WINTER 2026 NEWSLETTER

President’s Message

Why do we do this work? And what, exactly, are we doing? A friend answered it best: we do this to give the trees in our care beauty and grace, to save them from being mistreated by less skilled pruners, and to make the world around us more beautiful through our work. The APA is all volunteers, and we work to try to make these goals achievable for all of us. I hope to see you at the Annual Meeting on Sunday January 25th, where we can discuss these goals, and share others you might personally have, for our profession! 

As ever, feel free to contact me via email at apa@aestheticprunersassociation.org with thoughts or questions!

Lara Miranda

APA Certified Aesthetic Pruner® #65
President, Aesthetic Pruners Association
510.658.3438

Feature Article

Working with the Grain: Understanding Adaptive Growth in Trees

Peter Quintanilla, CAP #25

When we imagine a master woodworker inspecting a rough-cut piece of wood, we picture him studying the grain, feeling the moisture content, and anticipating how the wood will move over time. He knows that a joint aligned against the grain will fail under stress, while one that respects the wood’s natural structure will endure. This understanding of material separates craftsmanship from mere construction.

As arborists and pruners, we work with a living material far more complex and responsive than wood. Yet the principle remains the same: Understanding our material is fundamental to our craft. Just as the woodworker must understand grain direction and moisture, we must understand how trees sense and adapt their growth, not only to the environment, but to our influence as well. This knowledge transforms pruning from a mechanical task into an informed interaction with a living organism.

When we prune, we are not simply removing branches; we are influencing growth patterns, structural development, and a tree’s ability to withstand future stress. Every cut sends signals throughout the tree, triggering responses that can shape its form for decades. Understanding these responses is the foundation of thoughtful pruning.

A plant’s adaptive growth response to mechanical stimulation is called thigmomorphogenesis, how trees physically respond to touch, wind, vibration, and other mechanical forces. Trees do not passively endure these forces; they actively remodel their growth, building stronger, more resilient structures where stress is greatest. The term comes from the Greek thigma (touch), morphe (form), and genesis (origin), meaning “shape originating from touch.”

Early botanists observed that plants repeatedly touched or exposed to wind grew shorter and sturdier than sheltered counterparts. In the early 1970s, M. J. Jaffe coined the term thigmomorphogenesis and began formal study of the phenomenon. Later research by Frank W. Telewski and Karl J. Niklas expanded understanding of how mechanical stress influences plant architecture.

I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Niklas at the ASCA (American Society of Consulting Arborists) conference in early December on this topic. He explained that trees operate within a limited energy budget. Responding to mechanical stress represents a strategic allocation of resources toward stronger structure, which necessarily reduces investment in areas such as height, leaf area, or reproduction. When a tree is exposed to wind or repeated movement, sensory pathways detect mechanical strain along stems and branches. This detection triggers hormonal and cellular changes that alter growth patterns. Auxins, which regulate elongation, become less concentrated in flexed tissues, resulting in shorter internodes and more compact growth. At the same time, ethylene levels rise, promoting radial growth that produces thicker, stronger stems. These responses can begin quickly; cellular changes may start within 30 minutes. If stress occurs during winter dormancy, these changes occur the following spring.

Trees also respond to directional stress by forming reaction wood: compression wood in conifers and tension wood in hardwoods. Reaction wood helps realign trunks and branches, and reinforces structurally weak areas. In compression wood, cell walls thicken and densify, increasing lignin content and pushing stems back toward their original position. In tension wood, cell walls also thicken but contain more cellulose and less lignin, creating a pulling force instead. The result is a self-optimizing structure better able to withstand mechanical demands.

This adaptive growth can be observed in leaning trees that gradually correct themselves over time. As growth continues, new canopy growth often becomes more vertical, even if the lower trunk remains angled. This response is also visible when compression wood is exposed in conifers after a trunk or branch is cut. Growth rings are noticeably wider on the compression side, typically along the lower portion of the branch or leaning stem. Some species, such as Monterey cypress, further adapt by forming oval or asymmetrical branches that better support their weight and resist stress.

Our pruning directly influences how a tree develops and maintains this natural strength. Leaves are the tree’s carbohydrate factories, and excessive removal reduces resources available for adaptive growth responses. Side branches contribute significantly to good taper through their weight and movement. Removing too many laterals can lead to weak, non-tapering stems less capable of managing stress.

