Forest Stewards Guild

Curious about LANDFIRE? Get familiar with this Public Reference Database
2021-09-30 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register today!
September 30, 2021
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
LANDFIRE delivers 20+ vegetation and fire datasets, and a state-and-transition model for every ecosystem in the United States. Have you ever wondered how others in the scientific community use these products?
Grab that third cup of coffee and join a LANDFIRE team member (on Zoom) for an informal, back and forth open office hours session. These 1-hr open office hours are designed to provide quick feedback, troubleshoot common LANDFIRE questions, familiarize users with the best (and worst) uses of LANDFIRE data and provide an opportunity for the LANDFIRE user community to get quick help with their LANDFIRE questions.

A path forward: understanding and restoring degraded hardwood stands (webinar)
2021-09-22 11:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Register today
September 22, 2021
11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET
Agenda to download
2 Category 1 Continuing Education Credits through the Society of American Foresters
This webinar will explore the complexities of forest degradation as result of poor forest management planning. We will gain a basic understanding of land-use history as it pertains to forest degradation and how misconceptions of forest ecology have led to poor land management practices. Then, we will learn how forest products markets (or lack thereof) can perpetuate the mismanagement of forest resources. Once we grasp these basic concepts, we will learn from applied research on conditions of degraded forests and what we can do to restore them.
Hosted by the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society and NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife

Alternative forest managment practices in southern New England: Yankee SAF
2021-09-21 08:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
To register ($15 for SAF members, $25 non members): email Christopher Riely: christopher AT sweetbirchconsulting.com
September 21, 2021
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: North Madison Block – South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
Maps on agenda for download
2.0 CT Forest Practitioner CEUs approved and 5.5 Category 1 SAF CFEs pending approval
A meeting of the Yankee Division, New England Society of American Foresters, co-hosted by South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (SCCRWA), The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), and University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension (UConn).

Loving the Land Through Working Forests Conference
2021-09-18 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | Thompsons’ Wood, Centerville, PA
Save the date!
September 18, 2021
Full conference information will be available and updated at the website linked above.
The Foundation for Sustainable Forests invites you to attend this 9th annual event (the 2020 event was cancelled).
A spotlight on Keynote Presenter Doug Tallamy’s presentation, “Nature’s Best Hope”:
Recent headlines about global insect declines, the impending extinction of one million species worldwide, and three billion fewer birds in North America are a bleak reality check about how ineffective our current landscape designs have been at sustaining the plants and animals that sustain us. Such losses are not an option if we wish to continue our current standard of living on Planet Earth. The good news is that none of this is inevitable. Tallamy will discuss simple steps that each of us can- and must- take to reverse declining biodiversity and will explain why we, ourselves, are nature’s best hope.

North Atlantic Prescribed Fire Science Workshop 2021
2021-09-14 08:00 - 2021-09-16 17:00 (America/New_York)
Register ($55 per person per day or $165 for the entire three-day workshop)
September 14 – 16
All day each day
Location: YMCA of the Pines in Medford Township, New Jersey
NAFSE is are hosting this workshop to reset, recharge, and reimagine the future of fire science co-production. The last year has posed unimaginable challenges to fire scientists, managers, and wildland firefighters. We are thrilled to have a plan to reconnect in person!
​Field trips to New Jersey Pine Barrens sites will stimulate discussion about regional prescribed fire science challenges and solutions. The workshop day will build a structure for region-wide prescribed fire science co-production and post-workshop coordination.
Join us for a three-day experience in a camp environment outdoors. Spend time in the field with fellow fire science stakeholders. Get your thoughts working in the amazing classroom of New Jersey’s prescribed fire landscape. Registration includes meals, refreshments, and on-site lodging (with payment arranged by August 27). We recommend registering for all three days of this workshop but full registration is not required. Travel cost assistance is available; please email NAFSEhelp@gmail.com for details.
​Agenda:

Registration closes Thursday, August 26 at 11:59 p.m. EDT

Day 0, Mon 9/13: Arrival, optional dinner (not provided) with other participants at a local restaurant

Day 1, Tues 9/14: NJ Pine Barrens field trip, including Silas Little Experimental Forest, Coyle Airfield, and other local spots of interest

Day 2, Wed 9/15: Workshop day, including facilitated discussion of prescribed fire science needs and solutions in the North Atlantic region

Day 3, Thurs 9/16: Field trip to “Small Timbers,” a fire-managed private forest on part of a cranberry farm

