Pennsylvania Forests Web Seminar Center: April Webinars

Penn State Cooperative Extension in partnership with the Penn State School of Forest Resources is offering 2 webinars the month of April through the PA Forests Web Seminar Center.
Stewardship Series: Eric Burkhart, Instructor and Plant Science Program Director, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, will be presenting Common Wildflowers of Pennsylvania Forestland on Tuesday, April 12^th at noon and again at 7 p.m.  Each seminar lasts approximately one hour. 

During this presentation, participants will take a virtual stroll through springtime Pennsylvania forestlands to see some of the more common, showy, and/or interesting wildflowers that may be encountered during the “ephemeral” season.  Along with identification, aspects of each species’ biology, ecology, usage and conservation will be covered.  Plants that will be discussed include: bloodroot, bluebells, blue cohosh, dwarf ginseng, garlic mustard, golden ragwort, mayapple, trillium, wild geranium and many more. Approved for 1.0 CFE credit hour in Category 2. Approved for 1 credit hour SFI® CE.

White-tailed Deer Management Series: Kip Adams, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Northern Director of Education and Outreach, Quality Deer Management Association, will be presenting White-tailed Deer Breeding Biology and Communication on Tuesday, April 19^th at noon and again at 7 p.m.  Each seminar lasts approximately one hour.

Following a year in the life of a whitetail buck this presentation will discuss dispersal, home range, and movement patterns; physical changes a buck experiences from 1.5 years of age to maturity; how deer communicate during the breeding season; and how hunters can use this information to improve management.

To participate in the live seminars you must register and have a "Friend of Penn State" user ID.  The "Register Now" page on the website will walk you through this process.

US Forest Service Northern Research Station Publications

The Northern Research Station of the US Forrest Service extends across 20 states, comprising both the most densely populated and most heavily forested portion of the US. The scientists working at the Station provide leading-edge forest science and technology applications to serve a wide range of clients in the Northeast and Midwest region.

A list of the newest publications from the Northern Research Station is now available. Check out this link where you can view and print the online versions or order paper copies of the publications.

American Chestnut Foundation Re-Introduction Training

The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is offering Forest Restoration Specialist Trainings (FOREST) that are designed to help people gain the information they need to restore the American chestnut into their forests, from the establishment through the monitoring and maintenance phase.

Sponsored by TACF and the Richard King Mellon Foundation, FOREST consists of a series of four, 1-day sessions and is designed to give you the tools you need to help the American chestnut once again play an important role in our eastern forests.

Although this pilot training program will focus on American chestnut restoration, participants will gain skills and knowledge applicable for many aspects of sustainable forestry management, far beyond a single species.  Tools acquired will help one implement, monitor and manage a properly restored site for several native forest tree species.  Come learn about topics ranging from tree ID, wood ID, genetics, fungal culturing, forest mensuration and more!

The first session will take place a Powdermill Nature Reserve in southwestern PA on Friday, April 1 and will cover the basics of American chestnut planting, management, and science.  The session will be repeated on Saturday April 2.  Each session will begin at 9:30 AM EST and run until 4:30 PM EST.  The cost is $20 persession.  You only need attend one of these sessions.

Future sessions are proposed for:
Phase II: Friday, April 22; repeated on Saturday, April 23 in Bolivar, PA
Phase III: Friday, June 24; repeated on Saturday, June 25 in Laughlintown, PA
Phase IV: Friday, August 12; repeated on Saturday, August 13 near Ligonier, PA

Each phase covers a different aspect of restoration science. Those who complete all four phases will become a certified as a TACF FORESTER and will receive a special gift at the end of training.

To register or for additional information contact Sara Fitzsimmons, Regional Science Coordinator, The American Chestnut Foundation: sff3@psu.edu or 814-863-7192. This training is open to anyone and everyone who is interested in American chestnut restoration and/or forest sustainability.

Biomass From A Tree Farmer's View

An interesting perspective presented here.  Came across this in the Wood Energy News put out by Kilwa Biomass.  The article appeared in the Amherst Bulletin on March 4th.  It presents an interesting viewpoint on biomass havesting from the landowner perspective, in this case a Tree Farmer.

Biomass from a tree farmer's view
by: Cinda Jones
Some vocal anti-forestry and anti-biomass activists are trying to scare the public by saying that Massachusetts forests will be clearcut if biomass plants are built. They are trying to incite fear that increased demand for biomass will cause landowners to be financially motivated to cut down all their forests. Their numbers don't add up.

Most tree farmers in Massachusetts own an average of 50 acres of forest land. Tree farmers, like others in the agricultural sector, manage their land for sustainable crop production. We "weed" low-grade and poorly growing trees to provide more space and light for the higher-quality crop trees. Proper thinning can double the growth rate of valuable trees.

To read the full story click here.