“Evaluating Your Woods” offered by A DAY in the WOODS at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on Friday, May 10th

Southeastern Ohio is blessed with an abundance of woodlands most of which (76%) is owned by family forest owners like you. Each woodland is unique for a variety of reasons including topography, soils and geology, land-use and management history and types of vegetation present. Family forest owners are also unique and have a wide variety of reasons for owning their woodlands from enjoying nature and wildlife to supplementing income from timber and non-timber forest products. However, one thing that many family forest owner have in common is their desire to improve the health and condition of their woodlands. For you to set realistic goals for your woodland and to make progress toward these goals, it is important to understand its current condition which can determine its future potential.

If you would like to learn more about evaluating your woodlands, please join us on May 10 for our first “A DAY in the WOODS” program of 2024 to: 

  • Understand the importance of inventorying and monitoring your woods
  • Learn basic inventory techniques that provide a benchmark for setting goals and monitoring progress in your woods
  • Receive a tree measuring stick and learn to use it to measure heights and diameters of your trees
  • Learn to assess the health and condition of your woods

This program will take place at the Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur and runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. A registration fee of $15 will cover the cost of lunch and program materials. To download a brochure with more details about this program and future programs visit: https://u.osu.edu/seohiowoods .

Please use one of the following methods to register by May 3th: Register and pay online at http://go.osu.edu/aditw; call OSU Extension Jackson County 740-286-5044  or email Annie Miller at miller11368@osu.edu .

“A Day in the Woods” and is 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, U.S. Forest Service, Vinton Soil and Water Conservation District, Central State University Extension, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, Ohio Forestry Association Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College,  Ruffed Grouse Society, Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative, Pheasants and Quail Forever, and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee.

“Forest Wildlife Habitat Relationships” offered by A DAY in the WOODS at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on Friday, October 13th.

Photo via Adobe Stock – Imagesbyelaine / Wirestock Creators

Many times, landowners think of managing their properties for either forest-specific or wildlife-specific reasons. In reality, managing for one of those reasons will manage both. ‘Forest Wildlife Habitat Relationships’ will help you understand how managing for the forest can benefit the wildlife or vice versa. This program will be offered Friday, October 13, 2023 at Vinton Furnace State Forest. It will give you the opportunity to:

  • Understand the elements of wildlife habitat found in our woodlands and natural areas in SE Ohio
  • Learn about many of the wildlife species (game and non-game) that inhabit southeast Ohio
  • Understand what you can do to enhance wildlife habitat on your property

 

This program will take place at the Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur on Friday October 13th from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. A registration fee of $15 will cover the cost of lunch and program materials.

Please use one of the following methods to register by October 9th:

For brochures and more information about this and upcoming programs visit: http://u.osu.edu/seohiowoods

“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, U.S. Forest Service, Vinton Soil and Water Conservation District, Central State University Extension, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, Ohio Forestry Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College,  Ruffed Grouse Society, Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative, Pheasants and Quail Forever, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee.

“Improving Your Woods” offered by A DAY in the WOODS at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on Friday, September 8th.

Like a garden, your woodland will provide more benefits if you invest some of your time and energy. “Improving Your Woods”, 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 September 8th at the Vinton Furnace State Experimental Forest near McArthur and will include the opportunity to tour numerous field sites demonstrating various woodland improvement practices.

  • Learn a variety of woodland management techniques that you can use to improve your woodland
  • Understand the alphabet soup of practices available to you including crop tree management (CTM), timber stand improvement (TSI), invasive species management, and understory removal
  • Practice selecting crop trees to meet your goals and determine which trees to remove to enhance their growth

This program will take place at the Vinton Furnace State Forest near McArthur on Friday September 8th from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.   A registration fee of $15 will cover the cost of lunch and program materials.

Please use one of the following methods to register by September 4th:

Directions – Experimental Forest

 

“Timber Harvesting-Things to Consider” program held at Zaleski State Forest on Friday, September 13

Timber harvest is a tool you can utilize to not only provide much needed income, but also to help you achieve a wide range of goals from improving forest health to enhancing wildlife habitat. However, without proper planning and implementation, harvests can have long-term negative consequences for your woodland and for your family’s ability to earn a sustainable income from your property in the future.

Timber Harvesting-Things to Consider, a program designed to help you make informed decisions about harvesting timber, will take place at the Zaleski – ODNR Complex on September 13.  If you are thinking about selling timber in the future, consider attending this workshop where you will have the opportunity to:

  • Learn how to make sure your timber harvest is compatible with your goal
  • Obtain information on how to market and sell your timber to ensure you receive a competitive price
  • Understand where to get help with planning and implementation of your timber harvest
  • Visit properly planned and implemented timber harvests at Zaleski State Forest
  • Learn about Call Before You Cut (1-877-424-8288 or http://callB4Ucut.com) and other available resources

