Behind the Scenes with Nursery Management magazine

CSI: Your nursery

The beginning of every CSI: Miami episode is the same. Homicide detective Horatio Caine surveys the crime scene, puts on his sunglasses and delivers a cheesy one-liner. Then Roger Daltrey’s piercing wail and Pete Townsend’s guitar kick in and the credits roll. You’d think it would get old, but nope – it never does.

If you ever want to feel as awesome as David Caruso does in that moment, check out CSI for Plant Pests, a class that runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 21, at Mt. Cuba Center in northern Delaware.

Sometimes the insects that damage plants are present at the crime scene, but often the guilty party is long gone – only signs or symptoms remain. Like a criminal investigator, you must find and use these clues to identify the culprit.

The class, taught by Michael Raupp and Paula Shrewsbury of the University of Maryland, will hone your diagnostic skills by teaching you how to identify insect pests and encourage beneficials, as well as the basics of integrated pest management (IPM). Registration is $40 and pesticide credits are available upon request. Bring a bagged lunch and be prepared for walking outdoors. And don’t forget your sunglasses!

For more: www.mtcubacenter.org

One shining moment

Although my NCAA men’s basketball bracket was busted almost instantly, I quickly found another tournament to follow throughout March and April: American Forests’ Big Tree Madness.

The nonprofit conservation organization selected a “Sweet Sixteen” of national champions from the National Register of Big Trees and placed them in a bracket organized by region.

The finalists played for the national championship on April 8, mirroring the basketball tourney. In the clash, Missouri’s “Prickly and Persistent” Ozark Chinkapin defeated Texas’ “Mighty” Montezuma Baldcypress.

For more: www.americanforests.org