The Woods in Your Backyard Workshop Opportunity

Penn State Extension-Centre County and its partners are pleased to be offering the Woods in Your Backyard Workshop. This workshop is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2013 at the Forest Resources Building, Penn State University Park Campus. The workshop is scheduled from 9:00 AM - 3:15 PM.

Do you have woods in your backyard? Would you like to reduce your lawn, plant trees, and invite wildlife to your suburban lot? Would you like to learn how to be a better steward of your parcel of land? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this workshop is for you.

Penn State Extension, Forestry For the Bay, Clearwater Conservancy, Penn State Master Gardeners, and the Centre County Conservation District have assembled outstanding speakers who will share their knowledge with you about creating or improving wildlife habitat, tree identification and care, tree planting and native landscaping, forest ecology, woodlot management techniques, invasive plant identification, and more.

Enhancing or creating natural areas and woodland on your property reduces mowing, welcomes wildlife, and creates a backyard forest. Owners of even just a few acres can make a positive difference in the environment through planning and implementing simple stewardship practices. If your lot connects to other lots, there’s ample opportunity to make an even bigger impact by getting neighbors involved!

To register go to: http://agsci.psu.edu/backyard-woods/university-park or call Penn State Extension at 814-355-4897. Participants must be pre-registered by Monday June 17, 2013. A $20.00 fee is being charged per person to cover program costs ($35 for multiple registrants from the same household, (Includes lunch and educational materials). For questions please contact the Penn State Extension office in Centre County at 814-355-4897 or e-mail CentreExt@psu.edu.

The workshop uses the manual The Woods in Your Backyard: Learning to Create and Enhance Natural Areas Around Your Home. The full-color, 139-page manual guides land owners to:

•Learn why you should manage your land.
•Map your land, assess why you bought it, and decide what you hope to get out of it.
•Understand how your land relates to the land around you.
•Identify land management units on your property.
•Learn basics of tree identification, forestry, and wildlife habitat management.
•Assess your property’s water resources, recreational possibilities, and aesthetic appeal, and ways to improve each.
•Choose a few land management projects to help meet your goals.
•Set a timetable and mark progress.

The manual is provided at the workshop and is included in the registration fee. Manual also available separately from: www.nraes.org. Publication Number: NRAES-184, cost: $18.00 / Published: 2006.