Take part in the "growing" TreeVitalize movement, a program designed by Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to increase Southeast Pennsylvania's tree cover and the benefits that trees offer by attending Tree Tenders Training Workshops.

Join the staff from the PA Horticultural Society and the Penn State School of Forestry for nine hours of hands-on training that will cover tree biology, identification, planting, proper care and working within your community.

The training is based on PHS's Tree Tenders project which, since 1993, has trained over 1600 community volunteers from 100 Philadelphia neighborhoods.

The workshops are being offered on weekday evenings at three different locations this fall, and are designed for lay people and experts alike. The course is free but registration is required. The next trainings will be held:

· Tuesdays, September 11, 18, 25; 6-9 p.m., Delaware County: Lansdowne Twentieth Century Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Ave, Lansdowne;

· Thursdays, October 11, 18, 25; 6-9 p.m., Chester County: Coatesville Area Public Library, 501 E. Lincoln Highway, Coatesville; and

· Saturdays, January 12, 19, 2008; 8:45 a.m.- 1:30 p.m., Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N 20th St, 5th Floor, Philadelphia.

To register, visit the Tree Tenders Training webpage. For more information contact Julianne Schieffer, 610-489-4315 or send e-mail to: jxs51@psu.edu or Mindy Maslin, 215-988-8844, send e-mail to: mmaslin@pennhort.org .

8/31/2007