Woodland Steward Series Expands Statewide
According to 2008 USDA Forest Service data, 84% of the forests in North Carolina are privately owned. Of that total, over 11 million acres of our state's forests are owned and managed by families. These family forests have been called the "last frontier" in sustainable forest management as the decisions made by private landowners affect the entire landscape for generations to come.
Forests provide and protect fresh water, supply habitat for animals and fish, provide recreation and beauty, and offer vital economic products. In 1895 George Vanderbilt hired Carl Alwin Schenck, a forester from Bavaria, to manage his forests and protect the vital resources at the Biltmore Estate and what was later to become Pisgah National Forest. Dr. Schenck opened the first forestry school in America in 1898 and for 15 years he taught his students the concepts of sustainable forest management.
The legacy of Dr. Schenck lives on today. The Biltmore Forest School was officially re-opened in 2003 with the creation of the Woodland Steward Series. This series of workshops is designed to share with landowners the knowledge and resources necessary to enrich their experience as a woodland owner and manager. 2009 marks a historic turning point for the Woodland Steward Series in that it is expanding throughout the state and workshops will be held in each region.
Each workshop series will consist of four 1.5 day sessions led by natural resource and land management specialists, including both hands-on activities in the field and instruction in the classroom. Discovering Your Land: Basic Land Management Skills introduces participants to setting goals and objectives, understanding local wildlife, and basic skills such as map and compass use, tree identification, and soil sampling. Woodscaping Your Woodlands & Firewise Management gives an overview of managing forest land, insects and diseases, secondary forest products, and protecting your home and property by becoming "Firewise" in your backyard. Native Landscaping & Water Management focuses on designing with and planting native plants, urban forestry techniques,! stormwater best management practices, and other water features such as ponds and streams. Stewardship, Recreation, & Liability covers the basics of land ownership liability, planning trails, finalizing goals, and applying new knowledge and skills in the field.
The Piedmont series will be held in the spring, the mountains series in the summer, and the coastal series in the fall. For more information and registration materials, visit www.cradleofforestry.org or contact Amy Garascia, Program Coordinator, at amysworkshopinfo@aol.com or 828-884-5713 ex. 26.
The course is sponsored by: the Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association, North Carolina Division of Forest Resources, NC Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Forest Service Cradle of Forestry in America and additional partners in each region.
Forests provide and protect fresh water, supply habitat for animals and fish, provide recreation and beauty, and offer vital economic products. In 1895 George Vanderbilt hired Carl Alwin Schenck, a forester from Bavaria, to manage his forests and protect the vital resources at the Biltmore Estate and what was later to become Pisgah National Forest. Dr. Schenck opened the first forestry school in America in 1898 and for 15 years he taught his students the concepts of sustainable forest management.
The legacy of Dr. Schenck lives on today. The Biltmore Forest School was officially re-opened in 2003 with the creation of the Woodland Steward Series. This series of workshops is designed to share with landowners the knowledge and resources necessary to enrich their experience as a woodland owner and manager. 2009 marks a historic turning point for the Woodland Steward Series in that it is expanding throughout the state and workshops will be held in each region.
Each workshop series will consist of four 1.5 day sessions led by natural resource and land management specialists, including both hands-on activities in the field and instruction in the classroom. Discovering Your Land: Basic Land Management Skills introduces participants to setting goals and objectives, understanding local wildlife, and basic skills such as map and compass use, tree identification, and soil sampling. Woodscaping Your Woodlands & Firewise Management gives an overview of managing forest land, insects and diseases, secondary forest products, and protecting your home and property by becoming "Firewise" in your backyard. Native Landscaping & Water Management focuses on designing with and planting native plants, urban forestry techniques,! stormwater best management practices, and other water features such as ponds and streams. Stewardship, Recreation, & Liability covers the basics of land ownership liability, planning trails, finalizing goals, and applying new knowledge and skills in the field.
The Piedmont series will be held in the spring, the mountains series in the summer, and the coastal series in the fall. For more information and registration materials, visit www.cradleofforestry.org or contact Amy Garascia, Program Coordinator, at amysworkshopinfo@aol.com or 828-884-5713 ex. 26.
The course is sponsored by: the Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association, North Carolina Division of Forest Resources, NC Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Forest Service Cradle of Forestry in America and additional partners in each region.
