FNR Personnel Set to Educate Hoosier Hardwood Festival Visitors

Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources will be well represented at the Hoosier Hardwood Festival in Marion County, Indiana, this weekend. Several Purdue FNR faculty and staff members will be presenting educational sessions, while the Woods on Wheels exhibit and alumna Sara High will be on site to show Hoosiers the many possibilities of wood and forest management in the state.

Hoosier hardwood festival logo

The Woods on Wheels exhibit will be open during all festival hours.

Educational and other sessions that will be presented by FNR faculty and staff members are:

Friday, Aug. 26

1:30-1:45 p.m. & 3:30-3:45 p.m. Kid’s Entertainment – Wood Magic by Rado Gazo and Eva Haviarova

Location: Woods on Wheels stage

Aimed specifically at elementary school students, Wood Magic is an exciting and innovative program to educate students about the tremendous important of wood and wood products in everyday life. They participate in hands-on experiments such as making plywood and paper, and testing the strength of wood.

2:30-3:15 p.m. Prescribed Burns – Purdue Extension wildlife specialist Jarred Brooke

Location: Family Arts Building

Not all forest fires are bad. Did you know fire can be good for people and the land? After many years of fire exclusion, an ecosystem that needs periodic fire becomes unhealthy. Fires can reduce fuel building, provide forage for game, and improve ecosystems for threatened and endangered species.

4-4:45 p.m. Forest Improvement – Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee

Location: Woods on Wheels Stage

This session is designed to teach landowners about timber stand improvement. TSI increases timber value through: increasing the proportion of valuable timber tree species in a forest stand; increasing the proportion of trees that have good timber form, high quality, and defect-free wood volume; and reducing the time it takes for crop trees to grow to maturity by increasing growth rates.

Saturday, Aug. 27

10:30-10:45 p.m. & 2-2:15 p.m. Kid’s Entertainment – Tree Magic by Rado Gazo and Eva Haviarova

1-1:45 Forest Improvement – Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee

More information on the Hoosier Hardwood Festival is available the event website, including ticketing, a full schedule and exhibitor information.

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