MA Arborists Association upcoming events

2026 Electrical Hazards Awareness Training with John Ball (02/18/2026)

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMT

ONGOING PRESENTATION FOR 2026
Electrical Hazard Awareness education in three 1-hour sessions.

EARN MCA SAFETY and ISA CREDIT!

All arborists must be trained to recognize and avoid electrical hazards. This on-demand webinar covers a wide range of safety-related topics essential for arborists working near energized overhead power lines, presented by the tree care industry’s leading safety expert – Dr. John Ball.

Critical topics addressed in this webinar include:

How electricity works

Basic terminology

Current standards & regulations

Electrical hardware identification

Hazard assessment

Estimating nominal voltage

Line clearance pruning practices to reduce exposure

Recent incidents involving tree workers & electrical conductors

Emergency response to electrical contact incidents involving workers who are aloft

Completion of the course satisfies one major OSHA requirement for arborists working 10 feet or closer to energized conductors. Additional employer-verified proof of aerial rescue training and CPR/First Aid are required to fully meet OSHA’s electrical hazards awareness certification standards.

MAA will issue a Certificate of Attendance to participants who watch the full 3-hour course and complete the follow up quiz. Your certificate of attendance will come from the MAA office.

CEUS: MCA Safety Credit (2); ISA Credit (1)

GROUP VIEWING & ADMINISTRATION: If you would like to complete the series with your team, please contact MAA for further instructions. Discounted rates are available. Please contact the MAA for a special rate for large groups of 10 or more.

Speaker:

John Ball, Ph.D.

John Ball is currently a Professor of Forestry at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD and serves as a campus arborist for the University and as the Forest Health Specialist for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. He received the Malo Teaching Excellence Award in 2018 for his dedication to student learning. One of his primary research interests is tree worker safety. Dr. Ball obtained his Ph.D. and M.S. in Forestry from Michigan State University and a B.S. in Forestry from Michigan Technological University. Dr. Ball is also on the Safety Committee for the Tree Care Industry Association.

2026 MAA Sponsorship Opportunities (03/01/2026)

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

MAA Meeting Sponsorship
Investment: $500 per meeting (members); $800 per meeting (non-members)
To receive member pricing, please log in to your MassArbor account.

Why Sponsor an MAA event?

MAA meetings are education-driven and topic-focused. Each meeting delivers a targeted audience of 120-150 engaged industry professionals who attend to learn, improve, and invest in their businesses. This is your best face-to-face opportunity with the association.

What are the sponsorship benefits?

1. Targeted Audience
Exposure to skilled professionals and key decision makers. 120-150 arborists attend MAA dinner meetings.

2. Professional Credibility
Recognition as a professional development partner to a trusted organization.

3. On-Site Presence
Brief introduction from the podium
Display table space for materials and product samples
Outdoor equipment display (1-2 small pieces) possible
Logo displayed on event signage and presentation slides
Verbal recognition during the program

4. Pre-Event Promotion
Logo included in promotional emails
Recognition on event registration page
Social media acknowledgment prior to the meeting

5. Post-Event Visibility
Logo included in post-meeting recap communication
Attendee contact list – names, company and email address (for opted-in attendees).

Sponsors may reserve multiple meetings in advance to ensure alignment with topics throughout the year. Commit early and maximize your exposure!

MCA Exam - April 2026 (04/09/2026)

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

MCA Exam April 2026

This exam will be held in multiple sessions.

Candidates should choose ONE exam time at the sign up form in their confirmation email.

Thursday April 9 @ 1 PM
Friday April 10 @ 9 AM

The last day to cancel an exam registration and receive a refund will be March 26.

Cancellations received after March 26 are not guaranteed a refund.

REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates should be able to demonstrate at least 2 years of field experience OR have earned a degree in arboriculture, horticulture or related area of study.
Candidates should be employed, or intending to be employed, in arboriculture or an industry-related profession.
Candidates must be 18 years of age.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

MCA Online Study Guide (version 3.0).
Best Management Practice Manuals (from which 50% of the exam is derived) - these are sold by TCIA or ISA.