Forestry Field Day, Maine Woodland Owners
2021-09-12 08:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register today
September 12, 2021
8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Wicopy Woods Tree Farm – North Rd., Sebec, Maine
Directions and coordinates for download
Full event website
The Annual Forestry Field Day, co-hosted by Maine Woodland Owners and Maine Tree Farm, will be held at a Guild Model Forest! The Wicopy Woods property is that of the 2020 Outstanding Tree Farm of the Year winners, Jessica Leahy and Bob Seymour, in Sebec, Maine. The event will celebrate their achievements and host tours, education programs, and exhibits. Thank you to the Maine Forest Service for all of the support they have provided for this event.

Mesophytic Cove Forest Management in the Central Appalachians: Learning Exchange
2021-09-10 09:00 - 15:15 (America/Halifax)
Important changes have occured for this event as of mid-August. Please read details below.
Register today!
Credit: Samuel H Austin, USGS. Public domain.
September 10, 2021 (now one day only)
9:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. ET
Location: WVU Natural Resources Center
1397 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525
5 Cat 1 SAF Continuing Education Credits
If you previously booked lodging when this was planned as a two-day event, consider whether you still need your reservation.
Agenda for download
Background: The Central Appalachian ecoregion spans the Appalachian, Allegheny, and Blue Ridge mountain ranges in northwestern North Carolina to southern Pennsylvania. This ecoregion consists of many geologic variations, contains the largest drainage divide in the eastern US between the Atlantic Slope and Mississippi Valley rivers, and consists of FSC-identified Critical Biodiversity Areas. This region is characterized by several different forest types, as species composition varies with geology and/or elevation. One forest type of special interest is mesophytic coves. Mesophytic cove forests are highly diverse hardwood forests in the Appalachian region that occur on sheltered, low- to mid-elevation valleys and ravines. While mesophytic cove forests are not particularly rare, sites that exhibit later successional characteristics and still retain a dense canopy and high overstory and understory species diversity are quite rare. In the last two centuries over 95 percent of this forest type has been converted or degraded to some degree.
Event: Join us for one day of information exchange and outdoor learning as we delve into the ecology and silviculture of mesophytic coves, how to identify them, and opportunities for enhancement of these sites through responsible forest management. Responsible forest management techniques include identifying hydrologic impacts of operations, managing invasive plants, and emulating natural disturbance regimes in harvesting techniques.
Logistics
Please bring:

footwear that can get muddy,
insect repellent (optional)
Sunscreen (optional)

Lunch provided
Sites: One field site, listed in the agenda. The trail is less than 2 miles.
Covid considerations: Unfortunately, we are still amid a global pandemic. Fortunately, much of this event is being held outdoors. The recent climb in case counts has led to some fresh public health guidance. For this event, regardless of vaccination status:

Masks must be worn when we are in shared, enclosed spaces, including classrooms and vehicles.
Windows in classrooms and on vehicles must be cracked or fully opened to allow for the flow of fresh air.

We ask you to respect these safety measures for the benefit of yourself, your fellow participants, and our families, which include loved ones who may be immunocompromised or children who are too young to receive the vaccine.

Forestry, Birds and Recreation at the Hinesburg Town Forest
2021-09-01 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Registration not necessary. Just meet at the trailhead at 1o a.m. on Sept 19.
September 19, 2021
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
Meet at Hayden Hill Road East Trailhead, Hinesburg Town Forest, Hinesburg, VT
Join Fellowship of the Wheel, Audubon Vermont, and the Chittenden County Forester for a free, public walk and discussion of forest management, recreation, and forest bird conservation on the site of an upcoming forest management project at the Hinesburg Town Forest.
From warblers and thrushes to vireos and flycatchers, Vermont provides summer breeding habitat for some of the greatest diversity of neotropical migratory songbirds found anywhere in the lower 48 states. Many of these species are at risk due to loss of suitable habitat, forest fragmentation, introduced species, incompatible forest management, and climate change. Bird conservation in the 21st century requires a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach.
Over the past decade Audubon Vermont has been working closely with landowners, foresters, maple syrup producers, legislators, and others to raise awareness of the important role our state’s forests play in hemispheric bird conservation. At this event, Steve Hagenbuch, Audubon’s senior conservation biologist and forester, will help us assess current forest habitat conditions and consider opportunities for future management. Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County Forester, will also discuss forests, forest management, and how the management of the Hinesburg Town Forest will be done with both forest birds and recreation in mind.
More about the project

Celebrating the roots of Guild forestry - Guild birthday event in NC!
2021-08-19 09:30 - 2021-08-21 11:00 (America/Halifax) | SAHC Community Farm, 24 Mag Sluder Rd, Alexander, NC, 28701
Forest Stewards Guild’s 25th Anniversary National Guild Gathering
August 19 – 21, 2021!
Aug 19 at 9:00 a.m. to Aug 20 at 5:15 p.m.
Optional tour Aug 21 from 9:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
This event is full. Registration is closed.
Celebrating the roots of Guild forestry
Venue: Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Community Farm
Agenda for download. Helpful details below.
SAF Category 1 Continuing Education Credits:
Day 1: 4.5 credits
Day 2: 6 credits
Day 3: 2.5 credits
Food:

Thursday breakfast for those who stay on-site, lunch for everyone, dinner for everyone
Friday breakfast for those who stay on-site, lunch for everyone
Saturday breakfast for those who stay on-site
Snacks on all days (fruit, granola bars, cheap bulk food, coffee)

Field sites: Bald Mountain Preserve and Bent Creek Experimental Forest’s femelschlag silviculture system (don’t know what that is? Come join us to find out!).
Celebrate our 25th anniversary with us in our 26th year! Did you know one of the first “Guild Gatherings” happened at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina 25 years ago? A group of like-minded foresters banded together and talked about ways they wanted to see the forestry industry change…and the Forest Stewards Guild still shares these values today.
We will come full circle and host our 26th Anniversary National Guild Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina in August 2021! Join us for two exciting days to celebrate the roots of Guild forestry.
We will hear from natural resource professionals from across the Southeast about how ecological forestry has changed and shaped the landscape, get your boots on the ground and visit a handful of local forest sites, and revisit and remember our history while sitting around a bonfire. Come share the spark of Guild forest stewardship with us!
Lodging: camping will be available on site for $20 per tent, per night. Camping is limited to 25 tents. There are Air B&Bs nearby and the venue is 15 – 20 minutes from Asheville, NC, where there are plenty of lodging options. Just a few that seem to have good pricing are listed below (note: we do not have room blocks set up at these hotels and do not specifically recommend them. We just wanted to give you a few to narrow choices down):
Sleep Inn Asheville – Biltmore West
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson – Asheville West
Crowne Plaza Resort – Asheville
Event pricing:
Student and Presenter Rate: $100
Early-Bird Rates (by July 12, 2021)
Guild member, $100
Non member, $125
Normal Rate:
Guild member, $150
Non member, $175
Lodging: $20/tent/night
Morning tour of Cradle of Forestry on August 21 has been cancelled due to flooding. We are working on alternative programming now!

Guild Gathering in Lake States: Simultaneously Managing Forests for Timber, Birds, and the Future
2021-08-03 08:30 - 2021-08-04 15:30 (America/Chicago)
Register today! ($50, $25 for students)
August 3, 9:30 a.m. – August 4, 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Michigan Technological University’s Ford Center (Alberta, MI), with field tours throughout Houghton County
Continuing education credits:
Category 1 SAF:

day 1: 4.5 credits
day 2: 3.5 credits

Category 1 Wildlife Society: 6 credits total for full event.
Detailed agenda for download
Gathering Overview:
Day 1: Lecture style presentations at the Ford Center will be followed by an afternoon field tour including the surrounding Ford Forest. A cookout style dinner and a campfire/social hour will round out the evening. Overnight lodging will be available at the Ford Center or in Baraga.
Day 2: Field tours in Hancock and Atlantic Mine to visit a pair of parcels that are owned and managed by the Forest Stewards Guild will start and stop at the Ford Center for caravan or carpooling. Please be prepared to caravan in your own vehicle or carpool with other attendees. We do not anticipate any arduous hiking but please come prepared with appropriate clothes and footwear for short forest walks on uneven terrain. Long pants and footwear that can get muddy are recommended.
Food:
Your registration covers:

Day 1 Ford Center lunch (choose option in registration)
Day 1 snacks
Day 1 host-made dinner (pulled pork on buns and whole wheat pesto pasta)
Day 2 breakfast pastries and refreshments
Day 2 snacks
Day 2 boxed lunch in the field (veggie and meat options will be available)

Lodging:
Option 1: Baraga Lakeside Inn is about 12 miles from the Ford Center. We have 15 rooms blocked for the nights of August 2nd and 3rd at $80 each. The block expires on July 19. If you’d like to stay at the Inn, call (906) 353-7123 asap to reserve your room and ask for the Forest Stewards Guild room block to get the discounted rate. This lodging is not included in your registration.
Option 2: There are 10 beds available at the Ford Center’s Ash House for the night of August 3rd only. These are twin beds in semi-private rooms for $35 per bed. Linens included. You can choose this option in your registration for the event until the max availability is met.
We are excited to get people back together in an enjoyable and safe setting. We will be tracking COVID-19 trends and following all local and federal safety guidelines.

Passenger Pigeons: A force of forest disturbance
2021-07-29 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register today!
July 29, 2021
1:00 p.m. ET
Join the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers & Scientists to learn how this extinct species impacted forests in the U.S.
Presentations by Dr. Ian Thompson (Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) and Dr. Ben Novak (Lead Scientist, Revive & Restore) will introduce the cultural and ecological significance of passenger pigeons. We’ll consider what their disappearance means in terms of ecological disturbance processes and the implications for forest and fire management today.
From a TNC staffer: “After nearly 20 years in this field, I was disappointed to find out how little I have considered this bird as such an important influence on our historic, current, (and future?) vegetation.
Reviewing a ton of journal articles, I’m amazed how little attention is given to such significant disturbance factor, compared to fire, wind, bugs, and floods, etc.
Ben paints a heck of a picture of what it was like when these birds were around and fire managers and foresters will be able to picture how it related with fire and eastern hardwood forest structure and composition.”

Tools to Avoid Unwanted Forest Conversion in the Southeast (webinar)
2021-07-27 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Register today After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
July 27, 2021
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET
Agenda for download
Eligible for 1 Category 1 CFE from SAF.
This webinar aims to educate private forest landowners about the industry-wide threat of conversion in the Southeastern U.S. and will highlight several systems-level, long-term approaches that are being developed to conserve working forests in the Southeast. Additionally, the webinar will detail activities that family forestland owners can take to avoid unwanted conversion, including family succession and estate planning, Heirs’ property resolution, and available incentives programs and forest certification programs. All of these can help family landowners avoid forest conversion on their properties.
This webinar includes three 25-minute presentations with time for questions at the end.

Oak Resiliency Assessment Tool Workshop (hybrid online/in-person)
2021-07-27 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register today (no charge). In-person attendance max of 20 people. Online attendees will receive join information for the meeting closer to the event date.
July 27, 2021
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
Optional on-site field tour for in-person attendees only: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, 30 Peck Road, Wales, MA
This workshop is intended for professional foresters who are managing forested land.

The morning workshop is eligible for 3 SAF category 1 CFE credits.
The afternoon field tour is eligible for 2 SAF category 1 CFE credits.

Draft agenda for download
Join the Forest Stewards Guild, online or in-person, to learn how you can use a web-based Oak Resiliency Assessment Tool to assess the resiliency of oak on land you manage. During the workshop, you will learn why this tool can provide value to you and the landowners you work for, the resources the tool provides, and practice using the tool in a meaningful way to assess the resiliency of oak forests.
In-person attendees please bring:

your own water bottle,
your own lunch and snacks,
a computer.

For field tour:

footware that can get muddy,
insect repellent,
sunscreen, and
be prepared to caravan to the field site in your own vehicle.

We will follow all current local and federal Covid safety guidelines in place at the time of this event.

Foresters for the Birds, Pacific Northwest
2021-07-09 07:00 - 10:00 (America/Vancouver)
Register today, space is limited.
July 9, 2021
7:00 – 10:00 a.m. PT
10 minutes outside of downtown Forest Grove, Oregon
During this kick-off event we will visit a small, private forest lot in Washington County and think about silviculture with birds in mind. We will introduce Foresters for the Birds concepts in a breezy outdoor setting and discuss the implementation of program ideas at small and large scales. This invitation is open to foresters, forest landowners, and forest managers, so please feel free to share.
This program makes it easy to manage your forested land with bird habitat in mind, to keep common birds common through straightforward stewardship concepts and bird biology. The Pacific Northwest (PNW) program specifically focuses on common migratory songbirds of the PNW, west of the Cascades, that are associated with varying PNW forest habitats. We will be joined by ornithologist Gregor Yanega, who is coordinating the Guild’s Forestry for Birds in the PNW and Eric Jacobs, Stewardship Forester for the Oregon Department of Forestry, Forest Grove District.
We will be following required COVID rules for Washington County which is subject to change. You are welcome to wear a mask for your own safety and comfort at any time.
Agenda outline:
7:00 am – Arrival & Check-In (Coffee & Snacks)
7:15 am – Introductions
7:45 am – Tour
9:15 am – Break (Coffee & Snacks)
9:30 am – Discussion & Conclusion
10:00 am – End of Event
Special thanks to our partners in helping make this event and program possible: Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District and The Oregon Community Foundation. We hope you can join us!

Bat Responses to Silvicultural Treatments (webinar)
2021-06-29 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register (you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting)
June 29, 2021
1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Approval pending for 1, Category 1 CFE from SAF.
Agenda includes one 45-minute presentation with time for questions at the end.
Researchers have been studying bat responses to silvicultural treatments since the mid-1980s, but research on the effects of silviculture on bats has increased greatly over the past decade. This webinar will present a synthesis of this research which includes the effects of regeneration harvests, thinning, gap formation, plantation forestry, and prescribed fire on bats. Dr. Loeb will also present the results of a recent review which compares the effects of prescribed fire and wildfire on bats. The talk will conclude with a discussion of the major gaps in our knowledge and where our research efforts need to be concentrated in the future.

Strategic Wood Addition Training for Foresters/Professionals
2021-06-25 09:00 - 16:30 (America/Halifax)
Registration required; please contact forestry@northwoodscenter.org or call (802)723-6551 extension 302. Space is limited.
Friday, June 25, 2021
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: NorthWoods Stewardship Center (154 Leadership Dr, East Charleston VT). Field visits to follow; please be prepared to drive yourself to the sites in the afternoon (locations/directions will be provided)
Cost: Free (sponsored by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept, Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation, Trout Unlimited, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation)
SAF Continuing Education Credits: 6.0 Category 1 CFE
The NorthWoods Stewardship Center will be hosting a training for foresters and other land management professionals to learn about Strategic Wood Additions for in-stream habitat restoration. This event is hosted in partnership with Trout Unlimited, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, and Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Participants will gain a basic understanding of stream geomorphology, the strategic wood addition management concept, project planning considerations, and implementation techniques. Field visits in the afternoon will be used to demonstrate the practices discussed. Upon completing the training, participants will have a basic knowledge and resources for implementing wood addition projects with landowners/clients or in forests they manage.
Lead instructors are Jud Kratzer (VT FWD, author of the Vermont Strategic Wood Addition Handbook) and Staci Pomeroy (VT DEC) with other guest speakers.
Please bring your own bag lunch and be prepared for an afternoon in the field

Northern Hardwood Conference 2021 (virtual)
2021-06-15 08:00 - 2021-06-16 17:00 (America/New_York)
Save the date!
Conference title: Bridging Science and Management for the Future
June 15 – 16, 2021
Full conference details will be online as they are available
Northern hardwood forests occupy millions of acres in the eastern United States and Canada, representing one of the most economically important and ecologically diverse forests in eastern North America. Northern hardwood silviculture is diverse and complex as well and has been the focus of extensive research for over 80 years. Today, managers continue to seek innovative sustainable management solutions to address the expanding challenges facing this forest type, including serious threats such as invasive species, inadequate tree regeneration and shifts in composition, degraded timber quality, herbivory, climate change, nitrogen deposition, and forest fragmentation.
The 2021 Northern Hardwood Conference (NHC) will give researchers, academicians, and forest managers from across the range a forum to learn, share, and discuss cutting edge science and innovative management practices to sustain healthy and productive northern hardwood forests.
The Northern Hardwood Conference was initiated by a diverse group of professionals wishing to facilitate collaboration across the northern hardwood range. A major northern hardwood conference has not been held in the Lake States in over 30 years, and rarely has there been an opportunity for researchers and forest managers from across the range to compare notes. In addition, we hope to establish the Northern Hardwood Conference as a valuable forum to be held on a biennial basis throughout the eastern United States and Canada.

Fire Breaks: Fire Suppression, the "Light-Burning" Controversy, and the Return of Indigenous Flames (webinar)
2021-06-10 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Thursday, June 10, 2021
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Historian Char Miller’s talk “Fire Breaks” probes the varied forces advocating the suppression of wildfire in the United States, with a focus on California’s 250-year-long experience with this controversial effort to snuff out blazes, both wild and managed. Using primary sources dating back to the Spanish settler-colonial initiatives to tamp down the Indigenous Nations’ longstanding use of fire to manage their lands, Miller’s talk will also draw on subsequent and controversial efforts by California and the U.S. Forest Service to eradicate fire from the state’s public lands. This so-called “light burning” controversy erupted in the first decades of the twentieth century and has had profound implications for Indigenous communities for whom fire was, and remains, an essential tool. It has also had a clear impact on the diverse ecosystems that fire had helped nurture and for the land-management agencies at the state and federal level. The talk concludes with a discussion of the slow return of indigenous flames to forests, woodlands, and grasslands.
Once feared, fire has been embraced, even if only partially, as a vital force in contemporary forest management. Of late, a reckoning has compelled agencies and communities to acknowledge historic and contemporary harms pressed upon Indigenous peoples and to develop social policies that amplify Indigenous knowledge in a way that hitherto settler-colonial society has failed to do.
Char Miller is the W. M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis and History at Pomona College. He is author most recently of Hetch Hetchy: A History in Documents and America’s Great National Forests, Wildernesses, and Grasslands, as well as coeditor of Theodore Roosevelt: Naturalist in the Arena. Forthcoming in August 2021 is West Side Rising: How San Antonio’s 1921 Flood Devastated a City and Sparked a Latino Environmental Justice Movement, a portion of which is previewed in “Reclamation Project: Rediscovering W. W. Ashe and the Origins of Watershed Stewardship,” Forest History Today, Spring/Fall 2020.
Funding for this lecture is provided by the Forest History Society’s Lynn W. Day Endowment.

Non-Timber Forest Products Workshop in Sandy Mush, NC
2021-06-05 09:30 - 13:30 (America/Halifax)
Register
View the Sandy Mush Collaborative Forest Stewardship website
Saturday, June 5, 2021
9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET
Sandy Mush Community Center, 19 School Road Leicester, NC, 28748
Join us for a day of hands-on learning from local experts in non-timber forest product (NTFP) cultivation. We will learn about what NTFPs are, their general history, ecology, and economics and have conversations about the role we all play in their stewardship.
Safety and Covid-19: This event will follow all CDC recommendations. The indoor presentations will be held in the gymnasium where participants will be seated at appropriate distances and asked to wear masks. The hands-on small group sessions will be outdoors. Remember, we are all in this together to keep our communities safe!

Forestry for Maine Birds Workshop
2021-06-05 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Halifax)
photo credit L Suomi-Lecker/Somerset SWCD
To Register: call 474-8323 or email somersetswcd.outreach@gmail.com. (no charge, but pre-registration is required and space is limited)
9:00 a.m. – Noon ET
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Location: Robbin’s Hill Scenic Overlook, Solon, ME
Category 1 CFE credits are pending.
The Forestry for Maine Birds (FFMB) approach integrates bird conservation into forest management and planning. Participants in this outdoor workshop will learn how to:

Improve habitat for priority forest birds and a variety of other wildlife species
Take care of their woodlands
Work with other forest management goals
Enhance the value and enjoyment of Maine woodlands for many generations to come

Instructors: Andy Schultz, Outreach Forester with Maine Forest Service; Sally Stockwell, Director of Conservation at Maine Audubon; and Logan Johnson of Forest Stewards Guild.
Hosted by Somerset County SWCD in partnership with Old Canada Road, Maine Forest Service, Maine Audubon, Forest Stewards Guild, and Maine Woodland Owners – Upper Kennebec Valley Chapter.

Watching Out for the Little Ones: Conserving Southern Salamanders Within Working Forests
2021-06-02 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Halifax)
Register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
June 2, 2021
1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Agenda for download
Pre-approved for 1 SAF Category 1 CFE credit.
This webinar aims to educate landowners, loggers, foresters, and other natural resource professionals about the conservation value of endemic salamanders, threats to them, and opportunities to promote management practices that positively contribute to amphibian habitat in general (e.g. leaving scattered down woody debris -not piles, limiting large canopy gaps, and following state BMPs). Two endemic species that will be discussed are the patch-nosed and Cheoah bald salamander.
Our speakers include Dr. Todd Pierson of Kennesaw State University as well as Dr. Daniel Greene and Dr. Jessica Homyack of Weyerhaeuser Company. Stay tuned for more details! Our agenda includes two 25-minute presentations with time for questions at the end.

North American Forest Insect Work Conference
2021-05-26 08:00 - 2021-05-28 12:30 (America/New_York)
Register
May 26 at 8:00 a.m. – May 28 at 12:30 p.m. CT
Program is available online
Full event information is available at the conference website
Theme: “Shaping Forests: Action in a Changing World.”
The future of forest entomology will be shaped by cooperation and collaboration among researchers and educators from all professional and personal backgrounds. Therefore, it is our hope that this meeting will effect positive change in the field of forest entomology and beyond.

Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network virtual workshop
2021-05-18 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Tuesday, May 18 & Thursday, May 20
9:00 a.m. – noon ET
Agenda for download
Join us to discuss and learn about starting a burn program and lessons learned from established programs. Hosted by ​Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network.

Holt Research Forest Guild Gathering & Service Project
2021-05-15 08:00 - 16:00 (America/Halifax)
Register right away (Max 25 volunteers. Registration deadline is May 10, 2021 at 5 p.m. ET)
Saturday, May 15, 2021 (rain date is May 22, 2021)
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: 508 Old Stage Rd, Arrowsic, ME 04530
Summary:
Are you ready to get back into the woods with fellow Guild members? Join us for a field day in Midcoast Maine! The Maine Timber Research & Environmental Education Foundation (Maine TREE) needs help re-establishing the research grid at the Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic.
A harvest occurred at the Holt Research Forest last fall and winter under the direction of founding Guild member Barrie Brusila (see awesome video link). On this site, University of Maine researchers have continuously collected data since 1983. The harvest will provide many future research opportunities, and the research grid is essential to this work.
Now you can join the Forest Stewards Guild and Maine TREE for a combined service project and Guild Gathering. We’ll work in small teams (socially distanced, outdoors) to relocate point markers and re-establish lines across the study area. The day won’t be all about work, as we’ll be sure to have plenty of time for our favorite Guild Gathering activities, including a picnic lunch.
If you are interested in joining the service day, please email Northeast Region Coordinator Logan Johnson (logan@forestguild.org) for more information.
Agenda:
8 am – 8:30 am: A brief overview of the Holt Research Forest and Recent Timber Harvest
8:30 am – 9 am: Service Project Orientation
9 am – 1 pm: In the Field Re-establishing the Research Grid
1 pm – 2 pm: Picnic Lunch (bagged lunch provided)
2 pm – 2:30 pm: Introduction Circles
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Post Harvest Tour & Silviculture Discussion
3:30 pm – 4 pm: Final Remarks and Wrap Up
Logistics:
All Guild members, friends, and forestry students are welcome. Students who registered will be placed in groups with professional Guild members for the opportunity to learn and network.
Bagged lunch is provided. Please indicate preference when registering.
COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place following CDC guidelines. Participants who choose to arrive Friday evening may enjoy an evening of Guild camaraderie and then not have to drive early Saturday morning. On-site, no-cost lodging options (with COVID safety protocols) are available. Please indicate lodging needs when you register.
Please bring:

Your own water bottle,
snacks,
footware that can get muddy,
insect repellent,
camping gear (if camping)
sunscreen

The Long View: Sustaining Our Oak Forests - Crowdcast
2021-05-12 11:00 - 13:15 (America/Halifax)
Register
May 12, 2021
11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. ET
Hosted by the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society
Agenda:
11 – 11:05 AM: Welcome and Introduction – Charlie Faires, RGS
11:05 – 11:20 AM: Land-use History of Upland Oak Forests of the Central Hardwood Region, Landowner Perspectives on Oak Silviculture -Mason Danheim, North Carolina Forest Service
11:20 – 11:50 AM: The Birds and the Bees: Songbird and Pollinator Responses to Oak Regeneration in the Central Appalachian Mountains – Dr. D.J. McNeil, Cornell University
11:50 AM – NOON: BREAK
NOON – 12:30 PM: Ecology and Silviculture of Upland Oak Forests – Dr. Daniel Dey, United States Forest Service
12:30 – 12:50 PM: A Practical Strategy for Managing Oak Forests – Chris Will, Central Kentucky Forest Management
12:50 – 1:05 PM: Panel Discussion

