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“Native Grasslands and Pollinator Habitat for Wildlife” offered via Zoom webinar on March 11

Pollinating insects are responsible for 75% of the global food supply, and are accurate indicators of overall ecosystem health. Recent declines of pollinating insects, and other wildlife adapted to similar habitats, are cause for genuine concern. Ohio landowners can help by managing healthy forests and native grasslands that host a diverse community of native flowering plants, which are critical strongholds for pollinating insects and wildlife dependent on grasslands.

Join us Via Zoom Webinar on March 11th  from 3 pm to 5 p.m. for an introduction into native grasslands and pollinator habitat.

Click Here to register

 

Hold the Date: A field event is being planned for July 22.  Join us to to learn more about the benefits of pollinator habitat and native grassland habitat, and how to establish pollinator habitat and grassland habitat on your own property. We will tour pollinator habitat and native grasslands, and witness just some of the ecosystem services they provide for us.”  More details for this field event will be provided soon!

 

 

 

 

A DAY in the WOODS-Tentative Agenda for 2022

We’ve still got details to work out, but this is what we’ve got in store for A DAY in the WOODS, 2nd Friday Series for 2022:

 

  • Mar 11- Native grasslands and Pollinator Habitat for Wildlife- A virtual Introduction. 3 pm. via Zoom

  • Apr 8 – Using Technology for Woodland Management. 10 am.  Join us via Zoom or in person at Zaleski ODNR Complex. 12:30 PM Live Demonstrations at Zaleski ODNR Complex (not available via Zoom)

  • May 13- Understory plants in Your Woodland.  9 am. Vinton Furnace State Forest

  • Jun 10- Woodlands and water9 am.  Zaleski State Forest.  2:30 pm optional float trip on Raccoon Creek

  • Jul 15- Tools and Equipment for managing your woodlands and wildlife habitat. 10 am. Hocking College

  • Jul 22- Native grasslands and Pollinator Habitat for Wildlife. 9 am.  Field-based. Location to be determined.

  • Aug 12- Tree Identification. 9am. Vinton Furnace State Forest

  • Sept 9- A night in the forest: Nocturnal Wildlife and Night Skies. 6:30 pm. Vinton Furnace State Forest

  • Oct 7- Managing oaks for wildlife. 9 am.  Vinton Furnace State Forest

  • Nov 10 (Thursday)- Family Forests and Carbon.  3 pm. Virtual via zoom

  • Hands on Chainsaw Training (CSAW). 8 Hour Hands on Classes. Dates, Locations TBA.

 

  

 

Resources now available from Managing oaks for wildlife offered on December 7 by Zoom (6:30 to 8:30 PM)

RECORDING OF PROGRAM

 

PowerPoint slides:

Oak Ecology and Silviculture – Apsley

 

The Importance of Oak for Wildlife – Runkle

 

Managing Oaks for Woodlands Practices and Resources – Downs

 

HP Landscape Planning_Oak-Wildlife Webinar – Randall

 

Other Resources:

Five-Steps-Assistance-FACTSHEET (1) Five-Steps-Assistance-FACTSHEET (1)

 

 

Woodland Boundaries will be offered by A DAY in the WOODS on December 10 via Zoom

Our final A DAY in the WOODS program for 2021 “Woodland Boundaries” will take place on December 10, at 10 am to 11:15 via Zoom Webinar.   This program will be presented by Mark Rickey, State Service Forester with ODNR-Division of Forestry, and Dave Apsley, Natural Resources Specialist with Ohio State University Extension. Join us on December 10 to:

  • Learn about the importance of woodland boundaries and why it is important to maintain them.
  • Get tips on how to seek and find evidence of their location.
  • Understand how you can mark and maintain your boundaries to make them more recognizable.
  • Learn the importance of boundary line trees and evidence, and how they should be treated
  • Know when it may make sense for you to reach out to a professional land surveyor for assistance.
  • Get access to a new series of videos on Woodland Boundaries that were produced to assist Ohio’s family woodland owners.

