Hoosier Hardwood Festival to Feature FNR Faculty, Staff

Come learn from several FNR faculty and staff members and take in the Woods on Wheels exhibit at the Hoosier Hardwood Festival at the Boone County Fairgrounds, September 9-11.

The festival includes live demonstrations, educational sessions, children’s programming and more on Friday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Saturday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources will be well represented in the educational and children’s programming lineups throughout the weekend.

Dr. Songlin Fei and graduate research assistant Cameron Wingren kick off the action on Friday with an 11 a.m. session on digital forestry. Wood products laboratory technician Dan Bollock will be doing woodworking demonstrations with the Wabash Valley Woodworking Club throughout the weekend beginning at 11 a.m. Friday.

Also representing Purdue FNR on the educational programming stage will be forester Don Carlson, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee, Dr. Rado Gazo, Purdue Extension wildlife specialist Brian MacGowan, and Purdue Extension urban forester Ben McCallister.

Dr. Eva Haviarova and Purdue’s Student Chapter of Environmental Education (SCEE) will be presenting programming for families outside near the Woods on Wheels exhibit on Friday and Saturday.

The Woods on Wheels exhibit, which will be on display through the Hoosier Hardwood Festival, was made possible through a partnership between the Indiana Hardwood Lumberman’s Association, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources. The exhibit is led by FNR alumna Sarah High. More information about the exhibit and how to request a visit near you are available on the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s Woods on Wheels website.

Hoosier Hardwood Festival Schedule with FNR presenters

Friday, Sept. 9

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Woodworking Demos (inside exhibit buildings in the Kids Zone), Dan Bollock and the Wabash Valley Woodworking Club
  In addition to a display of the club members’ woodworking projects, this demo will feature a great wheel wood lathe. Children can turn the wheel, which will supply the power for the lathe and the club will make toys for them.

11 a.m.

• Digital Forestry, Songlin Fei
  This session will discuss digital forestry including the equipment used and will include a drone demonstration.

Noon

• Safe Chainsaw Operation, forester Don Carlson
• Forest Improvement, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee
  Learn some basic management activities to improve the health and growth of your woodland.
• Magical Wood, children’s programming by Eva Haviarova
  This interactive presentation will talk about the magical properties of wood, its critical contribution to our lives and as one of the essential materials for a sustainable future.

1 p.m. 

• Cutting Your Logs/Lumber, Rado Gazo
  Learn how to turn trees into usable lumber

2 p.m.

• Woodland Owner Panel, led by Duane McCoy and Lenny Farlee
  Bring your questions and find some answers with the Woodland Owner Panel discussion
• Growing Together, Purdue Student Chapter of Environmental Education
  Through this interactive activity, participants will learn how animals, insects, plants and trees "grow together" in the environment. They also will be able to craft their own tools to discover how different organisms are growing together in their own backyards.

3 p.m.

• Woodland Wildlife, Purdue Extension wildlife specialist Brian MacGowan
  Learn about the diversity of wildlife that call woodlands their home and management practices that can benefit them.  

Saturday, Sept. 10

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Woodworking Demos (inside exhibit buildings in the Kids Zone), Dan Bollock and the Wabash Valley Woodworking Club
  In addition to a display of the club members’ woodworking projects, this demo will feature a great wheel wood lathe. Children can turn the wheel, which will supply the power for the lathe and the club will make toys for them.

10 a.m.

• Digital Forestry, Songlin Fei
  This session will discuss digital forestry including the equipment used and will include a drone demonstration.
• Safe Chainsaw Operation (Outside), Don Carlson
• Growing Together, Purdue Student Chapter of Environmental Education
  Through this interactive activity, participants will learn how animals, insects, plants and trees "grow together" in the environment. They also will be able to craft their own tools to discover how different organisms are growing together in their own backyards.

11 a.m.

• Forest Improvement, Lenny Farlee
  Learn some basic management activities to improve the health and growth of your woodland.
• Magical Wood, Eva Haviarova
  This interactive presentation will talk about the magical properties of wood, its critical contribution to our lives and as one of the essential materials for a sustainable future.

1 p.m. 

• Cutting Your Logs/Lumber, Rado Gazo
  Learn how to turn trees into usable lumber
• Magical Wood, Eva Haviarova
  This interactive presentation will talk about the magical properties of wood, its critical contribution to our lives and as one of the essential materials for a sustainable future.

2 p.m.

• Urban Forestry, Purdue Extension urban forester Ben McCallister
  Learn about trees in the built environment and the people and practices used to care for them.
• Growing Together, Purdue Student Chapter of Environmental Education
  Through this interactive activity, participants will learn how animals, insects, plants and trees "grow together" in the environment. They also will be able to craft their own tools to discover how different organisms are growing together in their own backyards.

3 p.m.

• Intro to Indiana Trees, Lenny Farlee
  Learn the basics of tree identification, how to ID some Indiana trees, and ID resources you can add to your tree ID toolkit.

4 p.m.

• Woodland Owner Panel, led by Duane McCoy and Lenny Farlee
  Bring your questions and find some answers with the Woodland Owner Panel discussion.

Sunday, Sept. 11

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Woodworking Demos (inside exhibit buildings in the Kids Zone), Dan Bollock and the Wabash Valley Woodworking Club
  In addition to a display of the club members’ woodworking projects, this demo will feature a great wheel wood lathe. Children can turn the wheel, which will supply the power for the lathe and the club will make toys for them.