Even with this in mind, our work can have clear and valid purposes: developing strong branch and trunk structure, improving landscape function, and enhancing aesthetics. The challenge lies in balancing these objectives while preserving mechanical integrity. As arborists and pruners, we have both the privilege and responsibility of working within this natural process. When we understand these adaptive mechanisms, we can make decisions that support rather than undermine structural development. We can work with the grain, not against it.

Peter Quintanilla is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and an APA Certified Aesthetic Pruner®. He teaches arboriculture and landscape pruning at Cabrillo College and Monterey Peninsula College.

APA Upcoming Events

APA Annual Meeting

On Zoom

Sunday, January 25, 2026
10am – 12:30pm (PST)

APA Members! You are invited!!

Please join us and connect with your fellow APA members and the APA Board as we discuss our profession, our organization & its possibilities!

REGISTER

________________________________________________________________

APA CAP Mentoring

with CAPs Eric King and Dina Blackwell

Need help becoming certified? We’re here to help!

Monday, February 2, 2026
6pm – 7:30pm (PST)

The next CAP application deadline is Sunday, March 1, 2026!

REGISTER

________________________________________________________________

APA Advanced Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop - Part 1

A HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

with CAPs Ann Owen and Evelyn Borchert

This is an advanced workshop open to members of the Aesthetic Pruners Association and the Merritt College Aesthetic Pruning Club.

Sunday, February 15, 2026
9am – 3pm (PST)

Rossmoor Garden Club
Walnut Creek, CA

REGISTER

________________________________________________________________

APA Coffee Talk

Join us for an informal Zoom gathering to talk shop with fellow pruners.

Topics at past Coffee Talks: the ever-popular topic of rates– how we decide what to charge, charging hourly or by the job, and raising rates. Other topics included sunburn: prevention, climate considerations, treating and tree physiology; ways to estimate time for pruning jobs; pine pruning; and climate in different locations.

Sunday, April 19, 2026
10am – 11:30pm (PDT)

On Zoom

REGISTER

Other Events

Western Chapter of ISA 

Level 3 Advanced Decay Detection

This workshop will take a deep dive into three advanced techniques of decay detection: Resistance Drilling, Root Collar Excavation, and Sonic Tomography.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

$170 - WCISA Member

$205 - Non-WCISA Member

$75 - Student/Senior
https://www.wcisa.net/

________________________________________________________________

Gardens of Golden Gate Park

February Forest Bathing

Immerse yourself in the serene beauty of the natural world on a forest bathing walk. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku.

Saturday, February 21, 2026 

4pm – 6pm PST

San Francisco Botanical Garden — Meet at Main Gate

$30 – $50
https://gggp.org/event/february-forest-bathing/

Please send us information on events in your area that may interest other members so that we can include them in this column.

Becoming a CAP

We hear from a Certified Aesthetic Pruner about why they decided to become a CAP!

Emily Musall-Fronckowiak, CAP #57

I knew becoming an APA Certified Aesthetic Pruner was something I was going to achieve; even with the barriers I was facing at the time, I could see the value on a personal level, as well as professionally. For anyone on the fence thinking, “Why bother? I get benefits now,” let me explain.   

Before I went through the certification process, this is how I saw becoming a CAP would benefit me: It would

• give me confidence to open a market (I live in Michigan)

• refine my skills and offer support through kinship

• support me in starting my own business by belonging to a growing profession

• show potential clients stability in a relatively new business with a certification 

• allow me to stand out from the competition 

• help me influence a greater awareness of pruning in a local market/community

After I achieved my certification as APA CAP #57, I did benefit from all of the bullet points listed above. Surprisingly, as time went on, there was a new list of benefits I didn’t realize would appear, and I believe will continue to grow:

• My mindset and consciousness began to change.

• I had a heightened awareness.

• It helped me to see the good.

• It allowed me to support myself.

• It expanded my professional network.

• It relieved the pressure I put on myself, allowing me to slow down when needed.

• It gave me confidence in my rate.

• More and better opportunities started coming to me.

• It gave me opportunities to give back.

So again, for anyone stuck in decision mode, or who already has the items from the first list, consider what unexpected things you will create on your second list after you become seasoned as a CAP. 