To register for this Zoom Webinar visit: http://go.osu.edu/ditw2021

“Identifying Trees in Winter” for woodland owners and enthusiasts on November 12th at Vinton Furnace State Forest

Fall is in the air, and many of the trees in Southeastern Ohio have already shed their leaves. This makes tree identification more difficult, but there are still many clues that you can use to identify trees in their leafless state. “Identifying Trees in Winter” will provide you with the knowledge to differentiate among the variety of trees on your property in the coming winter months  Participants in this program will:

  • Develop an eye for bark and tree shape to aid in winter tree identification
  • Learn to use bud and twig characteristics to identify trees
  • Become familiar with tree fruits like acorns and other clues that can be found on the ground
  • Spend the day exploring the forest sites at the Vinton Furnace State Forest with several foresters and natural resources professionals
  • Visit a variety of wooded sites to learn about their contribution to the diversity of Ohio’s Appalachian forests

“Identifying Trees in Winter” will take place at the Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur on November 12,  2021, from 9 AM to 3 PM.  The program will take place entirely in the field and will include a considerable amount of walking on uneven terrain, so be sure to bring your hiking boots and dress accordingly. We will follow the COVID-19 protocols that are in place at the time.   Please bring a face covering to use when:

  • you are indoors and not fully vaccinated
  • it makes you comfortable

A registration fee of $12 per person (payable on the day of the event by cash or check to Vinton SWCD) entitles participants to program materials and a box lunch.  Registration is required.  Please RSVP on or before November 8 by emailing Dave Apsley at apsley.1@osu.edu, or by calling Cheri Porter or Dave Runkle at the Vinton SWCD (740-596-5676).

The Vinton Furnace State Forest is in a very remote portion of Vinton County.  Signs will be posted on the morning of the event along the route from both entrances. For a map and directions to help you find the training center at the Vinton Furnace State Forest, click : Directions – Experimental Forest

For more information contact Dave Apsley (apsley.1@osu.edu).

“A Day in the Woods” and the “2nd Friday Series” are sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Forest with support from Ohio State University Extension, ODNR-Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, USDA-Forest Service (Northern Research Station, State and Private Forestry and the Wayne NF), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Vinton-Hocking-Athens Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Central State University Extension, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College, the Ruffed Grouse Society, Ohio Forestry Association Foundation and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee. Since 2012, “A Day in the Woods” has offered nearly 80 programs with more than 100 presenters for nearly 4,000 woodland owners and enthusiasts just like you.

 

“Tending Your Woodland” offered by “A DAY in the WOODS” to woodland owners in SE Ohio at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on October 8th

Like a garden, your woodland will likely provide more benefits if you give it some attention. “Tending Your Woodland”, an interactive outdoor learning opportunity for woodland owners in SE Ohio, will help you to understand the various practices that you can use to improve your woodlands.   This program is offered on October 8 at the Vinton Furnace State Experimental Forest near McArthur and will include the opportunity to tour numerous field sites demonstrating various practices that have been established since the early 1950’s.   Participants will have the opportunity to:

  • Explore crop tree management (CTM), a technique that can increase the growth rate of trees to produce more wildlife food, timber and other benefits
  • Learn about Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) and how it can help your woodland become more productive
  • Understand various techniques that can be utilized to enhance oak regeneration in your woodlands.
  • Become aware of the wide array of options available to woodland owners who are contemplating a timber harvest.
  • Know where to get the advice and resources that will help you tend your woodland

“Tending your Woodland” will take place at the Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur on October 8, 2021, from 9 AM to 3 PM.

A registration fee of $12 per person (payable on the day of the event by cash or check to Vinton SWCD) entitles participants to program materials and a box lunch.  Registration is required.  Please RSVP on or before October 4 by emailing Dave Apsley at apsley.1@osu.edu, or by calling Cheri Porter or Dave Runkle at the Vinton SWCD (740-596-5676).

