Arborjet | Ecologel announces its 2023 Taking Root Scholarship winners

Arborjet | Ecologel awarded its 2023 Taking Root Scholarship, a program that offers up to $10,000 in scholarships to students who plan to pursue full-time studies in forestry, plant sciences, horticulture, landscape architecture, entomology or a related major at an accredited two-or four-year college.

The company awarded the scholarship to Taylor Sirois from Seekonk, Mass., and Nathaniel Zemede from Oakland, Calif.

Sirois plans to double major in arboriculture, landscape management and ecological forest management at Paul Smith’s College. She has had many opportunities in the industry, including running machinery and chainsaws, pruning, cabling and preservation. This past year, she was tasked with giving an individual presentation to the public where she taught how to safely operate a chainsaw with proper personal protective equipment.

Zemede plans to major in plant pathology in the doctoral program at the University of California, with a focus on the management of invasive insects and diseases. With his major, he aims to contribute to managing the spread of invasive insects and diseases, which have the potential to wreak havoc on vital crops and delicate natural ecosystems.