Helping landowners care for their woods

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.

For more information and to register, visit the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/woods-in-your-backyard-webinar-series or call 877-345-0691. The registration deadline is Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019.

Do we need to make way for the paper movement?

I came across an interesting article and received permission to share it with my readers.  It is by Phil Riebel.  Phil is the president of Two Sides North America, Inc.  Two sides is a non-profit organization aspiring to ensure that print and paper’s unique recyclable and renewable qualities can be enjoyed for generations to come.  Two Sides is also committed to ensuring that print and paper remains a versatile means of marketing and communication.  They span several countries and are present in Europe, North America, Australia, South Africa, and South America.

Let me know what you think, are we going to see a paper movement?  I sure hope so.

Paper and the Circular Economy

Make way for the “paper movement”!

On a recent holiday to Prince Edward Island, I was served a drink with a paper straw…the first paper straw I have seen in a long time!  I could hardly contain my excitement and began talking to the waitress about my “paper” life. She responded by saying “yes, there is a paper movement underway”....Wow!  Interesting that someone outside the paper industry is saying this.

Recent stories about the impact of materials in our waste streams – like plastic in our oceans, or the increasing amounts of electronic waste – have changed how companies think about the materials used in their manufacturing process.  There is a movement to get away from the ‘one-and-done’ model of the linear economy, toward a more “circular economy,” where the reuse, refurbishment, recycling, and end-of-life disposal of a product factors into the manufacturing design.  In a circular economy, manufacturing is done in a way that builds the overall health of the process – financially, environmentally and socially.

Large corporations like Starbucks and McDonald’s are looking for ways to minimize plastic packaging with their straws and cups. Packaging suppliers are investing in research to develop coatings that make paper as convenient and practical as plastic, but also biodegradable and recyclable.  From gift cards to Apple iPhone packaging, companies are evaluating and often redesigning their process to incorporate more sustainable materials.

Paper is a natural fit for the circular economy model.  Paper-based materials are becoming the go-to replacement as companies look for more sustainable ways to produce their products.  Wood, paper, and paper-based products, in many circumstances, tie into the circular economy model because of the following facts:

•    Paper is one of the few truly sustainable products.  Each year, forests in North America grow significantly more wood than is harvested.  North American forests are a renewable resource that is continuously replenished using sustainable forest management.

•    Paper is highly recyclable. Paper is recycled more than any other commodity in the solid waste stream and is often the dominant raw material used in paper production. A combination of fresh wood supply and recycled paper allows printing and writing paper to be down-cycled to other products like corrugated boxes, tissue, and other packaging.

•    Much of the energy used for papermaking is renewable.  Roughly two-thirds of the energy used by North American pulp and paper mills is self-generated using renewable biomass in combination with heat and power (CHP) systems. The paper industry uses more renewable energy than any other industrial sector.

There is still a significant amount of work needed to measure the overall life cycle benefits of making these manufacturing shifts, but companies are reviewing the environmental impact of their processes and products in a more complete way.  The sustainability of wood and paper continues to play an important role in the move from a linear to a circular economy.

By Phil Riebel

President - Two Sides North America, Inc.

pnr@twosides.info

https://www.facebook.com/TwoSidesNorthAmerica