We plan to hold most of this program outdoors in the woods.   We will follow the COVID-19 protocols that are in place at the time.   Please bring a face covering to use when:

  • you are indoors and not fully vaccinated
  • it makes you comfortable

The Vinton Furnace State Forest is in a very remote portion of Vinton County.  Signs will be posted on the morning of the event along the route from both entrances.

Directions – Experimental Forest

 

“A Day in the Woods” and the “2nd Friday Series” are sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Forest with support from Ohio State University Extension, ODNR-Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, USDA-Forest Service (Northern Research Station, State and Private Forestry and the Wayne NF), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Vinton-Hocking-Athens Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Central State University Extension, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College, the Ruffed Grouse Society, Ohio Forestry Association Foundation and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee. Since 2012, “A Day in the Woods” has offered nearly 80 programs with more than 100 presenters for nearly 4,000 woodland owners and enthusiasts just like you.

 

“Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants” program offered to woodland owners in SE Ohio at the Hocking College Nature Center on Friday, September 10

One of the bushMorrow honeysuckle

One of the non-native bush honeysuckles (Morrow’s honeysuckle) found in Ohio

Are you seeing aggressive plants encroaching on your woodland property but aren’t sure what they are?  Do you already know about non-native invasive plants but don’t know how to control them?  This program “Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants” may be just for you.  It will take place at the Hocking College Nature Center in Nelsonville, OH on September 10 from 9 am to 3:30 pm.

The program will take place entirely in the field and is designed to help woodland owners learn how to identify and manage non-native invasive species.   We’ll have several experienced foresters and natural resources specialists from Hocking College, ODNR-Division of Forestry, Athens SWCD, Vinton SWCD, The National Wild Turkey Federation and OSU Extension on hand to assist with this program. The program will start with an introduction to some of the more common non-native invasive species in SE Ohio.  It will include demonstrations of equipment and techniques, and discussions about herbicides and safety.  We’ll discuss the pros and cons of each technique to help you devise a strategy for your woodland property.

If you suspect you’ve got an invasive plant but aren’t sure, feel free to bring pictures or a sample in a plastic bag. We’ll do our best to assist you with identification.

A registration fee of $12 per person (payable on the day of the event by cash or check to Vinton SWCD) includes a box lunch and program materials.  Registration is required on or before September 6.  To register email Dave Apsley at apsley.1@osu.edu, or by call Cheri Porter or Dave Runkle at the Vinton SWCD. 740-596-5676.

We plan to hold most of this program in the woods in small groups of approximately 10.   We will follow the COVID-19 protocols that are in place at the time.   Please bring a face covering to use when:

  • you are indoors and not fully vaccinated
  • it makes you comfortable

There is no actual address for the old nature center, but it is on Hocking Parkway, Nelsonville, OH 45764.  There is a parking lot for the old nature center on the north edge of campus (across the road from the RR bridge that crosses the Hocking River).  So I highly recommend using the GPS coordinates: 39.447848, -82.224709 or the map below (see red place marker).  We will place some A DAY in the WOODS yellow signs along Hocking Parkway and at the parking area

Click here for a map!

 

“A Day in the Woods” and the “2nd Friday Series” are sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Forest with support from Ohio State University Extension, ODNR-Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, USDA-Forest Service (Northern Research Station, State and Private Forestry and the Wayne NF), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Vinton-Hocking-Athens Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Central State University Extension, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College, the Ruffed Grouse Society, Ohio Forestry Association Foundation and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee. Since 2012, “A Day in the Woods” has offered nearly 80 programs with more than 100 presenters for nearly 4,000 woodland owners and enthusiasts just like you.

 

 

Introduction to Woodland Ownership – A DAY in the WOODS offered on August 13th at the Vinton Furnace State Forest

New to woodland ownership?  Feeling overwhelmed? This program, Introduction to Woodland Ownership,  is specifically designed for you.