Honors and Awards

Dennis Makishima honored at NAJGA Conference

Nicki LaPlante, CAP #56

A strong APA presence was experienced at the biennial conference of the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA), held October 14-18, 2025 at the Missouri Botanical Garden. (APA members in attendance were: Bill Castellon, Avram Dalton, Maryann Lewis, Terri Clay, Anne Hunter, Sue Protz, Dennis Makishima, Chris Roddick, Lara Miranda, Ann Owen, Greg Kitajima, Diana Chamberlain, Nicki LaPlante, Marisa Rodriguez, Ethan Cote, Jeff Harris, Ayse Pogue, Jacob Knapp, Michael Pachkoski, Eugene Zhukau, and George Zhang.)

The theme of the conference was The Nature of Japanese Gardens: The Intersection of Art, Science, and Culture. Sounds ripe for opportunities to discuss aesthetic pruning, doesn’t it? Several APA members were involved with leading and assisting hands-on workshops, giving presentations, and leading tree tours in the arboretum. There were also lots of lively discussions throughout the breaks, dinners, and social hours about what aesthetic pruners do.

NAJGA holds a banquet and awards ceremony during these international gatherings, and this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees included someone very special: Mr. Dennis Makishima! Dennis was recognized for his lifelong commitment to the care and enhancement of Japanese gardens and the fostering of a community of people who also carry out this mission. It was a beautiful tribute to all Dennis has done with the development of aesthetic pruners over decades.

News From Members

London Tool Shop

Peter Quintanilla, CAP #25

On a trip to London last April, I was delighted to discover a shop devoted entirely to beautiful Japanese gardening tools.

Anyone even mildly obsessive about pruning will already know the Niwaki brand, founded years ago by Jake Hobson, who apprenticed in a Japanese nursery and has since written several books on pruning. Niwaki has long been a go-to source for exceptional Japanese tools and knives, but was sold primarily online.

Recently, Hobson opened a brick-and-mortar shop in London, and it’s a gem. I can only describe it as the Tiffany & Co. of Japanese gardening tools. The shop, designed by the firm Jones Neville (the interior photo is from their website), showcases each tool in beautifully crafted cabinets, arranged with museum-like care.

Every blade is impeccably sharp; holding one in your hand will be a gentle reminder that these are not souvenirs for your carry-on bag.

APA Members-only Videos

Members can access video links to past APA Talks!

Links to Tree Talks, APA Annual Meeting talks, and other archived presentations are available on the APA website under the Resources tab.

You must be logged in to your account to view the videos.

NEW Video Available:

Pruning Wisdom from Members

"What is your favorite Dennis Makishima quote and why?"

“Give back”: one of Dennis Makishima’s well-known quotes, or “Dennis-isms." 

Dennis is a prime example of this quote. He created an aesthetic pruning community in Oakland, CA based on this mantra. Dennis created the Merritt College Aesthetic Pruning Club in 1987 and, 23 years later, co-founded the Aesthetic Pruners Association. He has spent the last 40 years giving back and creating a community that has fostered the careers of many pruners in the Bay Area and beyond.

“Give back” is based on the idea that if someone helped you to build your career by teaching you a pruning technique, teaching you a business skill, or showing you the ropes on client communication, you can then pass on what you have learned to a pruner who is in need of the same advice.

“You take care of you” is another Dennis-ism, meaning, build your career first, then help others to find the same enjoyment in the same career that you love.  

Build a community of pruners in your area to bring “more happy” (another Dennis-ism!) into your life. Creating community is what it’s all about and is the most rewarding step that you can take toward creating a successful and enjoyable aesthetic pruning career.

One of Dennis’s tools is the study group. He would invite a group of people over to his back yard to discuss a topic, such as the art vs. craft of aesthetic pruning, thoughts on pine pruning, or a talk about maples and how they react to pruning—the list goes on.  

Is there a school or church in your community that has a garden begging for artful pruning?  This is where you could begin to give back! Get together a few like-minded individuals interested in aesthetic pruning, coordinate with the garden owner, meet with your group to discuss the design of the trees, and come up with a game plan, or “5-year plan” (Dennis-ism).  Discussing tree design and critiquing each other’s work while volunteering on a pruning project is a rewarding way to grow your pruning community and give back at the same time.

