In These Woods: In These Woods Getting Started

Issue One: March 2021 sWelcome to In These Woods!

“In These Woods” is an educational series celebrating all things woodland. Between March and November, readers receive a monthly issue covering a wide range of topics. This is a great resource for woodland landowners (new and old), stewards, enthusiasts and anyone looking to learn more about forest systems.

You’ll also find many tools and insights for both the beginner and expert levels. Our 2020 readers will see new articles and resources to keep you moving forward. If you’re joining for the first time, welcome! There is something in here for everyone, just like the woods...

2021 Issues:

April - Understanding Forest Ecology

May - Woodland Enhancements

June - Wildlife & Recreation

July - Agroforestry

August - Timber Management

September - Invasive Species

October - Protecting Your Forest Assets

November - Bringing It all Together

In These Woods Woodland Stewardship Series is a collaboration among Cornell Cooperative Exten- sion of Columbia & Greene Counties, City DEP, USDA Forest Service, and the Watershed Agricultural Council’s Forestry Program

March 2021 Contents

2 About Us

6 A Forester’s View

9 Meeting Your Woods

10 Using Maps to Learn & Plan

16 Activity: Distance Pacing

17 Families in the Forest

18 Resource Collections

19 Woodland Owner Networks

1 About Us

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) is dedicated to working with communities to meet the needs we have and prepare for the bright future we see and share. CCE was first established in both Columbia and Greene counties in 1917. We joined togther in 2012 to better serve both communities. Today, CCE Columbia & Greene works with residents, governments and partners in pursuit of a simple, yet powerful mission:

Our Mission

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties puts knowledge to work in pursuit of economic vitality, ecological and agri- cultural sustainability, and social well-being. We bring local experience and research-based solutions together, helping individuals, families and communities in Columbia and Greene Counties thrive in our rapidly changing world.

You can learn more about the programs and services we provide on our website. You can also contact us directly to help overcome a challange, share stories and gather tools to help you achieve your goals. Below is the contact information for our two offices. We look forward to hearing from you.

Acra Hudson

Agroforestry Resource Center Extension Education Center 6055 Route 23 479 Route 66 Acra, New York 12405 Hudson, New York 12534 (518) 622-9820 (518) 828-3346

Email us at: [email protected]

Or visit our website: http://ccecolumbiagreene.org/

March 2021 Agroforestry Resource Center

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Agroforestry Resource Center (ARC) was established in 2003 to help sustain the vast, privately-held forest resources in the Hudson Valley, and surrounding region. It is home to the Agriculture and Natural Resources team who focus on regional education and outreach in all woodland and working landscape subject areas.

Agroforestry is defined as the combination of agriculture and forestry practices that create integrated, productive and sustainable land-use systems. These practices can include ginseng, mushrooms, maple and other high-value products.

Through a variety of programs and partnerships, CCE offers land stewards economically viable and ecologically sustainable practices to help preserve and manage woodlands. The ARC includes a diverse and talented group of natural resource educators, an interactive indoor space and a 142-acre model forest that supports an outdoor “laboratory” for demonstration, research and hands-on workshops.

To learn more about the Agroforestry Resource Center, visit: Agroforestry Resource Center

3 Siuslaw Model Forest

Siuslaw (Sy-use-luh) Model Forest is our 142-acre living classrom. It’s one of our greatest educational resources and sits right across the street from the Agroforestry Resource Center in Acra. Our Natural Re- sources team and its partners manage this diverse property for all to experience. It’s home to innovative demonstration sites, habitat, trails, and real-world examples of woodland stewardship principles and best management practices.

History

In 1956, Eric Rasmussen, a forester educated at the College of Forestry in Syracuse (now SUNY ESF), embarked on a career as the owner of Lange’s Grove Side Resort. For the next 50 years, Eric pursued his interest in forestry through the sustainable management of 150 acres of land owned by the resort. Eric named this property the Siuslaw Tree Farm. Siuslaw is a Native American word meaning “land of the far away river,” referring to the . The name was also a tribute to the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon, where Eric worked as a forester in the 1950’s. In 2006, Eric and his family generously donated the Siuslaw Tree Farm to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene County (CCE Greene) so that the forest would continue to be managed to provide research and educational opportunities in the future.

Eric working on a bog bridge, Fall 2020

March 2021 Siuslaw as a Model:

In 2007, Siuslaw was designated a NYC Department of Environmental Protection Model Forest. Siuslaw is one of four model forests in the region that all demonstrate the importance of sustainable land stewardship, forest health and water quality protection through education.

