Commitment to Education

A tree care professional's success depends on up-to-date understanding of their customer’s needs, market demands, latest techniques and emerging trends. The Massachusetts Arborists Association is dedicated to helping its members keep pace with the constantly changing field of arboriculture.

Educating our Members

The Massachusetts Arborists Association holds industry education to be one of its highest goals. For more than seventy years, members of the Massachusetts tree care industry have looked to the MAA for the latest in research, education and training. Arboriculture is an ever-changing field - the MAA provides the educational edge necessary to stay ahead.

MAA’s 3 core educational opportunities for their members are:

Dinner Meetings
The MAA offers dinner meetings as an opportunity for members of the industry to meet with their peers and learn about the latest in tree care practices. Click here to read more about upcoming events.Click here for dinner meeting handouts.

Special Seminars
Arboriculture experts from across the country travel to Massachusetts to bring the latest information to MAA members. Click here to read more about past seminars.

Safety Saves
Starting in 2005, MAA developed a comprehensive safety program called Safety Saves. Safety Saves offers a variety of opportunities for arborists to update their company’s safety practices and keep up to date on the latest best practices.

MAA Dinner meetings typically include a Safety Saves seminar. Click here to learn more about upcoming Safety Saves opportunities.

MAA Sponsorship Opportunities
Click here to learn the benefits of sponsoring MAA educational programs.

Annual Arbor Day of Service
The MAA helps raise the public’s awareness of the value of proper tree care through this annual celebration. Click here for more information on Arbor Day of Service.

MAA events are brought to you with ongoing support from New England Grows.
Do you want to earn two free New England Grows passes?Just click here and let us know about your favorite vendor!

MAA Gordon & Francis King Student Scholarships

Available for incoming students enrolling full-time in the four-year Urban Forestry program at UMass, or in the two-year Arboriculture and Park Management program at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Application deadline: June 6. Click here to download a scholarship application.

UMass Green School

UMass Extension’s Green School is designed for arborists, landscape professionals, lawn care specialists, and other horticultural practitioners who want to gain or increase their understanding of horticultural fundamentals and strategies, and their relationship to environmental quality.

Green School is a comprehensive 11-day certificate short course for Green Industry professionals taught by UMass Extension Specialists and University of Massachusetts’ faculty. Green School students come away with the knowledge needed to make environmentally appropriate decisions related to turf and plant selection, arboriculture, plant maintenance, and pest and nutrient management. Green School’s curriculum is based on research and information emphasizing environmental stewardship and integrated pest management (IPM).

Among its many benefits, Green School is helpful for people preparing to take the following professional certification exams: Massachusetts Certified Arborist (MCA) offered by the Massachusetts Arborist Association, Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist (MCH) offered by the Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association and the Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professional (MCLP) offered by the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals (MLP, formerly ALCM).

The next Green school being offered is scheduled for Nov/Dec. 2012. For more information, visit the UMass Extension Web site or call 413-545-0895.

MAA has close ties to the important programs provided at UMass.

Quarterly Newsletter – The MAA publishes a quarterly newsletter that provides information on topics and events related to the arboriculture industry. News and educational opportunities provided by UMass are often included.

Educating the Public

One of the MAA's primary missions is to promote the tree care industry to the general public, potential employees and prospective industry members. The association has a long and successful history of promoting and building relationships that benefit tree care professionals and their businesses.

In addition to the marketing support that is provided to current MAA members through news releases, print media advertising, electronic directory, website listing, and collateral logo identification, the association promotes the industry in a variety of ways including:

University of Massachusetts Liaison

MAA works cooperatively with the University of Massachusetts to help promote the importance of education and training as a cornerstone to the success of the industry.