about proper tree pruning techniques will soon get their opportunity.

The borough is hosting a Tree Care Seminar at 12:30 p.m. April 8 at Memorial Hall, 115 E. 10th St.

Vincent Cotrone, Penn State Extension urban forester, will be the instructor.

“The class hopes to teach us how to maintain healthy trees and shrubs through proper pruning techniques,” borough Manager Maureen Sterner said. “We will start indoors with the instruction and if time allows, the plan is for an outdoor experience. Our goal is to teach fundamentals of pruning shrubs and small trees in the landscape.”

The program is made available through money from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ TreeVitalize grant program.

Jim Thorpe received $5,000 and plans a crown-raising project. The lower branches of trees, including those on North Street, will be trimmed.

Last week, council awarded the crown-raising contract to Fred Kemmerer Jr. of Lehighton after getting quotes from three certified arborists.

“We were very happy with the quote as it actually dropped the price of the project from $13,779 to $10,000,” Sterner said. “That includes not just the crown raising, but also the chipping and brush cleanup. It saves us money and allows us to get a few more trees done on top of it.”

Some items to be covered in April’s class may include how to renovate and maintain evergreen and deciduous shrubs; prune trees correctly, reducing the potential for decay; the difference between removal, reduction and heading cuts; perform various types of tree and shrub pruning; and select and use the proper tools to prune.

Attendees are required to RSVP by calling the borough office at 570-325-3025.