Workshop: Woodlot Management

Introduction to Woodlot Management

Saturday, September 24, 2011

9am-3pm

Glen Orchard Public School

If you are planning to harvest trees from your woodlot, have an interest in what information is available on woodlot management, are wondering how you might manage your woodlot for wildlife values, or would like to learn more about the design and maintenance of trails through your woodlot, then this is the workshop for you!

Participants will learn about basic principles of forest management, how to assess trees for defects, what wildlife values exist in woodlots, as well as some basic principles of trail design and maintenance.

The morning session will consist of several short lectures followed by an afternoon field trip with real examples and hands on learning.

This workshop is limited to 35 participants. Pre-registration is required. For information and registration please contact Meghan Powell at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Bracebridge Office. Tel: 705-646-5500 or email, meghan.powell@ontario.ca

Top photo by John McQuarrie.

2nd and 3rd photos by Greg Francis

Nature Quest: Summer Stewardship workshops

Hope to see you at these workshops this July!

click on each photo for a larger version

Co-existing with Wildlife

A couple of weeks ago I attended a Stewardship Series workshop called "Wildlife in Your Woodlot- Challenges of Co-existing". It was hosted by the Stewardship Councils in Haliburton Highlands, Parry Sound-Muskoka, and Bancroft Area.

The workshop provided some great insights into understanding the habits of wolves, bears, and deer. Experts at the workshops told us that by better understanding their habits, we can avoid conflict and live in a way that is healthier for us all.

Black Bears:

• 50% of human-bear conflicts are due to improperly stored garbage
• 10% of human-bear conflicts are due to bird feeders

That means you can eliminate 60% of what attracts bears simply by storing your garbage properly and only having bird feeders out from November through March (when the bears are hibernating).

If you take away the food, you take away the bears.

Read more "Bear Wise" tips here and here

Wolves & Coyotes

There are 3 different types of wild canids in Ontario:

• Grey wolf (canis lupus)- typically of northern Ontario
• Eastern wolf (canis lycaon)- from Timmins south to Algonquin Park
• Eastern coyoye (canis latrans)- southern, central, and eastern Ontario

Having wolves and coyotes in our area is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.

Wolves and coyotes tend to ignore the areas where people live. You are more liekly to hear one than see one. Both wolves and coyotes howl at night to boradcast occupancy of their territory and keep each other informed of each other's locations while hunting or traveling alone.

Wolves and coyotes very rarely attack humans. Here are some things you can do to prevent problems:

• Do not approach or feed wolves or coyotes. Feeding them makes them less fearful of humans and habituates them to food provided by humans.
• Properly store and maintain garbage containters. Food attracts rodents and rodents attract coyotes.
• Never attempt to "tame" a coyote or wolf.

Read more about wolves and coyotes here and here

Deer

Deer- and all animals for that matter- are all looking for the same things: food, shelter, water, and space. Their behaviours are motivated by these factors alone.

While summer is a time of plenty for deer in Muskoka (as any gardener here can tell you!), winter is hard for them. The browse is of low quality and they must contend with the cold weather and deep snow. To help them cope, deer store fat reserves for about 3 moths. They also tend to stay in conifer covered areas in winter where the snow is not as deep and the air is (a tiny bit) warmer.

Some Muskokans enjoy feeding deer but this can cause problems like dependance (if you go away and they no longer have that food source) and life threatning digestive diseases. The corn is also low in nutritional value and generally not good for them. Feeding deer also generally brings them closer to roadways.

A good brochure about co-existing with deer can be dowloaded here

Another good resource:

The living by water project

Stewardship Series: Upcoming Workshops

As a landowner, you play a special role in maintaining the health of our province’s ecosystems. Land Stewardship is taking responsibility for our actions on our lands and waters; actions which directly influence land values for ourselves, our children and future generations. Our continued enjoyment of these values will require a better understanding of the natural systems on the land which supports them.

