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Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resources Newsletter

 

Backyard to
the Back 40

2nd Quarter 2022


The Forestry, Wildlife, and Natural Resources (FWNR) Extension Team 2021 Impact Report has just been published. Last year, we had 15 great projects that ranged from the re-launched Alabama Master Naturalist Program to programs on Water Resources – and so many things in between. And our team published many new articles last year too – on topics like beaver trappingsoil testing for wildlife food plotsAlabama’s amphibiansinvasive species, and costs of southern forestry practices.  View the Forestry and Wildlife topics page at aces.edu to see more publications like these.
 
For 2022 we are continuing past programs including our monthly Natural Resource Webinar series,  - and are looking forward to more face-to-face workshops to provide science-based land management information you need. We also have a new team member!  Kerry Steedley joined us in March as the FWNR regional agent in the northwest region. Her office is in the Colbert County Extension Office in Tuscumbia. Welcome, Kerry! REA’s are the FWNR team’s “boots on the ground” and we are so happy to have her join the team.
  
We hope you enjoy this issue of “The Backyard to the Back 40”. If there is a topic you would like to see highlighted in future editions, please email me with the subject line “FWNR newsletter” at rjb0003@aces.edu and we will try to include something on that subject later this year.
 
Thank you for trusting Alabama Extension. Stay safe, keep learning, and keep doing good things for the land!
 
Take care,

Becky 

Dr. Becky Barlow 
Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resources Extension Coordinator & 
Harry E. Murphy Professor
Alabama Cooperative Extension System 
 

 Forestry, Wildlife
 & Natural Resources
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Congratulations to our 2022 ANREP award winners!

This year we had several members of our Alabama Cooperative Extension System Forestry, Wildlife, and Natural Resources team recognized as 2022 Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP) