Forestry Outreach Programs
Master Woodland Steward Program
What will I learn?
Wisconsin's Master Woodland Steward Program is for woodland owners
and enthusiasts who are interested in learning
more about their woodlands and sustainable forest management practices.
The Master Woodland Steward Program combines classroom
instruction and outdoor experiences to teach participants the basics
of forest ecology, silvicultural techniques, managing for
aesthetics, recreation and wildlife habitat, business decision and
planning tools as well as sources for technical and financial
assistance. Whether your forestland provides profit or pleasure you
can gain valuable skills and knowledge that will help you become a
better steward of your woodlands.
Topics that are covered as a part of the program include...
Getting to know your woodlands
Tree Identification and Forest Measurements
One of the most basic ways that you can learn
about your land is to learn how to identify the trees in your woods
as well as to track the changes in growth and mortality over time.
These first two seminars will provide you with some of the basic
skills and tools that you will need to perform an inventory of your
woodlands and establish permanent re-measurement plots that can help
you understand your woodlands better.
Forest Management 101
Forest Ecology, Silviculture, and Crop Tree Management
Have you ever wondered why your neighbor's land can grow such
impressive trees and you have a hard time just getting yours to
survive? Forests are living systems with processes that you need to
consider when developing or implementing your management plan for
your property. These three seminars will help you understand the
concepts of forest ecology, the ability of a site to support a given
tree species, and how to manage forested landscapes (including how
different tree species grow, reproduce, and respond to change).
Financial planning for woodland owners
The vast majority of Wisconsin's forest landowners do not own
their lands for investment purposes or to receive income from the
sale of timber. However, they do invest substantial sums of money in
the purchase of forest lands, the planting and tending of trees,
shrubs and food plots; the development of trail systems; and the
equipment necessary to be able to carry out this work. The
management plan for your property should also include a strategy to
deal with the expenses and income related to your forest management
activities. This seminar will help you understand the laws that
apply to the expense and income related to your management
activities, as well as the programs that are available to help you
minimize those expenses and reduce your tax burden.
The Careful Timber Harvest
Harvesting timber is a difficult choice for many woodland owners.
Not because they do not want to harvest the trees from their land,
but rather because they want to make sure that the job gets done
right. Planning a timber harvest is not an easy or simple process.
There are many things to consider and you will need to weigh all the
pros and cons, not the least of which is how the planned harvest
will help you to reach your goals. This seminar will help you to
understand the steps in the process necessary to have a carefully
considered and well planned timber harvest.
Recreation, Aesthetics and Specialty
Forest Products
Forests provide us with many of the amenities which sustain life,
not the least of which are opportunities to rest and relax. Woodland
owners can manage their forests to provide for recreational
opportunities like hiking or hunting as their primary objective and
still manage their lands in a sustainable fashion by integrating the
conservation of timber, wildlife, soil, and water resources as
secondary objectives which are managed to enhance the recreation and
interpretive experience. This seminar will help you understand some
of the additional benefits that are derived from managing for
recreation, aesthetic and specialty forest products.
Wildlife Habitat Management
Good forest management is good wildlife management. This may seem
strange to some, but if you stop and think about it you will realize
that wildlife management is really habitat management. This seminar
will provide you with a deeper understanding and appreciation of
what “habitat” means, help you learn to identify what animals are
present on your land, and how you can mange your woodlands to
provide habitat for different wildlife species.
Chainsaw Safety
Personal safety in the woods is probably one of the most
important topics that we can cover. This seminar is designed to
teach you techniques to safely use a chainsaw and will focus on
introducing participants to open-face felling. Topics covered
include personal protective equipment, chainsaw safety features,
chainsaw reactive forces, bore cutting, pre-planning the felling,
and understanding hinge wood strength.
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