Penn State March Renewable Natural Resources Webinars

Forest Stewardship:
PA Forest Stewardship Webinar: Remediation and Stabilization Strategies for Disturbed Forest Sites, March 10, 2015, noon and 7 p.m. ET.
Understanding the physical dynamics of your site and other limiting factors weigh heavily on restoring desired vegetation on disturbed forest sites. Natural gas development, timber sales, and other activities are projected to impact thousands of acres of Pennsylvania woodlands. Whether you intend to establish trails, wildlife food plots, or early successional forest species, having a plan of action and a list of available natural resource professionals to guide your efforts will increase the odds of achieving your desired outcome. Included among the issues we will explore are: Evaluating your Needs and Cost/Affordability of Restoration, Landowner Health, Natural Gas Lease Restrictions, Soil Compaction and Fertility Issues, Invasive Species and their Control, and Species Selection - Putting the Right Plants in the Right Place. Presented by Gary Micsky, Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Educator, Penn State Extension – Mercer County.
https://meeting.psu.edu/paforestweb/

Water:
Water Resources Webinar: Pennsylvania Groundwater: Individual Actions to Protect this Valuable Resource, Tuesday, March 10, 12 – 1 p.m. ET. Presented by Bryan Swistock, Penn State Extension (a special webinar in honor of Groundwater Awareness Week)
https://meeting.psu.edu/water1

Water Resources Webinar: The Pennsylvania Master Watershed Steward Program, Wednesday, March 25, 12 – 1 p.m. ET. Presented by Erin Frederick, Penn State Extension.
https://meeting.psu.edu/water1

Biomass: 

Northeast Woody/Warm-Season Biomass Consortium Webinar: Can Cover Crops Play a Role in Shrub Willow Establishment for Weed and Nutrient Management, March 10, 1 p.m. ET. 

Controlling weed competition is a critical component of shrub willow establishment due to low planting density and initially poor competitive ability. Recommendations formed in the US fifteen years ago stress the need for cultivation and herbicides that leave the soil surface exposed for long periods of time, increasing the risk of soil erosion and nutrient losses. Very little work has been done to investigate the use of cover crops for improving the sustainability of shrub willow establishment. We initiated two trials in September of 2013 to test the effects of fall-seeded cover crops on weed suppression and nutrient availability in shrub willow planted the following spring. In one trial, we tested cereal rye and a brassica cover crop alone and in combination against a conventional field preparation control. In the second trial, we tested three fall-seeded cereal crops along with a conventional preparation control. Cover crop plots received no herbicides and cover crops were managed by rolling with a residue cutter/roller to produce a mulch layer. Fertility treatments were used to manipulate nutrient availability. Weed populations, nutrient availability and willow growth were measured over one growing season. Results from these two trials suggest that cover crops could have a role in improving the sustainability of shrub willow crop establishment, but important factors such as cover crop selection and management methods are important considerations. Lessons learned and suggestions for future research will also be discussed. Presented by Eric Fabio, Cornell University. https://meeting.psu.edu/bioenergy 

Green Infrastructure:

Penn State Extension Green Infrastructure Webinar Series: Green Stormwater Infrastructure: an Overview of Villanova’s Research, March 9, 2015, 3 p.m. ET (please note the different time for this webinar only). Presented by Robert Traver, Ph.D., PE, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering & Director of the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership (VUSP), Villanova University.https://meeting.psu.edu/pacommunityforestry

Penn State Extension Green Infrastructure Webinar Series: Maintaining the Green Infrastructure Systems in Your Community, March 16, 2015, noon ET. Presented by Robert Traver, Ph.D., PE, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering & Director of the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership (VUSP), Villanova University. https://meeting.psu.edu/pacommunityforestry

Penn State Extension Green Infrastructure Webinar Series: Incorporating Green Infrastructure to Revitalize Your Community: Leading the Way in Lancaster, PA, March 31, 2015, noon ET. Presented by Charlotte Katzenmoyer, Director of Public Works, City of Lancaster. https://meeting.psu.edu/pacommunityforestry