How can you give back in your area?  Start a local pruning community!

________________________________________________________________

I love Dennis’s slogans. They are so effective at encapsulating the principles of aesthetic pruning in a form that’s easily remembered so they’re there when I need them. As I draw on them year after year, they continue to resonate and reveal depths that I hadn’t perceived before. I could write at length about many of them but I want to focus on the one that is the most central for me, which is, "Find the good."

Prioritizing the good is what sets aesthetic pruning apart from other approaches. We aren’t overly concerned about what’s not right about a specimen. Instead we look for potential and unrevealed essence. The 4 D’s are still there, but they are not our focus. 

For me, it’s the concept that overrides the others. If finding the good means ignoring the “coarse to fine” maxim, then so be it. I’ll ignore it. The goal isn’t to create "perfect" trees, but to guide each plant into best telling its story within the context of the garden. Finding the good is the surest path to accomplishing that. 

Sometimes the good is obvious from the get-go. Other times, the deeper good only becomes apparent over time as one gets familiar with the material and the setting, or as new options present themselves. It’s a challenging and more subjective approach to pruning, as it obliges us to rely on our own sense of design and aesthetics. My experience is that pursuing the good leads to solutions that can be unexpected and transcendent. It’s the pathway to achieving art in our work.

Lastly, I’ve taken the slogan to heart and applied it to my own life and career. Awareness of my pruning strengths, where I’m good, helped inform me on what work I wanted to focus on—my niche. But I’ve felt the slogan’s deepest effects in my life as a whole. Looking for the good has made life easier to navigate. Learning to be more concerned with yeses than noes has had an immense impact on me. It has helped me to stay positive and to have a more favorable impact on those around me. It has given me a pathway for living a better life.

________________________________________________________________

My favorite Dennis Makishima quotation is: “What is your exit strategy?” These are the first words that Dennis ever spoke to me. This would have been around the year 1999-2000, and I had recently started working in the Japanese Garden at Lotusland in Santa Barbara. I knew of Dennis, as another woman who I worked with had spent time working with him, and had introduced me to aesthetic pruning and many of the techniques that he taught, but I had never met the man himself. 

I was just beginning my career in Japanese gardens, and ultimately aesthetic pruning, when I was told about a conference that the Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego would be hosting where Dennis would be a presenter, along with others such as Marc Keane, so I signed on. During the first break, I saw Dennis by himself looking at one of the black pines in the garden, so I walked over, introduced myself and told him my story. To my surprise and confusion, the first words out of his mouth were, “So, what is your exit strategy?” I probably stared blankly at him for a few seconds before I asked him what he meant, as I had only just started working there within the last year. He patiently explained to me that it is really easy to get stuck in an institution, such as a public garden where I was working, and that it is important to have a plan so that I wouldn’t fall into that.

Prior to this conversation, I felt incredibly lucky to have found a mentor in Frank Fujii, who was commissioned by Ganna Walska in the 1960s to design and build the Japanese Garden, and to be taken on as an apprentice. I had never thought of what my future career might look like. Dennis told me at that point in my career (at the time I was around 30) I should have a plan, so that when I hit 50 I could “hit the ground running,” because at that age, something changes in people’s perception of you, and that is when your career will really take off—as long as you have set yourself up for success. But without a plan, it is too easy to just plug along, and before you know it, you hit middle age and you’re still in the same place, with no way out or perhaps with a much riskier or difficult option to try to change your circumstances.

As with everything Dennis has ever said to me, this was one part of a larger lesson that he would often remind me of throughout the decades that I have known him, and the many conversations that we have shared. Anyone who has learned aesthetic pruning, either through Dennis or one of several generations of his students, has heard about having a long term plan for your tree. Just as it is important to have a long-term plan for you trees, he taught me the lesson of having a long-term plan for your career, and that lesson later became about having a long-term plan for your life.

I followed Dennis’s advice. I made a plan to spend 10 years at Lotusland; I felt that this was a sufficient amount of time to see the trees I was working on develop and the results of the techniques that I was implementing. I ended up staying around 14 years; the extra 4, because Frank Fujii, who was 80 years old when I started working with him and retired at the age of 90, was still alive, and I felt an obligation to continue to care for the garden that he had built and maintained for the better part of his lifetime. During this time, I also began taking on private clients as part of my “exit strategy.” I built a solid client base so that I was able to walk away from the institution on my terms, when I felt that it was the right time to do so, and smoothly transition into strictly private work.