Audubon Forester Training and Endorsement Program
2021-05-07 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Halifax)
Register
Four-Part Webinar Series
Fridays: May 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2021
8 AM – 9 AM ET
Attend all four webinars to receive 4 Cat 1 CFEs
Training flyer and full information to download
May 7 – Audubon’s Forester Training and Endorsement Program and Introduction to the Healthy Forests Initiative: Information and details about Audubon’s new program for foresters, including steps involved; forest birds experiencing population declines, causes of declines; opportunities to mitigate threats and stressors to breeding habitat.
May 14 – Forest Bird Habitat Management Planning and Assessments: Audubon’s approach to assessing habitat diversity for forest birds at landscape and stand levels; quick guide to assessing landscape forest cover and estimating age class diversity; applying forest habitat management while reducing threats to breeding birds.
May 21 – Forest Management for Birds: Applying traditional, hybrid and mixed systems silvicultural approaches to create desired habitat conditions for mature and young forest birds to meet their full breeding season needs;creating canopy gaps and patch cuts of varying sizes to benefit the most birds.
May 28 – Resources for Audubon Endorsed Foresters, Engaging Landowners, and Current Audubon Projects: Overview of resources available for foresters (guides and examples of a variety of forest management plans that include birds and habitat; engaging forest owners and general public in forestry for birds; current Audubon projects that reach and engage forest owners; upcoming programs and webinars.

Eastern Old Growth Forests
2021-05-04 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax)
Email to request access to the zoom link
Monday, May 3, 2021
7:00 PM ET
Eastern Old Growth Forests: What They Are, Why They’re Important, and Opportunities for Management (webinar)
Old growth forests are forested ecosystems which have developed somewhat independently for a long time, usually at least several centuries. In addition to being beautiful demonstrations of how forests naturally grow and develop, old growth forests are unique and valuable for our landscape. They are diverse and resilient, feature amazing habitat opportunities for wildlife, provide clean air and clean water and store more carbon than the relatively young forests that dominate Vermont’s landscape today. Vermont contains very little old growth forest, although ecologists have placed an ideal target of at 6.7% of Vermont’s landscape (9% of our forests) to be maintained as “old forest.”
Join the Jericho-Underhill Land Trust for a presentation by Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County Forester, on eastern old growth forests. Ethan will discuss what old growth forests are like (it may surprise you!), why they should be important to us, and what our role may be in helping develop new old growth on our landscape.
In addition to allowing forests to grow and develop into old growth on their own, new research has highlighted opportunities to manage forests actively to become more like old growth forests sooner than they would naturally. Combined with an ecological forestry approach, this presents an opportunity to manage forests while increasing biodiversity, resiliency and overall health. Ethan will also discuss opportunities for employing this approach across Vermont’s landscape.

Wildlife, Forestry, and Climate Change: An Oak Mini-series for Forest Landowners
2021-04-29 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax)
Register
Apr 27, 2021 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET: Wildlife (recording available soon)
Apr 29, 2021 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET: Forestry
May 4, 2021 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET: Climate Change
Each session approved for 1, category 1 CFE hour through the Society of American Foresters.
Event flyer for download
Join the Forest Stewards Guild and partners for a 3-part series on increasing oak resiliency in Southern New England forests. Sessions will be one hour with a 30-minute presentation followed by a Q&A. Each session will focus on a specific topic, including wildlife, forestry, and climate change, and feature natural resource professionals from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Come ready to ask questions! This series is designed to be interactive and to answer your questions.

Economics of US Forests as a Natural Climate Solution
2021-04-29 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Halifax)
Register
April 29, 2021
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET
A joint program between The Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, the University of Maine, the University of Idaho, and IUFRO.
Presenters will provide recent results from leading forest economic models that estimate the costs and potential of carbon sequestration in U.S. forests and provide U.S. scale estimates of forest-based mitigation potential and costs for various activities (afforestation, reforestation, forest management, rotation extensions), as well as at the regional, county and mill-shed scale for relevant activities.
A panel discussion will focus on how to move from ambition to reality on the landscape with experts on market design and implementation.

The Birders Dozen: Twelve birds who need our woods (webinar)
2021-04-27 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax)
Register
Tuesday, April 27
7:00pm – 8:00pm ET
From May into July, thousands of migratory songbirds, including the Hermit Thrush, our state bird, fill Vermont’s woods with enchanting melodies. Join Audubon Vermont and the Vermont Land Trust for an exploration of the Birders Dozen, twelve forest birds for which our woods serve as globally important habitat. You will learn how to identify their songs and habitat needs as well as ways you can improve their foraging and nesting habitat. Level: beginner.
