By Kurt Knebusch
A Nov. 6 workshop near Toledo aims to help landowners better understand and manage their natural resources, from trees to bees to ponds to wildlife.
The Northwest Ohio Landowners Conference: Natural Resources at Home, offered by the Ohio Woodland Stewards Program, is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Owens Community College, 30335 Oregon Road in Perrysburg.
The schedule features nine sessions by experts on forestry, insects, water and wildlife, including such timely topics as gypsy moths, algal blooms, and nuisance deer and geese.
The event’s keynote talk will look at the impact of this year’s weather - lots of rain early, dry conditions later - on trees, said co-organizer Kathy Smith. Smith is head of the stewards program, part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.
“The keynote is a reflection of all the questions we’ve gotten from landowners this year about trees and the effects of the weather on their health,” she said.
Amy Stone, an Ohio State University Extension educator in Lucas County, will give the keynote talk. Stone specializes in horticulture. OSU Extension is the college’s outreach arm.
Smith said two other workshop topics will be of special importance to people in northwest Ohio: the spread of gypsy moths in the region and managing harmful algal blooms in ponds.
Sessions also will cover woodland management planning, replacing invasive trees and shrubs, forestry tax laws and tax breaks, planting habitat for helpful pollinators like butterflies and bees, and managing conflicts with wildlife such as Canada geese and deer.
“The intent is to cover a lot of different topics so landowners can graze on what they have an interest in,” Smith said. “We’re hoping there will be something for everyone.”
The workshop’s schedule, topics and speakers are:
* 9 a.m.: “Tree-Scription: A Wellness Checkup for Trees” by Stone.
* 10 a.m.: Concurrent sessions on “Current Agricultural Use Valuation and Forest Tax Laws: Which Works for You?” by John Mueller, service forester with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry; and “Recognizing and Managing Harmful Algal Blooms in Ponds” by Eugene Braig, aquatic ecosystems program director in the college.
* 11 a.m.: Concurrent sessions on “Planning to Manage Your Woodland: How to Get Started” by Smith, who is also the college’s forestry program director; and “Managing Wildlife Conflict Around Your Home” by Marne Titchenell, wildlife program specialist in the college.
* 1 p.m.: Concurrent sessions on “The Caterpillar That Ate a Forest: Gypsy Moth Update” by Stone; and “Creating Habitat for Pollinators on Sites Large or Small” by Denise Ellsworth, director of the college’s Honey Bee and Native Pollinator Education Program.
* 2 p.m.: Concurrent sessions on “10 Ways to Attract Wildlife to Your Woods” by Titchenell; and “After the Invasive Species Have Been Removed, What’s Next?” by Smith.
Registration is $40 and includes lunch, snack and materials. The deadline to register is Nov. 6.
Source:purdue.edu