News

Many areas across the northeastern US are experiencing dry and drought conditions, Pennsylvania included. The soil is dry, and plants (and trees) are starting to suffer.

Registration is now open for the Fall session of "The Woods in Your Backyard" online course. Our self-paced, non-credit course runs 10 weeks from August 31st to November 9th, 2020. The course will help landowners convert lawn to natural areas and enhance stewardship of existing natural areas.

This summer the bureau celebrates a true milestone, our 125-year anniversary! Known as a ‘’quasquicentennial”, 125 years is a long existence for any organization.

With recent efforts to combat the threat of invasive plants in woodlands, Penn State Extension has released new resources to help with identification and control. A total of 14 invasive plant fact sheets are now up on the Penn State Extension web site. Art Gover, Penn State Wildland Weed Management Specialist, David Jackson, and Sarah Wurzbacher both Penn State Forest Resources Educators, and Sky Templeton, graduate of the Penn State Forest Biology program prepared the fact sheet.

Much research has sought to predict masting years when big acorn crops occur and shed light on what leads to poor years or early acorn abortion (or abscission) like you may have seen this season.

This year, the entire month of October is to celebrate Walk in Penn's Woods. Wear your blaze orange and get outside to experience all the the woods has to offer you.

Penn State Extension’s team of Forestry and Wildlife experts has launched a new e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, a curated list of the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team. Forest Leaves will share the title and a thumbnail of these articles with you each quarter.

Programs that pay small acreage forest landowners for carbon sequestration are coming down the pike. The state of Maine is developing a program to pay forestland owners for managing their forests to increase carbon sequestration. In the US Congress, many bipartisan bills have been introduced to address carbon sequestration.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Label Identifies Sustainable Packaging Millennials are changing the way we look at the world in many ways—including how we package the food and beverages we eat and drink every day. The EcoFocus Worldwide 2019 US Trends Survey shows millennials place a much higher value on sustainability than previous generations, and packaging is no exception.

August has been hot and dry. The last few days of the month brought some relief after eight weeks of zero rain. We recorded 1.8 inches of nice gentle rain over the past few days, allowing it to soak in rather than run off. Each spring, we pull 600 gallons of water from the stream and store it in totes on the hill above our house for emergencies such as this. We are using those to keep this spring’s tree plantings alive. So far, only two of 40 have died. One of those had been ripped out by a bear and was too far gone when we discovered the damage; the other never took off.

As for everyone, it’s been an interesting time at the Center for Private Forests at Penn State during COVID restrictions. Fortunately, we’ve been able to complete much of our work remotely and continue to engage at the intersection of people and forests.

A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere because of one’s own energy needs. The choices we make every day and how we decide to live affect our carbon footprint. When determining one’s carbon footprint, transportation, electricity, food, clothing, and many other everyday products need to be considered.

There are many myths and misperceptions about forests and forestry in Pennsylvania. Before we examine them, we need to define what a “forest” is. Simply put, a forest is an area of land characterized by extensive tree cover and other associated resources such as meadows, streams, and wildlife. We often use other names to describe forested land including woods, woodland, and woodlot. We also have “urban” or “community” forests located within our cities. Pennsylvania‘s very name means “Penn’s Woods,” “Penn” after Quaker William Penn’s father, and “Sylvania” meaning woodland.

A new law took effect in early 2020 that all of Pennsylvania’s landowners and everyone who spends time outdoors should know about.

A good, well-planned, designed, constructed, and maintained trail system through your woodlands can provide many positive benefits.

Whether you are someone new to the sport or are a lifelong hunter, you are probably familiar with the term “mentor.” This is because, here in Pennsylvania, before becoming a licensed junior or adult hunter, you have the opportunity to participate in the Mentored Hunting program.

A carbon neutral fuel is one that does not increase the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) cycling through the atmosphere. For example, burning wood is considered carbon neutral. When burned, it does not increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

As we close out 2020, we all have many personal and shared opinions and memories of this very different year. We hear much about how people are longing for companionship and family. Scanning your local paper or listening to the evening news, we read and hear much about the need for human contact and closeness.

The Center for Private Forests at Penn State is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Allyson Muth as the Center Director.

One of the things that is certain about this crazy year, we can all find things to be grateful for.

The 2020 Pennsylvania Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year award was given virtually during the PA Forestry Association’s (PFA) 134th Annual Symposium to Rebecca Trigger and her son Mark Foley for their tree farm, Keystone Woodland and Field, in Greene County in the far southwest corner of the state.

As many groups have, the Pennsylvania Forestry Association (PFA) has had to take our usual slate of events and programs into the virtual realm. And we’ve met with a strong measure of success.

Do you have woods in your backyard? Penn State research estimates that nearly half a million Pennsylvanians own a small patch of woodland—something fewer than 10 acres in size. In fact, the majority of Pennsylvania landowners have fewer than 10 acres. These small patches add up to about a million acres, or about 10 percent of our state’s privately-held woodlands.

Last September, Penn State Extension’s team of Forestry and Wildlife experts launched an e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, a curated list of the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team. Forest Leaves shares the title and a thumbnail of these articles with you each quarter.

Many people believe that after a forest is harvested the carbon sequestering capacity of that area is reduced. This is a narrow viewpoint and does not accurately depict how the forest carbon cycle works. When looking at the forest carbon cycle it is important to take a “broad” view. A broad view of the forest carbon cycle considers a larger geographical extent, a wider range of activities, and reflects a longer time scale.

Many years ago my wife and I started a family walk in the forest we owned with our four small children. In the course of the walk they asked many questions about the forest and we tried to answer the questions as best we could. When we completed the walk and went back to the house, we ended our family adventure by treating the children to pizza.

Well-educated and prepared timber harvesters are critical to the sustainable management of our forests. That is why logger training has been a foundational principle of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program since its start in 1995.

Seed banks are usually thought of as cryptic pools of buried seeds waiting for their “moment in the sun.” The scientific consensus on forest seed banks reveals a disappointing picture of an underground soil desert inhabited by weedy plant species that nobody cares about. This perspective is almost certainly false, and recent research reveals why we may have gotten it wrong … there’s far more to seed banks than we ever suspected.

The 2020 Walk in Penn’s Woods carried on despite the restrictions of a worldwide pandemic.

As we move into a new year, it’s a time of hope and transition: hope for a successful vaccination program and opportunity to communicate forest stewardship face-to-face again, sharing programs and resources for woodland owners and stakeholders, while remembering those we’ve lost to COVID-19 and other diseases; and transition into new strategies for programming and engagement to help landowners care well for their woods.

Wanda points to places they used to pasture pigs, plow potatoes, and pick apples. The former farm, tiny by today’s standards, fed five generations of her family before groceries eclipsed gardens. It’s where she’s lived all her life. Lately, she’s wrestling with how to stay put and care for a place so special to her.

Many years ago, back in the mid-1970s during the “oil embargo,” heating with wood became the rage. Although I did not track it, new stove manufacturers sprung up seemingly overnight, chainsaw sales and accidents (I expect) were epic, and cords of wood left the stump as fodder for stoves and fireplaces.

The forest products industry begins in the forest with foresters and loggers. Foresters help forest landowners implement practices that lead to healthy, well-managed, sustainable forests. It is the Loggers job to harvest the trees the foresters indicated should be cut. Loggers are an essential link in helping to enhance the health of our forests, improve wildlife habitat, and provide the industry with raw material.

An online, interactive course on the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) (use Edge or Chrome) is now available from the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station. The course is available for free to anyone through a simple registration process.

An eight-part, four-week webinar series offered by Penn State Extension will give green industry professionals the knowledge they need to provide natural area management services to small acreage clients.

A new three-session webinar series offered by Penn State Extension provides a roundup of current information and strategies to help natural resource managers understand, assess, and manage deer impact in forested systems.

Let us start by taking a closer look at Pennsylvania’s forest resource. Based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) program, 2019 data, Pennsylvania has more than 16.6 million acres of forest land and is 58% forested. From this data we also know that Pennsylvania has the largest hardwood forest volume of any state. The Commonwealth has historically provided about 10% of the nation’s supply of hardwood lumber and leads the U.S. in lumber exports.

Over the past year, as we have sought outdoor experiences, have our attitudes towards forests changed? For many, time in forests and woodlands provided solace and distance from others. These are seemingly disparate ideas seeking comfort in isolation when so many were pining for interactions with others. Regardless of individual intents, records and observations suggest the past year has drawn many to new outdoor experiences.

As reported last quarter, the Pennsylvania Forestry Association (PFA) held its Annual Symposium over five days of online lunches last fall. Over those days, the PFA awarded the Joseph Rothrock Award to Reneé Carey, the Sandy Cochran Award to Jean Devlin, the Mira Dock Award to Sally Zaino, PA Tree Farmers of the Year to Rebecca Trigger and Mark Foley, and PA Tree Farm Inspector of the Year to Rob Piper. While this was highlighted last issue, it’s worth repeating. Save the date of October 9, 2021 for what we hope will be an in-person Annual Symposium event.

I am John Hoover and my first article for Forest Leaves is to introduce myself as the 2021 Chair of the Pennsylvania Tree Farm Committee. One of my responsibilities is to submit articles about our future activities. I have been active in the PA Tree Farm system since joining over 20 years ago.

The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee (SIC) is comprised of many knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers who, in addition to their regular day-to-day duties, make the commitment to show up to meetings, support and guide the program, and contribute their valuable input.

Responsive Management, in partnership with the Hunters’ Leadership Forum of the NRA and the support of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, will conduct a free webinar series covering material from the new book, How to Talk About Hunting: Research-Based Communications Strategies.

The Advice from the Woods: Ask Our Experts event involves a panel of Forestry and Wildlife Extension Educators and Faculty tackling participant-submitted or commonly-asked questions and scenarios as a team. This is an opportunity to meet your whole team of experts at once, and for a given issue, hear discussion between multiple informed perspectives to help you gain a better handle on the many complex factors involved in addressing or solving an issue.

The Sustainable Timber Harvesting “virtual” Workshop, Wednesday, April 28, 8:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., is intended to give participants the knowledge and tools they need to assess—or work with a natural resources professional to assess—whether a proposed timber harvest meets sustainability guidelines. It is designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of sustainable forest management. This is an opportunity to have your questions answered by forestry professionals who have experience managing forest resources.

Basal bark herbicide applications are targeted treatments you can make in spring to effectively control numerous invasive shrub species.

Penn State Extension’s team of Forestry and Wildlife experts publishes an e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, containing the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team. Forest Leaves shares the title and a thumbnail of these articles with you each quarter.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has added eight counties to the spotted lanternfly quarantine list ahead of the spring hatch, bringing the total number of counties under quarantine to 34. Cambria, Cameron, Franklin, Lackawanna, Montour, Pike, Wayne, and Westmoreland are new to the quarantine for 2021.

As baby boomers enter their mid-50s to mid-70s, significant acreages of forestland will be changing ownership over the next 10 to 20 years, as they divest or pass assets on to their heirs or beneficiaries. The USDA Forest Service anticipates one-third of the forest landowner population will be making decisions about the future of their forestland in the next five years. With this anticipated surge in the transfer of ownership, timely legal, financial, communication, and conservation tools must be made more accessible and available to forest landowners as they plan the future of their land.

Excerpts from the PA DCNR Division of Forest Health's report based on its annual monitoring program for insects, pathogens, weather stress, and other forest health issues, including forecasted issues for the upcoming year.

Environmental injustice, or the unequal distribution of environmental resources and accessibility along race and class-based lines, is a historical and a contemporary issue.

Forest-products business professionals, students and workers interested in forest-related careers, and vendors of equipment and supplies will gather for commerce, education and networking at the 2021 Forest Products Equipment and Technology Exposition, Friday, June 4, and Saturday, June 5, at Penn State's Ag Progress Days site at Rock Springs.

After a challenging year that seemed more like four seasons of winter, spring is finally – yes, finally – in the air, and Pennsylvania’s forests are shaking off nature’s cold silence and bursting with life. It’s this fast-changing, born anew side of nature that makes spring a fascinating time to explore in the woods. And it’s the perfect time to gather your family, those in your “social pod,” or your camera and binoculars and take to the woods.

You may have heard or read that walking was the preferred exercise during the pandemic. Folks put on their walking shoes and took to the streets, parks, and trails for diverse reasons – fresh air, social distancing, scenery changes, and, of course, exercise.

Almost all North American bats rely on forests for survival. Individual forest landowners can play a large role in supporting these important animals, and a new publication co-authored by a Forest Service scientist offers guidance on how. Forest Management and Bats describes how active forest management can improve forest health and productivity while maintaining and enhancing bat habitat.

Property line maintenance is one of the most important aspects of land ownership. It is your responsibility as the landowner to know where the boundaries to your property are located. Most forest landowners have a general idea where their lines are and have accurately surveyed maps, but few have their lines clearly marked and painted on the ground.

The solstice has come and passed and summer is upon us once again. We faced a long, cold winter and an even longer year of challenge and uncertainty, but life is beginning to feel vibrant again. Our summertime forests are teeming with the buzz and soft flutters of pollinators, are rich with flowers that will soon turn to fruit and seeds, and are brimming with…ecological warfare?

