MacGowan, Carlson to Speak at Ohio River Valley Workshop

Do you want to get the most out of your property when it comes to both forestry and wildlife? The Ohio River Valley Woodland and Wildlife Workshop can help you do just that by providing access to experts from Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio who will address your concerns about forestry and wildlife management issues.

Purdue Extension wildlife specialist Brian MacGowan and forester Don Carlson will be presenting at the March 26 event in Burlington, Kentucky. MacGowan will share about managing woodlands for forest songbirds, while Carlson is speaking about a practical approach to safety in your woods.

Managing Woodlands for Forest Songbirds - Brian MacGowan, Purdue UniversityWoodland open cup nesting birds nest

Forests provide habitat for birds year-round. Brian will discuss how woodland owners can enhance their property for birds by providing important habitat features and structural diversity. Oftentimes, forest and wildlife management are not only compatible, but are interrelated. Management recommendations were developed in part from the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment, a long-term, large-scale experimental study of forest management and its impacts on plants and animals.

A Practical Approach to Safety in Your Woods – Don Carlson, Purdue UniversityMan walking through green forestland

A critical, but often overlooked, aspect of managing woodlands is doing so in a safe and responsible way. Woodland owners use chainsaws, brush saws, chemicals and more but can lack practical experience and knowledge. Don will share many tips and methods for based on his many years of experience as a land manager.

Other sessions at the conference will cover trail planning, tree identification, monarch habitat design, woodland boundaries, pawpaws, invasive species, the Kentucky Maple Syrup Project, market and timber fluctuation and coyotes. 

The Ohio River Valley Woodland and Wildlife Workshop is a joint effort of the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio State School of Environment and Natural Resources, Purdue Extension and the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Registration is available online. Early bird registration is $45 per person through March 14. Standard registration is $55 from March 15 to 26. 

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