April 2026 MAA Meeting: Student Research Forum and VISTA Award (04/15/2026)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Hear from 2 UMAss Student researchers and celebrate Dan Mayer, MCA, the recipient of the 2026 VISTA award.

VISTA AWARD PRESENTATION
Congratulations to Dan Mayer, MCA - the 2026 VISTA award recipient!

STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
We will hear two brief presentations from UMass students on the cutting edge!

Stella Dee, MCA

Sprouts and Wings: Expected and Unexpected Impacts of Pruning

How do our arboricultural practices, specifically pruning, as well as various tree factors including growing zone, tree size, site conditions and species influence the community of insects associated with a tree?

Stella Dee, MCA is a Ph. D. candidate in Forest Resources and Arboriculture supervised by Dr. Brian Kane and research assistant with the Frank A. Waugh Arboretum at UMass-Amherst, as well as a commercial/residential climbing arborist. Stella earned her Masters of Forestry from Michigan Technological University and her BA from Duke University.

Sean Mullen
Masters Student, UMass

Environmental Analysis Tools and Urban Forest Management

A review of environmental justice mapping tools. Sean's presentation compares five tools—Tree Equity Score, EJScreen, CalEnviroScreen, ParkScore, and i-Tree—and discusses their strengths, limitations, and real-world uses. Sean will also discuss some recent applications of these tools by Regreen Springfield on projects in Springfield and Holyoke.

Sean Mullen is a graduate student completing a Masters in Forest Resources/Arboriculture in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His graduate work examines the practical application of online urban forestry and environmental justice mapping tools, as well as updating a UMass Extension field guide on common problems affecting urban planting and green infrastructure. He is also Project Coordinator at ReGreen Springfield, a urban forestry non-profit corporation dedicated to environmental stewardship, outreach, and education.

2 MCA or MCLP Education Credits

LOCATION:
The Elks Lodge
95 Speen Street, Natick MA

DOORS OPEN AT 4:00 PM

PRESENTATION @ 5:00 PM

BUFFET DINNER @ 6:00 PM

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING THIS EVENT? Click here!

2026 Arbor Day of Service SPONSORS (04/24/2026)

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:30:00 GMT

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT THROUGH SPONSORSHIP

Your sponsorship pledge of $500 helps support all aspects of MAA programming and shows your strong support of the industry and commitment to giving back. In 2026, our particular mission will be to fund the Arboriculture Learning Center at Millborn Farm.

Sponsors will be recognized in all aspects of marketing and promotion for the event - on our signage, social media posts and web pages.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!

2026 MCA RECERTIFICATION (06/30/2026)

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

MCA RECERTIFICATION FORM

Please be sure you are logged in to your MassArbor.org account before you begin.

CLICK REGISTER ( <--- the button on the left of your screen) to begin reporting your credits earned between January 1 - December 31, 2025.

10 CREDITS ARE REQUIRED ANNUALLY. This should include 2 Education and 2 Safety credits. Credits may have been earned online or in-person. Please use the text boxes to add any additional information not captured by the pre-filled lists.

IMPORTANT: 2 safety credits are required. But if you have "extra" safety credits, these can be used toward your education credit requirements. (Education credits cannot be used to fulfill your safety requirement).

DEADLINE: February 15. After February 15, a $50 late fee will be added.

MAA MEMBERS: Recertification is included with your MAA membership. NO MONEY WILL BE COLLECTED WITH THIS FORM. However, please make sure that your dues are paid for 2026. Your dues invoice is located in your account at MassArbor.org. For affiliate members (employees of member companies), those renewal invoices will be generated in December.

Non-MAA MEMBERS: Non-members pay $95 for recertification. This fee will be paid here with your recertification form.