Today, Cornell Cooperative Extension hosts many public education programs in the forest and partners with researchers, ecological monitors, and other institutions and organizations like SUNY ESF and the Watershed Agricultural Council’s Forestry Program to bring these resources to the community.

The Siuslaw Model Forest is open to the public during our regular business hours (8:30-4:00 Mon-Fri). There are miles of trails for non-motorized recreation and many interpretive signs that educate around best management practices and activities you can bring home to your woods.

Demonstrations

Mushroom Laying Yard Best Management Practices (BMP)

See how we grow shiitake and oyster Walk the woods roads and learn about open mushrooms on sections of logs. The laying topped culverts, broad based dips, water bars yard is a great first step in planning a and other techniques for preventing erosion backyard or small commerical mushroom and protecting water. operation.

Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) Enhancements

See the different stages of growth and There are bird nesting boxes, pollinator practices employed to restore habitat or thin houses, American chestnut restoration dense stands of trees to encourage healthy planting, habitat thinnings and plenty of tree forest conditions. identification markers to keep you learning!

5 A Forester’s View Ron Frisbee

Ron acted as CCE Columbia & Greene’s Natural Resource Educator for almost a decade and soon embarks on a retirement adventure on his family farm in Delaware County. Ron contributed endless woodland knowledge and expereince as a career educator and beloved member of the forestry and natural resource communities.

The 2020 Forester’s View allowed me to pontificate on the content offered each month from a consultant forester’s perspective. As I am leaving CCE soon to expand my “boots- on-the-ground” presence on my family farm and in my clients’ woods, this month will be my last chance to influence public opinion.

For me, the lessons from 2020 include the words Resilience, Reciprocity, and Resistance. The words I hope will resonate in 2021 are Renewal, Rejuvenation and Retirement. The last one will be tempered by the fact that I am not stump jumping like I did 20 years ago!

Get out there, Act with your heart, and Learn from your mistakes:

My warm-weather ball cap displays the question, “Got Woods?” My assumption is that you are an eager participant in this letter series because you do have some woodlands (woods) OR there are woods perhaps, that you do not own that are important to you. As seekers, this learning experience will be jam- packed with resources and opportunities for further review and study. As the sage steward of our model demonstration forest at the Agroforestry Resource Center says, “Just do it!”

The learning will occur only while taking risks. Same concept applies in your woods! I advise you to come to know your woods from the many perspectives offered here. The journey you are starting is not a sight-seeing outing. Spend time observing or noticing the multitude of processes at work in your woods, then adapt and apply your learning. Learn from your mistakes….just minimize their impact by starting out at a smaller scale when possible. Listen carefully to the “experts”, but act with your heart, as we are mere stewards.

March 2021 “This land is your land, this land is my land…”

And so starts a song we all learned in grade school. Taken literally, our history of private land ownership in this country is well engrained in our individual and collective psyche. Taken more holistically, the land “belongs” to all of us. As woodland owners and as individuals who have relationships with some woods, somewhere, we all assume some level of responsibility for the stewardship of these resources. Often we segregate our woods into trees, wildlife, water and air resources, yet the sum is greater than the whole as synergy and symbiosis are at work to nourish all. My hope for you, as you move through this letter series, is that you will feel empowered to steward, brave enough to teach, and resilient to provide a legacy.

As a young buck forester, I wrote some awesome forest management plans that I’m sure would have met the needs of the trees, wildlife, and water resources. The goals of the woodland owner however, maybe not so much, as many of the recommendations never were implemented. Lack of contractors with markets for low value trees was, and still is, an impediment to good silviculture (tree growing) in my neck of the woods.. Loggers are the professionals who cut the trees, get the wood out to the road, and often can improve access and the health of your woods. They are synonymous with the builder in the construction trades. The forest- er performs like the architect to inventory the site, de- sign a plan with the owner, and supervise the successful completion of the project. Or you can do it yourself? DIY has been a blessing and a curse here on the farm… just ask my wife. A future discussion on SAFETY is in order.

7 A Forester’s View continued

Of prime importance as you move ahead with notions of active stewardship of your favorite woods, is a realistic assessment of T.I.M.E.

Time Things

Intention OR I

Money May

Energy Enjoy

Stewardship may be active or passive. T.I.M.E. will often dictate the ebb and flow of your interactions with the woods. Our woods are dynamic systems and the trees will grow. Our response to a call to action on climate change may give us a greater stature in the eyes of folks that have counted on us woodland owners to provide ecosystem services for free in the past. How to start?