It is well known how important vernal pools are to salamanders, frogs, and other aquatic invertebrates in forested settings. It is truly surprising how quickly recently-constructed shallow pools are inhabited by numerous small aquatic creatures and underwater insects such as water scorpions and water boatmen.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) recently announced the election of Ellen Shultzabarger, Pennsylvania State Forester and Director of the Bureau of Forestry, to the SFI Board of Directors.

There is a lot happening with the Pennsylvania Forestry Association in the coming months!

The Center for Private Forests at Penn State is excited to announce that the 5th Biennial Forest Landowners Conference is set for Friday-Saturday, March 24-25, 2023.

This may be a redundant message about a most fascinating book about wood, but since repetition is a form of education, I will proceed.

Penn State Extension’s team of Forestry and Wildlife experts publishes an e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, containing the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team. Forest Leaves shares the titles and thumbnails of these articles with you each quarter.

One of the hallmarks of the Center for Private Forests’ work involves conducting applied research at the intersection of people and forests. This research guides the creation of resources to assist woodland owners, informs partners in their outreach efforts, and determines where to focus future efforts toward attaining a healthy and productive forested landscape.

Across the state, Pennsylvanians of all ages are invited to get out and join a walk in the woods during the 5th annual Walk in Penn’s Woods on Sunday, October 3.

Timber harvesting is an important management tool. When conducted with care and planning, it allows owners to manage forests to meet multiple objectives.

Periodic gypsy moth outbreaks cause defoliation stress to many plant species. Landowners should know what to expect and what management options to consider when an outbreak occurs.

Over the past year or so have you discovered a new or stronger connection to forests and trees? Those who study outdoor recreation have documented nearly explosive growth in the number of people exploring and spending time in parks and forests. Whether you are an old hand, used to spending time in sylvan landscapes, or a new convert to outside activities, have you found yourself looking in new ways at forests and wondering: What type of tree is that?

Defoliation can adversely impact a tree’s health. When pest infestations are high, intense defoliation of trees already stressed by other factors can potentially lead to mortality. However, it isn’t just how much these insects eat or how often they dine, but also when during the growing season.

According to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, logging is the most dangerous occupation in the nation. Recently, Judd Michael, Nationwide Insurance Professor of Agricultural Safety and Health and professor of agricultural and biological engineering in the College of Agricultural Sciences conducted research to compare the dangers of logging and landscape services, as they both practice felling and tree removal. Written by Jeff Mulhollem.

Riparian buffers are important for so many reasons: protection for soils, streams, and the life that lives within them, filtration of pollutants, and recreation providers to name a few! Join Penn State Extension and the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council as they declare October Riparian Buffer Month. Written by Kristen Koch.

Pennsylvanians of all ages are invited to get out and explore a piece of our state’s 12 million acres of forestland during the 5th annual Walk in Penn’s Woods on Sunday, October 3. Whether you join in one of the many organized woods walks happening across the state or take to the woods for your own adventure, take time on October 3—or anytime the first weekend of the month—to discover all that Pennsylvania’s forests have to offer.

Jim Finley, Ph.D., Ibberson Chair and Professor Emeritus of Private Forest Management and Human Dimensions and Natural Resources, and Center for Private Forests co-founder and Council Chair, was a leader dedicated to working at the intersection of people and forests.

Penn State Extension’s team of Forestry and Wildlife experts publishes an e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, containing the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team.

Across the state of Pennsylvania, hundreds of people welcomed the changing leaves and cooling air by taking a Walk in Penn’s Woods on the first weekend in October!

Ten years ago this December, the provost of the Pennsylvania State University signed the Center for Private Forest at Penn State into being.

Ticks and Lyme disease are not a new subject for forestland owners and people who frequently venture out in Pennsylvania.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) recently announced the launch of a partnership to develop a new SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard for application in North America and potentially globally.

During my 40-year career as a forest ecologist and tree physiologist, I have seen climate change grow from a fringe idea to the dominant topic of environmental studies.

The Pennsylvania Forestry Association will hold its Annual Symposium virtually on November 2 and 4, 2021, 6–8 p.m

Fall hunting seasons have begun in Pennsylvania. Which means for hunters and non-hunters alike, if you’re out in the woods, you should be wearing a significant amount of blaze orange to keep yourself safe.