The Stewardship Series are workshops designed for anyone planning and conducting work projects on private lands. Participants will gain the knowledge and skills required to practice good land conservation through on the land investigations, resource sharing and networking with land stewardship experts.

Topics & Dates:

Management Options for your Woodlot: Friday, September 10, 2010

Wildlife in your Woodlot- Challenges of Co-existing: Friday, October 15, 2010
Maple Syrup- Operations & Opportunities: Friday, February 25, 2011

• Workshops run from 9am-3pm
• Cost: $25/person/day: includes lunch
• rain or shine

See the brochure for more information.

Managing Your Woodlot for Wildlife

This week at the Nature Quest Stewardship Series workshop Jan McDonnell, biologist at the Ministry of Natural Resources, spoke to the group about considering wildlife when managing your woodlot. Whether you have several acres or a few trees in your yard, there are some things to think about so that we keep habitat and food for mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects. Mike Walsh then guided us on a walk at the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre where we got to see some examples of what we talked about with Jan. It was a fantastic afternoon!

Mast Trees

Oak, beech, cherry, basswood, hickory, butternut and walnut trees all produce fruit that animals feed on. Acorns are some of the highest in nutritional value and are eaten by many animals. Trees that produce fruit also tend to be genetically superior so it's good to keep them on your property to provide the seed for new trees. In Muskoka, black bears eat beech nuts to gain weight for winter. Bears will climb beech trees to eat the nuts. It's easy to tell if a bear has been climbing a beech tree because the bear leaves claw marks on the smooth bark like in the picture below. Bears won't climb just any beech tree though- they actually don't feel safe up there. Somehow they know which have the best nuts and go for those ones.

Snags

Snags are dead trees that are still standing. They provide nesting, food, hunting and resting places for many wildlife species. They are often full of cavities (see last week's post) created by pileated woodpeckers. While these woodpeckers create and use these cavities, they leave after using it once to create another. Other animals like wood ducks, chickadees, tree swallows, and owls then use the cavities. Often snags have other holes from where the canopy of the tree has fallen to the forest floor.

Downed Woody Debris

Speaking of the forest floor, the area surrounding snags often has fallen branches. This material is called downed woody debris and it also has considerations for habitat and overall forest health. When this wood rots, it provides nutrients that help replenish the soils of the forest and help regeneration. Resist the urge to "tidy up" the forest by removing this valuable part of the ecosystem. Wildlife also keys in on these fallen logs. Winter wrens, mice, chipmunks and other small mammals find little nooks to hide in. The invertebrate life on a fallen log is truly amazing- centipedes, mites, and ants scurrying about, beetle larvae gradually chomping the tough wood and microscopic organisms taking the wood down to its basic components. Fungi and mosses thrive here too! Not only is this valuable habitat, it is a food source for larger animals.

Woodland/Vernal Pools

Woodland pools (also known as vernal pools) are seasonally wet areas in the forest. They are usually low-lying and shaded under the canopy. Some stay wet year round and others dry up around mid-summer. They are often filled by the spring run-off. Woodland pools are fragile ecosystems that provide breeding ground for many amphibians as they begin their lives. Since they are void of fish, they are safe places for these species. For example, in Muskoka, the spring peepers we hear as one of the first signs of spring beginning their lives in woodland pools. Want to learn more? Go to the Ontario Vernal Pool Association.

As landowners, it is our job to works towards a better understanding of the different species that use our property. Looking to the trees in our yards and woodlots can provide lots of hints! It's easy to maintain habitat for wildlife, doesn't usually cost any money, and enhances the health of the forest and overall ecosystem.

What kinds of habitat are in your woodlot??

Hike Up Your Tree I.D. IQ

How is your tree I.D?

I brushed up on my tree I.D. yesterday as I attended the first Nature Quest workshop of the summer, along with a few of the Master Stewards. The workshop was hosted by Mike Walsh, Tree Marker Instructor and retired Stewardship Coordinator for the Parry Sound Muskoka Stewardship Network.

Together, the group walked through the unmanaged forest of Arrowhead Provincial Park examining the trees for species, defects, potential growing stock, cavities and mast. We examined 25 trees in total; each tree giving us different insight into its value in a managed forest situation.

My favourite are the trees that are ideal cavity trees. Cavities are little nooks or holes where an animal has dug or burrowed into a tree. Cavities are used as habitat or places to escape bad weather or predators. Cavity trees have a high wildlife value and tree markers recommend leaving 6 cavity trees per hectare in your forest where the tree is at least 25 cm DBH (Diametre Breast Height).

The best kind of cavity tree is called C1. These trees are at least 25 cm DBH and have one of the following:

• Pileated woodpecker nest cavities
• Pileated woodpecker roost cavities
• Swift roost cavities
• Other woodpecker nest cavities
• Natural nest or den cavities

The next best, or a fair cavity tree, also is at least 25 cm DBH and has one of the following:

• Escape cavities
• Feeding cavities on the bole or major branches

We also learnt about common tree diseases in Ontario like black bark, punk knots, spine tooth fungus, frost cracks, and sugar maple borer. Some trees are able to heal themselves from the diseases and can still be valuable to a forest. Other diseases have air borne spores and can infect neighbouring trees so it is best to cut them down.

I have lots of information and pictures about tree defects and forest management at the office. Of course, the Resources section of the blog is also a good place to start. Contact me or check it out!

Learn more about cavities on the Ontario Woodlot Association website.

Didn't make it out yesterday? There are more workshops in the series! Check out the blog posting from June 23rd called "Nature Quest Stewardship Series" for more information.

Nature Quest Stewardship Series

There are lots stewardship related events going on in Muskoka and elsewhere this summer. Check out the "Stewardship Workshops and Events" section of the blog and the "Events Outside of Muskoka" section on the right-hand toolbar.

In particular, I want to let you know about the Parry Sound-Muskoka Stewardship Network who is putting on some great workshops this summer. They are designed to provide hands on experience while fostering knowledge and understanding of land stewardship.


Hike up Your Tree ID IQ
Tuesday, July 13th, 1 to 4pm
Arrowhead Provincial Park, Hwy 11 Huntsville
Having trouble identifying your tree species? Can you tell a sugar maple from a red maple? Why do some trees look healthier than others? What is a "wildlife tree" Not to worry, these and many other questions will be answered during our hike through the lush hardwood forest of Arrowhead Provincial Park. Together we will key out 25 trees, identify a variety of tree defects and diseases and examine the overall forest ecology. Participants will be introduced to forest management techniques and the tools used by forest professionals.
Presenter: Mike Walsh, Tree Marker Instructor


Managing Your Woodlot For Wildlife- The 7 Steps
Tuesday, July 20th, 1 to 4 pm
Bracebridge MNR, Hwy 11 & High Falls Road
Up to 220 species of wildlife use our local forests throughout their life cycle. This session will walk you through seven simple steps to enjoy your woodlot to its fullest while maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat in the process. Following a short inside session we will take a hike at the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre to see first hand how wildlife needs are being incorporated into a managed forest.
Presenter: Jan McDonnell, MNR Biologist and Mile Walsh


Wildlife CSI
Tuesday, July 27th
9am to 12pm, Bracebridge MNR Hwy 11 & High Falls Road
Bag it, tag it, check for prints, saliva, DNA, spent ammunition. Welcome to the world of Wildlife Forensics. This family oriented program is filled with hands on activities that will introduce participants to various aspects of solving crimes and wildlife protection. Learn now to identify tracks, furs, skulls and more. You will become the investigator, examining clues and following evidence to determine the "who done it" in a wildlife crime scene.
Presenter: Conservation Officer John van Geene, Ministry of Natural Resources


Programs are limited to 30 participants. Children are welcome and must be accompanied by adults. The costs is $5 for adults and $3 for children. For information and registration, call Hazel Walsh, MNR Area Clerk at 705-646-5538.


All sessions run rain or shine.

See you there!!