Take a walk, observe. Read a lot and share your observations with loved ones. Try something, observe and repeat if you like what you see. Start out with a task that seems easy for you. We all have different learning styles! Measure success in your own terms and reward, reward, reward. “Me like cookie!” Ask for help. This letter series offers many additional resources for you to facilitate your success. Above all, be safe and have fun with it all.

Best trees last! Ron

March 2021 Meeting Your Woods

New York State has more woods than any other state in the Northeast. Of all the land in New York State, about 63% of it is wooded. That’s 18.9 million acres, nearly an acre for each and every New Yorker!

With this vast a resource, it’s amazing how many opportunities there are to enjoy and interact with woodlands. In These Woods offers tools and resources for everyone to use when engaging with learning and stewardship.

Woodland Owners:

Your path may be pretty straightforward. You own your woods and want to learn more about them. Maybe you’re interested in taking a more active role to care for or work with your woods.

As a new or long-time owner, one of the most important first steps is knowing where your woods are and what they hold. This will inform your process for developing goals and priorities. Engaging in this sort of thinking can help you find clarity in determining next steps so you can achieve those goals sustainably.

In many cases, a forester can help you understand and develop these goals. You can also learn from other landowners and various organizations. In These Woods will compile many of these resource for you to take and use. Stewards

You might be looking for opportunities to learn about stewardship or engage with the land that you care about. Now that you know how much of the state is forested, you know that the potential is there!

In These Woods covers many stewardship practices and opportunities. You can take these tools to your favorite woods and see what’s happening, what could happen or what might need to happen. You could consider reaching out to a family member that has woods. You can also contact your local land trust, parks or preserves that rely on volunteer support. Not owning a woodland does not mean that you can’t be a steward!

Woods-Lovers, one and all!

Hikers, hunters, naturalists and admirers from afar - there is always something to learn to enhance your knowledge and experience, whatever that may be. But you don’t have to own, work or activity visit woods to love them. Like so many natural systems, the woods are intertwined with our lives in countless ways. We’ll cover many of those in this series.

We hope all the readers of In These Woods find the resources helpful and empowering. Who knows? You might even discover an entirely new topic to explore or a hidden path less traveled by to follow. When in doubt, visit the woods and keep on learning.

9 Using Maps to Learn and Plan

Nothing can replace a good walk in the woods. It’s how we engage with natural landscapes first-hand. Over time, we make countless observations that often lead to deep connection and boots-on-the-ground decision making.

Maps can broaden that perspective and help us see what’s beyond your iew. These tools can shed light on a new property, reveal interesting things about woods we know well, and in some cases, offer information otherwise unavailable in the field.

Some of the information maps can provide include property boundaries, past practices, planting and harvesting sites, significant natural communities and rare habitat, financial program eligibility and even regulatory considerations like wetlands or hunting zones.

When used as a learning and planning tool, maps can deepen our connection and improve our understanding. And that can make all the difference.

Free Maps for Your Woods

Mapping tools are more widely available than ever. Many are free and user-friedly. There are advanced programs often used by professionals, but you don’t need to be pro to make a map.

In the following section, we’ll review a few maps to get you started. We’ll be highlighting mapping tools throughout the series, so if you don’t see the one you need, stay tuned.

Siuslaw Model Forest Trail Guide NYS DEC Forest Health Aerial Surveys, 2007. NYC DEP Watershed Boundary

March 2021 Native Lands Digital

An important starting point when exploring the woods is acknowledging the history and story behind a property. This tool is a very easy-to-use visual aide to help begin that learning process. The map allows you to see any location based on contemporary infrastructure markers alongside the approximate territories, treaties and languages of indigenous populations of the region. This map is made available by Native Lands Digital, a Canadian non-profit.

Follow this link to locate your woods: Native Lands Digital Map

CCE Columbia & Greene Land Acknolwedgement

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Agroforestry Resource Center is located on Indigenous Lands of the Mohicans. We recognize their sovereignty and long-standing presence on this land, which precedes the establishment of Cornell, New York State, and the United States of America. Cornell also benefited from the profits created from the dispossession of indigenous lands far beyond New York State (1862 Morrill Act), mostly belonging to the Anishinaabeg Ojibwe people. Today, the descendants of the Mohicans live primarily on the Stockbridge Mohican Reservation in Wisconsin. Our team is grateful for the opportunity to work on this land and work in support of their sovereignty as independent nations.

