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Forestry for Birds

Rib Lake, Wis.

Forestry for Birds

Oct. 15, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

In this workshop, we focus on the biology, habitat requirements, and tools to implement forest management that enhances habitat for neotropical migratory birds. By focusing on a handful of important species, we’ll walk through their identification, habitat needs, and ideal silvicultural prescriptions. Through a combination of presentations, case studies, and field tours, we will cover: basic biology of neotropical birds; forest habitat considerations; early- and mid-successional forest habitat management; and adapting silvicultural prescriptions to benefit specific bird species.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Registration Closed.

Cancellation Policy

Requests received prior to the registration deadline will be granted a full refund. No refunds will be granted to requests received after the registration deadline. To receive a refund, a request must be made to the Wisconsin Forestry Center.

Target Audience

This workshop is designed for professional foresters and natural resource professionals. This workshop counts toward the Forest Management for Wildlife Certificate.

Continuing Education Credit

The workshop counts towards the Forest Management for Wildlife Certificate program and has been approved for the following:

We are also seeking pre-approval for the following:

 

               

This workshop is designed for natural resource professionals. However, it is open to all interested participants. It counts toward the Forest Management for Wildlife Certificate.

WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS

Mike Demchik

Professor of Silviculture, UW-Stevens Point

Michael Demchik is a professor of forestry at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He teaches a wide range of courses at UWSP and is involved in research that addresses using silviculture to reach landowner goals. He is particularly obsessed with developing methods to teach students to mark timber better, faster, and with more confidence in their decisions. He has had several jobs across federal, state, and private natural resource management in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Pat Weber

Wildlife Habitat Specialist, American Bird Conservancy

Pat Weber is a wildlife habitat specialist with the American Bird Conservancy where his primary responsibilities are working with private landowners and public land managers to create breeding habitat for neotropical migratory songbirds in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Pat earned an M.S. in environmental science and policy from UW-Green Bay where his thesis assessed increasing upland bird habitat by substituting annual row crops with perennial hybrid hazel shrublands in northeastern Wisconsin.​

Eric L. Margenau, Ph.D.

Associate Wildlife Biologist, American Bird Conservancy

Eric Margenau is a Wildlife Habitat Specialist with the American Bird Conservancy where his primary responsibilities are working with private landowners and public land managers to create breeding habitat for neotropical migratory songbirds in Wisconsin. He earned his Ph.D. in Natural Resources Science from West Virginia University, where he studied songbird and upland gamebird response to variable retention harvesting in association with linear energy infrastructure (oil and gas pipelines).

Emilia Skogen

Minnesota Public Lands Conservation Forester, American Bird Conservancy

Emilia Skogen is a Minnesota Public Lands Conservation Forester at the American Bird Conservancy. She created an online tool that Wisconsin land managers can use to assess habitat management needs based on bird species present or desired on a site. She has worked across the US, gaining fieldwork experience in forest and vegetation surveys, bird surveying, netting, banding, territory mapping, nest-searching, and radiotelemetry tracking.

WORKSHOP PARTNERS