Families, just like yours, own approximately 3/4 of the 8.1 million acres of woodlands in Ohio, yet they often do not know where to start or where to turn for advice and assistance when they need it.  Foresters, wildlife biologists, and other natural resource professionals from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Wild Turkey Federation and Ohio State University Extension will be on hand to answer your questions and discuss how they can help you to improve the health of your woodland.  We’ll cover the wide range of options available to you as a woodland owner and the many resources that are available to help you care for your woodlands.

What:  Introduction to Woodland Ownership, A DAY in the WOODS

Where: Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur

When: August 13, 9 AM to 3 PM

Registration:  $12 per person (payable on the day of the event by cash or check to Vinton SWCD) includes a box lunch.  Registration is required.  Please register on or before August 9 by emailing Dave Apsley at apsley.1@osu.edu, or by calling Cheri Porter or Dave Runkle at the Vinton SWCD. 740-596-5676

We plan to hold most of this program in the woods in small groups of approximately 10.   Again, we will follow the COVID-19 protocols that are in place at the time.   Please bring a face covering to use when:

  • you are indoors and not fully vaccinated
  • it makes you comfortable

The Vinton Furnace State Forest is located in a very remote portion of Vinton County.  Signs will be posted on the morning of the event along the route from both entrances. Directions – Experimental Forest

For more information contact Dave Apsley (apsley.1@osu.edu or 740-710-3009)

Registration is now open for “Assessing the Health of Your Woods” July 9 virtual program

Our July 9th program will be held virtually and will touch on a wide range of woodland health issues ranging from  insects and diseases (both native and non-native) to a lack of desirable regeneration in the understory.  The program will focus on  the benefits of and how to use the “HealthyWoods” phone app which was developed by University of Kentucky and University of Tennessee Extension in cooperation with Ohio State University and other extension programs in the eastern US https://healthywoodsapp.org/.   This new resources was developed to help you to quickly and easily identify common issues facing your woodland.

Our featured presenter will be Ellen Crocker, Ph.D. a  Forest Health Extension Specialist  from the University of Kentucky.  Ellen was instrumental in the development of this useful resource for woodland owners.

We highly recommend downloading HealthyWoods from your app. store prior to the program.  It is available in both Android and iOS.

This program will take place from 10AM to Noon on July 9.  Click here to register

 

Shrub Identification- A DAY in the WOODS to be held in person on June 11 at the Vinton Furnace State Forest

We are pleased to announce that our June 11A DAY in the WOODS – Shrub Identification program will take place as an in-person event at the Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur. This will be our first in-person A DAY in the WOODS program since the fall of 2019.  Please be patient with us!  Due to COVID-19 we will limit participation to 24 attendees and will follow current COVID-19 protocol as prescribed by our employers and the State of Ohio.

What:  Shrub Identification program

Where: Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur

When: June 11, 10 AM to 3 PM

Registration:  $12 per person (payable on the day of the event by cash or check to Vinton SWCD) includes a box lunch

RSVP, limited to the first 24 people who reserve a spot via email apsley.1@osu.edu, or by calling  740-596-5676.  Once we reach capacity, we will maintain a list in the order that requests are received if slots become available.

We plan to hold this entire program in the woods in small groups of approximately 10.  We currently have 6 instructors lined up to assist with this program.   Again, we will follow COVID-19 protocols that are in place at the time.   Please bring a face covering to use when:

  • you are not fully vaccinated
  • you in are in the training center to use restroom facilities or for any other reason
  • you are unable to social distance from people outside of your normal circles
  • it is necessitated by COVID-19 protocol changes
  • it makes you comfortable

The Vinton Furnace State Forest is located in a very remote portion of Vinton County.  Signs will be posted on the morning of the event along the route from both entrances. Directions – Experimental Forest

For more information contact Dave Apsley (apsley.1@osu.edu or 740-710-3009)