Backyard Forestry Webinar

Are you a homeowner with acres of lawn you would like to convert to natural area?  Do you have a small patch of woods you'd like to manage or improve for wildlife habitat? You are not alone.  Many homeowners find themselves with the home of their dreams and acres of lawn that take time and money to maintain.  Or, a small patch of woods that they love, but don't know how to care for.  This session will explore ideas and approaches for caring for a small or even a large piece of property to have less maintenance, healthier trees, and diverse plants and wildlife.

The PA Forests Web Seminar Center will be providing a webinar on backyard forestry on Tuesday, June 14th as part of the monthly forest stewardship series.  The webinar will be presented by Dr. Jim Finley of the Penn State School of Forest Resources live at noon and again at 7:00 PM.  Each seminar lasts approximately one hour.

Each session is recorded and loaded onto the Previous Webinars page along with a copy of the presentation and any handout materials.  So, if you are unable to participate in the "live" session, a recording of it will be available for you to view at your convenience. Of course, none of the interactive elements will be available when watching the recording.

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.  Participation in the web seminar does not require any special software. To view live and previously recorded seminars all you need is a high-speed Internet connection and sound.

The webinar is based on a 139 page full color manual entitled "The Woods in Your Backyard."  The publication, written by Jonathan Kays, Joy Drohan, Adam Downing, and Jim Finley, promotes the stewardship of small parcels of land from 1-10 acres.  It is a for sale publication and can be purchased off the NRAES site.

Is Woody Biofuel a Carbon Neutral Source of Energy?

Dr Chuck Ray, Penn State School of Forest Resources recently posted to his Blog, entitled Go Wood, a story clarifying the issues surrounding the use of woody biomass and carbon neutrality.  I thought I would share it with my readers.  It brings to light some flaws in the findings of the recently published Monamet study in Massachusets.

In short, the inaccuracies lead to flawed findings, which have prompted sweeping policy changes in Massachusetts that threaten to wipe the use of woody biomass off the map in the state (Kilwa Biomass, Wood Energy News, Vol. 181, May 20, 2011).

Wood Biomass and Carbon Neutrality(Dr. Chuck Ray, Go Wood, May 19, 2011) For those of you who learned about the carbon cycle back in high school or college, you probably knew that the harvesting and use of wood is fundamentally a carbon-neutral process. Or you thought you knew that, until the concept of using biomass for energy became a topic of heated debate.

Now, we have claims both for and against the carbon-neutrality of wood energy almost daily in the news. There are stories like these, that make woody biomass out to be as bad or worse than fossil fuels. For the rest of the story click here.

Study points out inherent flaws in Manomet woody biomass study(Lisa Gibson, Biomass Power and Thermal, May 19, 2011)  A new study contradicting the findings of the well-known 2010 Massachusetts biomass study by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences points out inherent flaws and incorrect assumptions in the Manomet authors’ methodology. In short, the inaccuracies lead to flawed findings, which have prompted sweeping policy changes in Massachusetts that threaten to wipe the use of woody biomass off the map in the state.  For the full sory click here.

National Walk in the Woods Day!

2011 is recognized as the International Year of Forests by the United Nationas General Assembly.  It is a time to understand and learn to appreciate the role trees and forests play in our daily lives.  In conjunction with the Year of Forests, the American Forest Foundation is coordinating National Walk in the Woods Day on Saturday, May 21, 2011.  Their site provides some fun and exciting activities you can lead or participate in.  To seach for an event you can attend in your state click here.

I hope you will consider helping youth and adults alike to discover a forest and learn about its importance by participating in, or leading, a “walk in the woods.”  Be sure and share this day with others.

New Guidelines for Upland Hardwood Stands With an Ash Component

With the impending emerald ash borer potentially impacting the entire state of Pennsylvania I thought I would share this with my readers.  We are often asked whether we should cut the ash now or wait.  Well, now we have some guidelines to go by thanks to the Michigan Society of American Foresters.  They have released a guide entitled "Silvicultural Guidelines for Upland Hardwoods with an Ash Component." 

This is a two-page PDF document, developed by the Michigan DNR, advises landowners to prepare for the emerald ash borer by working with forestry professionals to obtain a forest management plan that prescribes harvest practices designed to reduce, but not eliminate, the ash component of their upland hardwood stands.

(The Society of American Forester's E-Forester, May 6, 2011)