As I approach my mid 50’s, as Dennis had predicted, my career is flourishing. I have done work in several large public Japanese gardens across the country, spent time in Japan as a guest worker, and taught aesthetic pruning classes for several NAJGA international conferences, as well as being a presenter. When I look back on how I got here, it all goes back to those first words that Dennis spoke to me: ”What is your exit strategy?”

Welcome New APA Members

Associate Members

Anna Ruth Baylon (Redwood City, CA)

Patrick Leonard Peterson (New Albany, OH)

Kathryn Gritt (CA)

David Rosberg (CA)

Affiliate Members

Dan R. Davis (San Francisco, CA)

Kathy Thangathurai (Los Osos, CA)

Dan McCadden (Corte Madera, CA)

Joana Omi (Mill Valley, CA)

Student Members

Mariah Guarnaccia (CA)

Committee Chair Reports

CRAFT STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Co-Chairs: Walt Fujii, CAP #10 and Allison Levin, CAP #34

Committee members:  Dina Blackwell, Grant Foerster, Maryann Lewis, Judy Thomas, Emily Musall-Fronckowiak, Randall Lee.

Two major topics were discussed by the CSC since our last report.  One was to change the method of scoring the CAP exam, and the other was promoting the CAP designation.

Previously, the applicant’s score was the cumulation of the scores achieved in the three test sections: demonstration pruning (via applicant-made videos), written (questions with multiple-choice answers), oral (a simulated garden walk-through), as well as the applicant’s portfolio.

The updated scoring process requires a passing score in each of the test sections. An applicant may retake the failed sections within a year of submitting their portfolio with no additional fee. The Craft Standards Committee believes this new scoring system more accurately fulfills the APA’s mission of certifying professional pruners. It goes into effect this year.

CAP “branding” was the other topic we discussed. With the goal of inspiring more pruners to become certified, we are sharing testimonials from CAPs in the APA newsletter. If you’d like to share your story, please contact the Craft Standards Committee.

The APA Certified Aesthetic Pruner®  (CAP) designation recognizes those professional pruners who demonstrate a high level of proficiency when applying the art and science to aesthetic pruning.  For this reason, the Craft Standards Committee seeks members whose knowledge and experience will maintain the well-earned reputation of the CAP® designation.

We welcome input and participation from interested members!

________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Chair: Carolyn Cooley, CAP #15

Committee members: Evelyn Borchert, Cathy Crystal, Greg Kitajima, Allison Levin, Lara Miranda, Peter Quintanilla, Matthew Taylor, Judy Thomas

We’re excited to share the results of a member survey on business practices we just completed. Fifty members participated in the Education Committee’s survey on business practices, and it’s worth checking out. Questions include a range of topics, including whether (and how) pruners charge for travel time, what they wish they had more knowledge on, how often and by how much they raise their rates, and what certifications they hold and why or why not. A highlight is the responses to the very last question: “What is the most challenging part of your work?”

In 2026, we’re offering a two-part advanced workshop on the aesthetic pruning of fruit trees. Workshops will take place February 15th and June 27th in Walnut Creek, CA, and are open to members of the APA and the Merritt College Aesthetic Pruning Club.

This past fall, we had two Tree Talks: Matt Ritter speaking on California Trees in September, and our own Jocelyn Cohen speaking on Ancient Trees in December. If you missed a Tree Talk, recordings can be found on the website under the “Resources” heading. Tree Talks are a chance to focus on a specific aspect of pruning, design, tree health, or other related topics. If you have a speaker or topic to suggest, or if you think you might have a Tree Talk in you, please get in touch (carolynbcooley@gmail.com). 

The Education Committee aims to hold four Zoom events a year on topics related to professional business practices. These sessions have been called “New Professionals,” as they were originally intended to support beginning pruners in developing their business. However, we realize that pruners of all experience levels can benefit from these talks, so look for a new name coming soon! We are always looking for pruners to speak at these events, so please be in touch if you’d like to be a part of one. Our cycle of topics includes Building Your Pruning Business (marketing, business cards, webpages…); Defining Your Pruning Business (choosing your scope of work, the first consultation/shaping client expectations); Accounting and Taxes (including 1099s, insurance, retirement); Scheduling and Invoicing Clients; Your Pruning Plan and Pruning for the Big Picture (how to read your client's aesthetic and practical needs, communications of vision, and evaluating a specimen's needs and limits); Pruning Tips and Basics; Ergonomics and Movement Dynamics for Pruners; and Tools We Love.