The program starts at 9:00 AM and ends at 3:30 PM. A registration fee of $12 will cover the cost of lunch and program materials.  Please RSVP by calling OSU Extension Vinton County at 740-596-5212, or email Dave Apsley at apsley.1@osu.edu by September 9. The Zaleski ODNR Complex is located at 29371 Wheelabout Road, McArthur, Ohio 45651

Directions to Zaleski ODNR complex: ZaleskiDrivingMapRevised4-13-15PDF-26r6cke

Parking information and Aerial image of Zaleski- ODNR complex: Zaleski ODNR Complex Aerial (002)-1fe4042

For a brochure with registration information, click here: A DAY in THE WOODS 2019 Brochure Final Low Res-20zbq6d

“A Day in the Woods” and the “2nd Friday Series” programs run from May through November and are sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Forest with support from Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, Central State University Extension, USDA Forest Service, Vinton County Soil and Water Conservation District, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College, and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee.

 

“Family Day in the Woods” offered to kids of all ages at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on Saturday, September 14th

The public is invited to attend Family Day in the Woods, a free and family friendly event at Vinton Furnace State Forest on Saturday, September 14th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be activities tailored for kids (grades K-12) as well as adults to foster good environmental stewardship in the future. We will also specifically have some programming targeting high school youth (including FFA and 4-H) that focuses on career exploration in natural resources.

Fun, hands-on activities will include wagon rides through the woods, nature hikes, forest wildlife, pollinators and insects, forestry tools and science, tree identification, woodland soils, wildfire prevention with Smokey Bear, and a portable sawmill. All activities will be on a morning and afternoon rotation, so feel free come either half of the day, or stay for it all.

The Vinton Furnace State Forest is located in one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the United States and home to more than 50 years of ongoing research by scientists from the USDA Forest Service’s lab in Delaware, Ohio.

Please RSVP by September 10th to help us prepare, though day of drop-ins are also welcome. RSVP to Ohio State University Extension Vinton County by calling (740) 596-5212, or to Dave Apsley via email at apsley.1@osu.edu.

For a map with directions to help you find the forest, click here: Directions – Experimental Forest

For a brochure with registration information, click here: A DAY in THE WOODS 2019 Brochure Final Low Res-20zbq6d

“A Day in the Woods” and the “2nd Friday Series” programs run from May through November and are sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Forest with support from Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, Central State University Extension, USDA Forest Service, Vinton County Soil and Water Conservation District, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College, and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee.

“Hemlock Forests and Night Sounds” program offered at Camp Oty’Okwa near the Hocking Hills on Friday, August 9th

While hiking through the Hocking Hills, it might seem like you’ve stepped into an unfamiliar world. This is largely due to the role of hemlock trees in the ecosystem. Join us on August 9th, 2:00 PM – 9:30 PM as we travel into the hemlock forests. This program will consist of an afternoon session, where we immerse ourselves in the hemlocks to learn about a range of topics including geology of the Hocking Hills, wildlife and stream ecology, and what natural resource professionals are doing to combat hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect species. After dinner, we will become nocturnal creatures during an interactive presentation from Kevin Dodge from Garrett College in McHenry, Maryland. After learning and becoming familiar with the night sounds of Appalachian forests, we will take a short night hike to listen and learn.

This event will take place at Camp Oty’Okwa in South Bloomingville, OH near the Hocking Hills State Park. A $12 registration cost entitles participants to dinner and program materials. Spots are limited so be sure to RSVP quickly but no later than August 5th. Register by mailing a registration form, calling 740-596-5212 (OSU Extension Vinton County) or emailing Dave at apsley.1@osu.edu.

*IMPORTANT* The first half of this event will include a short hike with moderate elevation changes but low difficulty.

For a map with directions, click here: Directions to Camp Oty’Okwa.

For a brochure with registration information, click here: A DAY in THE WOODS 2019 Brochure Final Low Res-20zbq6d

Since 2012, “A Day in the Woods” has offered more than 60 programs with more than 100 presenters for woodland owners and enthusiasts just like you.

“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, and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee.

“Woodland Stewardship Opportunities” program offered at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on Friday, July 12th

Families, just like yours, own approximately 3/4 of the 8.1 million acres of woodlands in Ohio. Yet often folks do not know where to turn for advice and assistance when they need it. This program is specifically designed for you, the family woodland owner. It will cover a wide range of resources that are available to help you care for the woodlands on your property. There are many different reasons to manage your woodlands, and several of those options will be discussed at this program. 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, 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.

This program will take place on July 12 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM at the Vinton Furnace State Forest, near McArthur, OH.

For a map with directions to help you find the forest, click here: Directions – Experimental Forest

For a brochure with registration information, click here: A DAY in THE WOODS 2019 Brochure Final Low Res-20zbq6d

A $12 registration fee entitles participants to lunch and program materials.  To help us make preparations,  please RSVP no later than Monday, July 8 by mailing a registration form, calling 740-596-5212 (OSU Extension Vinton County) or emailing Dave at apsley.1@osu.edu.

Since 2012, “A Day in the Woods” has offered more than 60 programs with more than 100 presenters for woodland owners and enthusiasts just like you.

“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, and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee.