Forest Management

Twenty-five years of "Branching Out" - read how it all started. Plus, read our "Woodland Wildlife Spotlight" and "Invasives in Your Woodland," and take the Brain Tickler challenge. This and much more inside this issue.

August is a good time to assess the future of your woodlands, including the presence of invasive plants and insects, access to prevent or fight wildfires, and to learn more about them through our online courses.

Maryland is home to a diverse variety of native trees, plants and insects, as well as some unwelcome non-native interlopers. Listed are some of the most common questions we receive about both native and non-native species.

Read about some of the changes to the Woodland Stewardship Education program and News and Notes about stories you might have missed. Our regular features include the Woodland Wildlife Spotlight and Invasives in Your Woodland, and the Brain Tickler challenge. 

The News and Notes roundup for this issue features a look at the upcoming schedule for our Woodland & Wildlife Wednesday webinars, how you can get your green industry business listed with the Woodland Stewardship Education program's online directory, the growth of women leading state forestry agencies across the nation, and the benefits of bringing back fire to help restore eastern woodland habitats.

With the change of seasons this year comes a pair of changes to the University of Maryland Extension’s Woodland Stewardship Education program.

Chosen tree management, previously known as "crop tree management," is a proactive method for encouraging selected trees in your woodland.

This publication has a dual role of being a non­technical, fully illustrated guide for use by the pub­lic, while still being useful to experts in the field. It describes and illustrates the 100 most frequently grown or encountered potentially poisonous plants found in Maryland.

The Woodland Health Assessment consists of a checklist and a series of management actions. Property owners can use them to identify potential areas for management, based on their particular objectives.

As I am about to retire after 32 years as a University of Maryland extension forester, I want to take this opportunity to share some thoughts with you, the readers of Branching Out, and others who have benefited from the Woodland Stewardship Education program.