From DNR Communications
The weekend workshop gives landowners a chance to learn about forestry, forest health, wildfire risks, and more
Want to learn about forest health from your family room? Creating habitat for critters while on your couch? Planting trees in your pajamas? Anyone can do so later this month – for free – through the annual Forest Owners’ Winter School hosted online by Washington State University Extension Forestry and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
The classes, which will run via Zoom from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on February 27, have something for all skill levels, from beginners to veterans, including how to grow your own mushrooms, preparing your trees for climate change, and protecting your property from wildfire.
Designed to let you attend multiple workshops all on the same day, the Winter School will help you address challenges on your property, restore healthy forest conditions, and achieve your goals. The event will feature experts from a variety of state and local natural resource agencies, and participants can choose up to five sessions from a total of 30 seminars, expert panels, and roundtable discussions.
After a year with very few opportunities for community and networking, there will also be opportunities to chat with fellow forest landowners, and exchange experiences, tips, and tricks in an online format. There will be both eastern and western Washington sessions. Registered attendees will be given access to recordings of all sessions.
Attendance is free, but pre-registration is required by 5 p.m. on February 26. To see a full list of workshop topics, register for the Winter School, or learn more, visit http://forestry.wsu.edu/webinars/onlinews/ or contact WSU Extension Forestry at (425) 357-6023.
Sessions Offered (provisional)
This is a draft list of the sessions you’ll be able to choose from. This list is subject to change and will be finalized closer to the date. More complete descriptions will be coming soon. Check our event page for updates.
- Forest health in Eastern Washington
- Forest health in Western Washington
- Forest soils.
- Growing shiitake mushrooms on logs
- Invasive forest weeds in Eastern Washington
- Invasive forest weeds in Western Washington
- Invasive forest insects
- Managing your forest in a changing climate
- Wildlife habitat
- Living with beavers
- Managing for big game
- Managing for songbirds
- Native pollinators in managed forest landscapes
- Silvopasture
- Native American uses of the land
- Nontimber forest products
- Managing red alder
- Hardwood management
- Forest practices regulations – top five things landowners should know
- Tree planting and care in Eastern Washington
- Tree planting and care in Western Washington
- Wildfire protection in Eastern Washington
- Wildfire protection in Western Washington
- Landowner assistance programs
- Working with consulting foresters (panel discussion)
- Current timber markets (panel discussion)
- Working with a land trust (panel discussion)
- Stories from the woods (landowner roundtable)
- Tips and tricks (landowner roundtable)
Recordings
Can’t attend live on February 27th? Register anyway! Registered participants will receive links to the recordings of the sessions. This will also allow you to see all the sessions you are interested in, even if they’re scheduled for the same time slot–watch one live and catch the recordings of the others later.
