Just about any avid gardener is going to pour a lot of thought into what kind of tree to plant out front to maximize coveted curb appeal.

What might take a backseat along the way though, is consideration for the tree’s eventual size and whether the aesthetically pleasing planting location, next to a utility pole, is the safest choice.

That, and a whole lot more is what Libbie Soden will discuss at the Snohomish County Public Utility District’s Winter Wise Expo from 3-5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9 at PUD headquarters in Everett. Soden is the vegetation management superintendent in charge the PUD’s tree trimmers. These are the men and women who scout the entire county for trees that have fallen onto right-of-ways, power lines or are threatening to do so. It’s serious stuff as most people in Snohomish and Island counties know, having faced multiple wind and snow storms in recent years. In December of 2006 the region was besieged by gusts up to 60 mph that downed trees and power lines, blocked traffic and cut power to about 140,000 homes in Everett.

Anticipating the storm, Snohomish County PUD sent extra crews out to get a head start on restoring power to people and clearing roadways of tree debris.

The PUD wants its customers to be educated about what do to about downed trees and other safety measures, so it is hosting four “Winter Wise” sessions with experts in their relative fields. Professional engineer Chris Fate will talk about the safety and usage of portable generators during outages. Mordecai Cooke, a PUD energy services consultant, will teach people about preparing your house for winter so you can stay warm and save a few bucks. Gary Kell, a safety specialist at the PUD, will talk about safety with electricity, such as the extreme danger of downed power lines. His main point will be: Don’t go near the power lines, let the PUD handle it. To illustrate that potential danger, PUD spokesman Mike Thorpe mentioned a situation a few years back where a resident, trying to do a good deed, was electrocuted when he tried to sweep a downed power line from the road.

“It was a few years ago,” Thorpe said. “He saw a fire next to the road and it was a downed power line. There’s extreme danger with these things.”

Soden’s department includes nine certified arborists who glean both Snohomish and Island counties for fallen trees and identifying those that need to be trimmed. It’s a year-round function that gets amplified during the winter storm seasons.

“One of the strengths of the “tree certification program is that when the trees are in the wrong place, we encourage people to let us remove that tree and replace it with a tree more appropriate,” Soden said. She said the PUD would pick up the tab on a new tree.

Most of the trees the PUD trims are not on PUD property, so Soden’s crew spends a lot of time informing residents about the potential hazards. Sometimes Soden hires outside contractors to handle the workload.

Soden’s discussion will also feature a tree trimmer on a pole explaining how the cuts are made. Trimmers will show how they cut limbs and repel from trees. Soden will also talk about tree trimming policy and useful tips on planning and trimming trees around power lines.

The general theme of the event (this is the expo’s second year) is to help customers, educate them on how to deal with outages, electrical safety issues and preparedness.

The family-friendly event is free and will feature several demonstrations, informational booths, refreshments and prize drawings. Kids can meet Louie the Lightening Bug.

“We had a good time,” Soden said of last year’s expo. “I felt like the people there got a lot out of it.”