L-R: Student horticulturists Jesse Deming, Lucy Alderson, Grace Silva and Aidan Icasiano. Pictured in the center is Maxine Marvosa, Rutgers Gardens Assistant Director for Horticulture.
Each spring, the New Jersey Arborists Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (NJAISA) gathers hundreds of its members, industry partners, and guest speakers in Atlantic City for the Garden State Tree Conference (GSTC). The conference is one of the premiere events on the NJAISA calendar and is known internationally as a destination for members of the arboriculture industry. The event furthers the organization’s mission to present the most current tree care standards, research, and best practices and to provide arborists with professional development opportunities.
This year’s GSTC was held February 27-28 with two full days of exciting presentations, networking sessions with exhibitors and industry professionals, scientific updates, climbing demonstrations, continuing education credits, and for the first time, a full class track offered in Spanish.
Maxine Marvosa, Rutgers Gardens Assistant Director for Horticulture conducts a class. Photo: Courtesy of Rutgers Gardens.
Maxine Marvosa, Rutgers Gardens Assistant Director: Horticulture, is a certified arborist, a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert (LTE), and a trustee on the NJAISA Board. Her role as trustee gives Maxine a unique perspective on the conference planning and organization, as she wears many hats (and not just a safety helmet!) throughout the event to ensure that it runs smoothly.
The NJAISA website outlines their dedication to professional growth and development, research, organizational development, and outreach. As part of that outreach, students are sponsored to attend the conference each year through the generosity of the NJAISA’s Harry Birdsall Scholarship Fund, which is matched by the F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company. This scholarship support allowed Maxine to invite Rutgers Gardens student horticulturists Lucy Alderson, Jesse Deming, Aidan Icasiano, and Grace Silva to attend and learn as much as possible while assisting the organizers as volunteers. It was an educational and inspiring experience the students won’t soon forget.
As part of their volunteer duties, Rutgers Gardens students helped NJAISA board members organize paperwork relating to arborists’ Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as well as assisting conference attendees in tracking their CEUs. They also helped set up and break down presentation displays. Maxine’s roles included moderating guest speaker presentations, ensuring the CEU codes were available after presentations, and displaying or removing pesticide credit papers as needed.
Maxine, as well as the entire Rutgers Gardens team, feel pride in the way these students not only completed the 2024 Summer Internship Program last season, but have continued to meaningfully contribute at Rutgers Gardens with enthusiasm and a strong work ethic. They have each represented Rutgers University and Rutgers Gardens with professionalism during the NJAISA event. According to Maxine, “My interns were always there when I needed help. I was able to watch them help attendees with their credit tracking on their phones, and to see them being attentive and engaged during the sessions. They did a great job of networking with professionals in the industry.”
Rutgers Gardens student horticulturists hard at work last summer. Photo by Aidan Icasiano.
Grace Silva shared her thoughts about this year’s conference. “It was incredible to be surrounded by so many passionate professionals who were not only knowledgeable but also so kind and willing to share their experiences. Everyone I met was excited to talk about what they did, and it made the whole experience even more meaningful.” Networking among attendees with a deep knowledge of arboriculture, pride in the work, and an openness to share their expertise was valued by Aidan Icasiano as well. “The conference had a distinct level of professionalism and passion. The warmness of the NJAISA certainly stuck with me too, as members invited us to return for more events and eventually become familiar faces.” He adds, “I was simply floored by the conference’s scale. By the end of the first day, I had filled several pages of the conference notebook with my takeaways.”
When Maxine was asked how to sum up the conference events for a layperson, she responded, “The GSTC is a great event for arborists to stay up to date on what is happening in the arborist community. After attending any of the sessions you will always walk out learning something new and gaining valuable skills for our industry. It is also a great time to network with other professionals. There is something for everyone at this conference: we offer a wide range of topics for science, management, and training. We offer a complete Spanish track. The NJAISA education committee does a fantastic job in finding topics that are relatable to anyone in the arboriculture community.”
The seminar, “Intro to Competitive Climbing,” presented by Stephanie Littenberg and Brick Reilly was a highlight for the Rutgers Gardens students. Lucy Alderson says, “They explained all the events to compete in and even the paperwork behind it, and I really appreciated how Stephanie spoke about the support she’s received as a woman in the industry as well as climbing. We approached her at the end of the last day to ask more questions about what she does, and she was excited to provide a way to get in touch to talk more about teaching us tree climbing.” Grace adds, “One of my favorite sessions was in Spanish, which I really appreciated because it reflected the diverse range of professionals in the field. It was great to see experts sharing their knowledge in multiple languages, making these important discussions more accessible.”
The Rutgers University Forestry Club also brought students to engage with the conference events. The Forestry Club teams up with Rutgers Gardens on various volunteer projects such as restoring trail access in Helyar Woods, and the students all share a camaraderie that was strengthened by attending the GSTC together.
L-R: Rutgers student horticulturists Jesse Deming, Grace Silva, Aidan Icasiano and Lucy Alderson pictured at the conference.
Atomu Saul (SEBS ’25), a Plant Biology major and Forestry Club member, asserts how vital this type of opportunity is for Rutgers students: “By engaging in conversations, whether with professionals, academics, or even fellow attendees over lunch, students have walked away with internships, scholarships, and a clearer vision of their post-graduation paths.”
Rutgers Gardens, as part of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, provides experiential learning opportunities that expose students to horticulture research, diverse careers, unique outdoor classroom settings, and the ability to hone skills not always associated with your typical college coursework. The Garden State Tree Conference is an excellent example of this hands-on education that the Rutgers Gardens Student Internship Program and student horticulturist roles offer.
Many of the students highlighted the inclusiveness of the NJAISA and how they benefited from being immersed in conference events. “Seeing such a passionate, tight-knit community come together for the love of trees has inspired me to contribute more knowledge to the field, ensuring that trees remain a safe and integral part of people’s lives,” said Atomu. Lucy is now exploring an expanded range of career possibilities: “Going to the conference has given me plenty of time to consider my future options, and I do hope to work in some capacity in this industry after college.” Adds Grace, “I left feeling motivated to continue learning and to find meaningful ways to contribute to the ever-evolving world of arboriculture.” Aidan shared his concluding thoughts as well. “Even as an outsider to the tree industry, I believe my first real, deep dive into arboriculture has left me completely amazed. I would like to emphasize my gratitude to the scholarship which made my attendance possible.”
Maxine is especially pleased with how the conference met its outreach goals. “The conference this year fulfilled the goal of engaging students with new knowledge and skills. The GSTC was able to open doors for students who are looking for career opportunities in this field and teach them about opportunities they did not know were an option for them before.”
This article originally appeared in the March 2025 Friends of Rutgers Gardens newsletter. Subscribe to Rutgers Gardens here.