As demonstrated by decades of cheesy, yet heartwarmingly predictable movies, the holiday season is about the time spent with those we love.

"More than 80% percent of the white-tailed deer sampled in different parts of Iowa between December 2020 and January 2021 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2."

Over the past year, as we have sought outdoor experiences, have our attitudes towards forests changed? For many, time in forests and woodlands provided solace and distance from others. These are seemingly disparate ideas seeking comfort in isolation when so many were pining for interactions with others. Regardless of individual intents, records and observations suggest the past year has drawn many to new outdoor experiences.

Over the past few years, it seems as though insects went mainstream.

Nationwide the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has made several changes to planning and the Technical Service Provider (TSP) program recently.

The vast majority of Pennsylvaniaʼs forest landowners have small woodlots fewer than 10 acres in size. These small patches add up to about a million acres, or 10 percent of our stateʼs privately-held woodlands.

Penn State Extensionʼs team of Forestry and Wildlife experts publishes an e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, containing the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team. Forest Leaves shares the titles and thumbnails of these articles with you each quarter.

This article, which offers advice on how to find and select rural and agricultural properties for restoration, is the first of two articles in a series. The second article will offer suggestions for planning and carrying out restoration activities on a newly-purchased property. This advice is drawn from Paul’s experience finding and restoring eight rural agricultural properties totaling 1,126 acres over several decades.

The Center for Private Forests at Penn State is excited to announce that the 5th Biennial Forest Landowners Conference is set for Friday-Saturday, March 24-25, 2023.

Over the past several weeks, we at the Center have been overwhelmed by messages of support and sympathy for the loss of our founder Jim Finley. We also have heard many, many stories of the ways in which Jim, whether in the classroom or the woods, touched peopleʼs lives.

The Pennsylvania Forestry Association (PFA) conducted its Annual Symposium virtually November 2 and 4, 2021.

The Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) recently expanded to cover all of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and western Maryland.

Every day, the news highlights the impact of COVID-19 on people across our country and around the world. We wanted to do our best to get the voices of Pennsylvania loggers heard, understanding that though they are working in a naturally socially distanced industry, the pandemic’s impact has been far-reaching.

PA Forest Stewards have a great impact in their communities and beyond!

As someone who has called northern Pennsylvania home for most of her life, I have developed a somewhat ambivalent relationship with winter.

Ever wondered how a tree know to send out its first green leaves or flowers? How does a tree know that winter is likely over? Learn about how day length, the length of winter, and spring warmth play roles in bud break.

Penn State Extension’s team of Forestry and Wildlife experts publishes an e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, containing the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team. Forest Leaves shares the titles and thumbnails of these articles with you each quarter.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative's new forest certification standards focus on sustainable forest management and the procurement of wood products from sustainably managed sources, critical tools that support the long-term sustainability of forests and ensure the multitude of benefits that forests provide for future generations.

Update on his enrollment in the Family Forest Carbon Program from PA Tree Farm Committee Chair, John Hoover

Spring update from the Pennsylvania Forestry Association

At the core of the Center for Private Forests at Penn State's work is applied research: research for and with those who are looking for answers to pressing questions, challenges faced, and opportunities sought.

Ecology Graduate Student, Amy Wrobleski, is seeking to understand which mushrooms people like to hunt in Pennsylvania and surrounding regions, and how they learn about mushroom hunting. Read on to find out how you can help.

The Allegheny Society of American Foresters (ASAF) Hall of Fame Committee selected James C. Finley as their first official inductee into the newly-created ASAF Foresters Hall of Fame.

This article, which offers suggestions for planning and carrying out restoration activities on a newly-purchased rural or agricultural property, is the second of two articles in a series. The first article offered advice on how to find and select rural or agricultural properties for restoration.

LF is currently found in 45 counties in Pennsylvania, all of which are under a state-imposed quarantine.

In April of this year, Penn State renamed the Center for Private Forests in honor of its founder, Jim Finley. His foundational scholarship on which we built the Center recognized the personal, value-driven relationships that many private landowners have with the forests they own. He worked hard to help forestry and natural resource professionals recognize these relationships to better understand the needs of private forest landowners and help them achieve their stewardship goals. The renaming inspires the center’s staff, council, volunteers and stakeholders as we work to advance the work of our colleague, mentor and friend.

Consider options for turning invasive plant species into food - a means of control and tasty too!

This is a repository of the last four printed issues of Forest Leaves. Feel free to download, share, and print these pdf files!

