New TreeStewards learned the art of pruning during class

Removing infestations of invasive weeds like bamboo and English ivy, leveraging the efforts of county workers to prune trees on public lands and disseminating information to local residents about the proper care of trees are some of the main goals of the 2013 graduating class of TreeStewards.

On April 24, 15 Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church residents marked the completion of their 14-week training with a graduation ceremony at the Fairlington Community Center on S. Stafford Street.

TreeStewards, which began operating in 2001, now has 64 active member volunteers. The mission of the group is to advocate for trees.

Members are required to complete the training class for a minimal fee. The class covers such topics as basic tree care, proper planting and pruning techniques, tree identification and tree protection during construction.
TreeStewards are required to volunteer 30 hours a year in the service of trees.

Training classes are offered annually in early spring.