To lean more about land acknowledgments, visit: Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement

Native Lands Digital map of the Central and Catskill/Hudson Valley region of New York State, Western MA and CT as they are known today. The black icon marks Siuslaw Model Forest and the Agroforestry Resource Center.

11 NYS DEC Environmental Resource Mapper

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation hosts this free mapping tool that includes over 70 “layers”. Layers are digital representations of information. They often highlight specific areas of interest or features that you can add or take off your map to see the resources you want.

The Environmental Resource Mapper has specific locations for some features and generalized locations for others, such as endangered and threatened species. Here are some of the features you can explore:

• Tax parcel data, roads and municipalities (also available on county tax maps) • Freshwater wetlands regulated by the State of New York • Federally regulated wetlands from the National Wetlands Inventory. • Streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds; water quality classifications are also displayed. • Rare Animals and plants in New York, including those listed as Endangered or Threatened • Significant natural communities, such as rare or high-quality forests, wetlands, and other habitat.

Below is an example of the map in use. The light blue boundary line is the Siuslaw Model Forest tax par- cel. You can see the Sawmill Creek (blue) running through and the Bowery Creek along Rt. 23, a near-by significant natural community (pink), and a neighboring water body and wetland buffer (green).

To find and use this map, visit: NYS DEC Environmental Resource Mapper

March 2021 Google Earth - Aerial Images

Google maps is a familiar tool whether it’s on your phone or computer. Google Earth is a more interactive version that can really help with aerial imaging and even some planning. You can add polygons, flags and add a few layers.

In many cases, there are aerial photos dating back years. This can help understand past activities vs. current conditions, near-by changes to the landscape or any significant tree health issues like large-scale defoliation.

13 MyWoodlot

MyWoodlot is an interactive website for all those who own, steward, or enjoy woodlands. It is a great collection of resources often referenced throughout In These Woods. It is a project of the Watershed Agricultural Council’s (WAC) Forestry Program. WAC works with farm and forest landowners and professionals in the Watershed to protect water quality.

MyWoodlot also has a great mapping tool to learn about the watershed and its resources.

A unique feature is the WAC Forest Stewardship Projects layer. WAC’s Forestry Program has a Management Assistance Program (MAP) that provides financial assistance and technical support to landowners who wish to conduct certain stewardship activities on their forestland. This layer shows WAC’s current stewardship activity portfolio. Funding is only available to landowners in the NYC watershed region. Eligible stewardship projects include:

WAC Forester site visits To use this map, visit: Tree planting MyWoodlot Mapping Tool Riparian improvement (stream buffers) Invasive plant control To learn more about funding opportuni- Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) ties, visit: Wildlife improvement Management Assistance Program

March 2021 Web Soil Survey

Most people don’t associate soils with woods as naturally as we do with agriculture, gardens or yards. This is partly due to need. We don’t pursue woodland projects that require suitable soils as often as with conventional cultivation. There are many times, though, when it’s really helpful to know what’s going on beneath the leaf litter.

Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world.

Accessing soil data can be a useful tool if you’re re-establishing woodlands through planting. You can de- termine what soil conditions are present and compare those with the needs of certain tree species. Many agroforestry practices, especially forest farming, can be aided by soil data. In combination with other indicators (slope, aspect, species presence), soils can be a determining factor for understory crop success. There are plenty of other uses such as planning forest roads or timber harvests.

To check out the soils in your woodlands, visit: Web Soil Survey

1115 Activity: Distance Pacing

Pacing a distance with reasonable accuracy is useful for a variety of woodland management practices and is easy to master. A tape measure should be used when exact distances are required, but pacing is a great way to find boundaries and other features. Follow these steps to determine the length of your pace. This is a great activity after you’ve reviewed a map and want to see how that translates on the ground!

A. Starting with one foot, count a pace every C. Divide the sum of the total number of paces time that foot is put down. With a measuring by the number of times you paced the distance. tape or length of rope, mark off 100 feet in a This figure represents the average number of moderately dense forest stand. paces it took to walk the 100 feet.

