Webinar
series will help landowners care for their woods
Do you have woods in your backyard? Penn State research estimates
that nearly half a million Pennsylvanians own a small patch of woodland --
something less than 10 acres in size. In fact, the vast majority of
Pennsylvania landowners have fewer than 10 acres. These small patches add up to
about a million acres, or about 10 percent, of our state’s privately held
woodlands.
The
"Woods in Your Backyard" webinar series teaches land stewardship
through eight live, one-hour, online evening lectures that can be viewed on
your home computer. Sessions run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday nights for
eight weeks beginning Feb. 6. All lectures are recorded and can be viewed later
if a live session is missed.
Sponsored by
Penn State Extension and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay: Forests for the
Bay Program, the webinar series is designed specifically, but not exclusively,
for smaller landscapes. These small lots, whether wooded or not, can provide
numerous benefits. By enhancing wooded areas or creating natural areas on your
property, you can enjoy wildlife, recreation, aesthetics, improved water
quality and reduced energy costs. Owners of even the smallest landscapes can
make a positive difference in their environment through planning and
implementing simple stewardship practices.
The workshop
series introduces the manual, “The Woods in Your Backyard: Learning to Create
and Enhance Natural Areas Around Your Home.” All participants will receive the
full-color, 108-page publication, a $29 value. This self-directed book will
guide you through the process of developing and implementing projects to
enhance your land’s natural resources.
Topics
covered in the webinars will include the following:
• Woods and healthy watersheds.
• Tree and shrub identification.
• Providing and enhancing wildlife
habitat.
• Forest ecology and soils.
• Woodlot management techniques.
• Invasive plant identification and
control.
• Converting open land to meadows and
woods.