_______________________________________________________________

FINANCE COMMITTEE
Chair: Barbara Eaton, CAP #60

Committee members: Dina Blackwell, Nina Rizzo, Mark Mendell, Jeff Becerra, Helga Mahlmann (former Accountant)

In the fourth quarter of 2025, our main income was from membership dues, totaling $3,365. Jocelyn Cohen’s wonderful Tree Talk on Ancient Trees in December was very successful and well-attended, bringing in $895. Our CD account earned a little over $350 in interest for the quarter, and we sold about $70 in merchandise. We’re still finalizing our year-end financials, but our main fourth quarter expenses included about $1,100 in bookkeeping fees, a little over $800 in promotions expenses, about $500 in website expenses, and $345 in tech subscriptions for general administration and craft standards. The 2025 year-end financials and 2026 budget will be discussed at the APA Annual Meeting on January 25. In October, we started working with a great new bookkeeper, Audrey, who is helping us to streamline our accounting and lightening the workload for the Treasurer position. Our generous volunteer accountant, Helga Mahlmann, continues to help us with taxes and guide us with her helpful insights. 

Anyone interested in joining the Finance Committee is welcome to email Barb at apatreasurer@aestheticprunersassociation.org.

_______________________________________________________________

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Chair: Alex Senauke

Committee members: Dina Blackwell, Lara Miranda

Over the fall, we gained nine new members, mostly from California and the Bay Area. APA leadership has engaged with a consultant to advise about our organizational structure; the committee provided aggregate membership data which generated some interesting facts:

Our total active membership is close to 240. Roughly half (123) of those 240 members are in the Bay Area. About 40 members come from other cities in California. The other 80 members come from other states, with three Canadian members and one in Oslo, Norway.

Additionally, we continue to publicize APA programming on LinkedIn. Follow us to stay up-to-date and to easily share events with your professional network:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/aesthetic-pruners-association/

______________________________________________________________

PROMOTIONS COMMITTEE
Chair: Jeff Becerra 

Committee members: Dina Blackwell, Jane Chua-Couzens, Barb Eaton, Melissa Hyams, Kristen Vetterlein.

In 2025, the Promotions Committee helped to organize staffing and distribution of APA materials at the annual Solano Stroll in Albany in September. We were a sponsor of the biennial conference of the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA) that took place in St. Louis, and organized the September picnic for APA members in Oakland, CA. 

 Upcoming highlights for 2026 include:

• Advertisements that promote aesthetic pruning and the benefits of hiring a pro. Media TBD, but past examples include the Hillside Gardeners of Montclair garden tour booklet.

• Members’ picnic (timing TBD)

• Public event staffing (e.g. Solano Stroll)

• Resupply as needed APA merchandise such as t-shirts and hats. Don’t have yours yet? Check out the APA shop at https://www.aestheticprunersassociation.org/apa-shop. 

______________________________________________________________

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
Chair: Randall Lee, CAP #3 

Committee members: Dina Blackwell, Melissa Hyams

The APA Sachiko Umehara Memorial Scholarship of $500 will be awarded in May 2026.  

Please spread the word!

If you are a Landscape horticulture student at Merritt College in Oakland California, or know of one, AND are interested in becoming an aesthetic pruner, this scholarship can help with future educational expenses.  

The application period for the spring 2026 scholarship started on October 1, 2025, and will close on March 1, 2026. The requirements are that you must be enrolled at Merritt College and be taking one or more Landscape horticulture classes.

Please apply at the Peralta Colleges Foundation website: https://peraltafoundation.org/.  

Students cannot apply directly for the Sachiko Umehara Scholarship, but the Peralta Colleges Foundation system matches all scholarships in their database to eligible applicants. Applicants should demonstrate a stated need and an educational commitment to learn the craft of aesthetic pruning. If you would like to find out more information about the scholarship and/or donate to the fund, visit the Scholarships page on our website.