B. Using a normal stride, pace the 100 feet D. The length of your pace will be each to 100 about 4 times, noting each time the number of feet divided by the average number of paces it paces it takes to cover the distance. took to travel the 100 feet (calculated in step 3). Example:

A person with an average pace of 5 feet wishes to find a boundary marker 138 yards away. Home many paces will it take to cover this distance? 1. First convert yards to feet: 138 yd. x 3 ft. = 414 feet 2. Then divide the distance (in feet) by the pace length: 414 ft. divided by 5 ft. = 83 paces (rounded to the nearest whole pace)

CCE Team Leader, Connor Young, paces out Siuslaw Model Forest: woods roads are great a milkweed field edge with his niece in tow. for practicing and measuring paces.

Goff, G., Lassoie, J., Layer, K. Timber Management for Small Woodlands, Information Bulletin 180, CCE, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

March 2021 Families in the Forest by Anna Harrod-McGrew

Everyone should spend time in the woods, no matter their age. In each letter series we will offer suggestions and activities on ways to enjoy the woods at all ages and stages of life. Our hope is that everyone will enjoy walks in the woods and learn a bit about their surroundings along the way.

Late winter is a magnificent time to learn all about birds, without even leaving the house! Below are instructions on how to create pinecone bird feeders with kids. This is a simple activity that all ages can enjoy.

PINE CONE BIRD FEEDERS

MATERIALS

• Pinecones – any kind will do! • Peanut Butter or Crisco • Birdseed • Plastic spoon/knife • String (or pipe cleaners) • Bowl

DIRECTIONS

1. Gather pinecones on a nature walk 2. Put bird seed in a bowl 3. Attach a pipe cleaner or piece of string to one end of the pinecone 4. Spread the peanut butter or Crisco all over the pinecone! 5. Roll your pinecone in the bird seed until it is completely covered 6. Hang your feeder outside 7. Watch the feeder and see how many different kinds of birds you can spot!

17 Resource Collections

MyWoodlot

As highlighted above, MyWoodlot offers a wide selection of resources on woodlands. There are activities and blogs from professionals and other landowners that highlight projects and ideas that you can actually implement. The activities broadly include beauty and scenery, privacy and trespassing, recreation, reduc- ing taxes, nature and wildlife, income, protecting water, pest, fire and storm damage, and leaving a legacy.

Create your MyWoodlot profile for free to save and organize activities and resources that match your goals. Follow the link below to begin exploring all these resources and keep up to date with new activities that are added weekly! Visit MyWoodlot

ForestConnect

A Cornell University resource to connect woodland users to the knowledge and resource needed to ensure sustainable production and ecological function on private woodlands. The site houses information for woodland stewards, educational resources and offers countless webinars on a wide variety of woodland topics. Visit ForestConnect

CCE Columbia & Greene

Visit our site to find resources and more information on upcoming events. Our Natural Resoures Team is also ready to support you in all your woodland stewardship goals. Please reach out if you’re looking for specific information, have questions about your woods, or need assistance in determing next steps.

Visit CCE Columbia & Greene

March 2021 Woodland Owner Networks

Women Owning Woods

We are a group of women landowners and natural resource professionals from the Catskills and the Hudson Valley region of New York. We’ve organized this group of professionals and landowners as a way to foster learning experiences and discussions about forest property. Details about gatherings will be sent out via email in our eNewsletter. To subscribe to that list you can email [email protected] to join. Follow us on Facebook to stay connected, share your stories, and learn from your peers.

Find WOW on Facebook

Master Forest Owner Volunteers

The Master Forest Owner (MFO) program provides private woodland owners of New York State with the information and encouragement necessary to manage their forest holdings wisely. Since its inception in 1991, MFOs of Cornell Cooperative Extension have helped over 1,000 landowners. The term “Master” Forest Owner implies education as in “School-Master”. Experienced and highly motivated volunteer MFOs are available statewide, ready to assist neighbor woodland owners with the information needed to start managing their woodlands, through free site visits to landowners properties. The training volunteers receive complements their experience as forest owners.

Learn more about the MFO Program

Catskill Forest Association

The Association was formed for the purpose of promoting knowledge and understanding of forest ecology and economics; to promote long-term forest management; to educate the public and enhance the economy of the Catskill region; to demonstrate economically feasible and environmentally sound forest practices: to serve as a source of information about forest management; to serve private landowner rights; and to identify and manage private forest lands dedicated to the demonstration and practices of high standards of forestry. Learn more about the CFA

New York Forest Owners Association (NYFOA)

The mission of the New York Forest Owners Association (NYFOA) is to promote sustainable forestry practices and stewardship on privately owned woodlands in New York State.

Learn more or join NYFOA

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