Wildlife conservation and hunter safety and ethics are two fundamentals of modern recreational hunting. And one of the basics of hunter ethics and safety is that hunters should always know their target and beyond. This video discusses the final destination of the lead ammunition used in deer hunting – the "beyond." It examines how lead bullets fragment into tiny pieces when shot, and where they end up after that. The consequences to wildlife – especially birds of prey – are serious, and a non-lead solution is presented.

We have heard stories of the spread of the spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania, along the Northeast, and into the Midwest. We’ve even been told of these pests buzzing fans at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park! And we’re hearing reports of decline in some places where they invaded five or six years ago. No matter where you live in Pennsylvania, you will most likely encounter the spotted lanternfly at some point. As we enter the adult/egg laying phase of their life cycle, here are some resources to help you identify and manage these invaders.

Check out how Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is working to engage with young people to bring a new perspective to their work.

Did you know that Pennsylvania has a special day where everyone across the state is invited to take a walk through the woods to appreciate the beauty and importance of the commonwealth’s forests?

Save the date for the 5th Biennial Forest Landowners Conference Friday and Saturday, March 24 and 25, 2023 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, PA.

Penn State Extension’s team of Forestry and Wildlife experts publishes an e-newsletter, Woods and Wildlife News and Notes, containing the most recent information, events, demonstrations, partnerships, and activities coming from the team. Check out these new articles and videos.

PA Tree Farmers weigh certification vs. recognition; the battle against spongy moth continues.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative released a new publication summarizing the results of their Conservation Impact work over the past 10 years. "Conservation Impact: A Decade of Success" shows how the science behind well-managed forests and sustainable supply chains supports conservation goals.

The Pennsylvania Forestry Association’s 136th Annual Symposium, “Penn's Woods Carbon: Growing Green,” will be held Saturday, November 5, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Toftrees Resort in State College, PA.

Pennsylvania is a state known for its commercial mushroom production, especially in the Kennett Square region in the Southeast. However, there is a long and proud tradition of harvesting and ap-preciating wild mushrooms throughout the state.

For those interested in supporting the Finley Center financially, the Center has a well-established endowment and gratefully accepts financial contributions.

For 32 years, a key resource for education and messages around good forest stewardship has been Pennsylvania’s forest stewardship peer volunteer network, the Pennsylvania Forest Stewards volunteers.

The Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative is searching for healthy ash trees in Pennsylvania — do you have any?

With Sundays November 13, 20, and 27, 2022 open to hunting, we ask: beyond awareness of the upcoming hunting season, why should forest stewardship include caring about deer and the woods?

Early spring enthusiasm for ramps — also known as wild leeks — may be causing lower plant yields and threatening communities of the forest herb, according to Penn State researchers.

Penn State Extension’s popular The Woods in Your Backyard webinar series will meet 7-8:30 PM weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays starting January 11, 2023.

Dr. Allyson Muth, faculty, Michael Powell, staff, and Linda Finley, volunteer, in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management were honored for their contributions to the conservation of Pennsylvania’s natural resources at the Pennsylvania Forestry Association’s (PFA) Annual Symposium on November 5.

Late April into early May is a great time to plant trees and shrubs for many reasons. Check out this article for resources and thoughts on planning a spring tree planting.

The Federal Government has allocated additional funding for conservation practices on farms and forests including cover cropping, conservation tillage, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting and more. Farm and forest owners interested in applying for cost-share funding should contact their local NRCS office and apply for funding by March 20th, 2023 to be considered in the first round of funding. The full press release can be read at the external website linked above.

The three year Allegheny Plateau Habitat Restoration project will providing funding to establish habitat suitable to ruffed grouse and cerulean warblers. The partnership will work to establish this habitat on public and private ground in these PA counties: Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Venango, and Warren counties. The full press release can be read on the website linked above.

The annual spring Briefing reports on the status of Pennsylvania’s forest insect and disease issues as well as other important forest health updates and information and provides a core pesticide credit training session. Join us to review the status of Pennsylvania's forest insect and disease problems and important forest health updates and information. Briefing held on Mar. 14, 2023 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM ET More information and registration details can be found on the website linked above.

Earn SAF, ISA, SFI Continuing Education Units, and pesticide credits as we review the status of Pennsylvania's forest insect and disease problems and important forest health updates and information. Webinar held on Mar. 16, 2023 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM ET More information and registration details can be found on the website linked above.

Our February News Release highlighting our 2023 Forest Landowner's Conference