Description:
Biochar is a cutting-edge technique for tree care that has ancient roots. This biochar workshop will prepare professional arborists to understand how to utilize biochar in soil for healthier trees. Arborists will also learn how to make biochar from tree waste as a beneficial practice that results in carbon sequestration for climate mitigation.
We will begin with basic biochar science (how biochar works in soil) and how to use biochar in a variety of applications. We will look at real world examples where biochar has been used to support urban trees in harsh conditions and rescue legacy trees from soil compaction and disease. Students will learn how to evaluate biochar, determine its pH, and prepare it for use in soil and compost. We will look at a number of different technologies for making biochar at different scales, including techniques that arborists can use for making biochar on site. We will discuss approaches to economics and job costing and learn how to estimate the carbon sequestration value of biochar made from tree waste. In the afternoon, we will move outside and make biochar from woody debris in a small, hand-loaded kiln designed for forestry operations, that can be used within urban areas under some conditions. For pictures see: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7avX9bQYtOup9URj1. There will be ample time for questions and discussion during the biochar production session.
Learn about the following:
Understand how biochar works in soil, how to evaluate different kinds of biochar, and how to apply it to trees at all stages of growth
Know how to make biochar from tree waste using simple kilns and modified burning techniques
Be able to cost tree care jobs that utilize biochar and calculate carbon sequestration benefits of biochar
Registration:
https://pnwisa.org/event/biochar-for-arborists-technology-applications-and-economics/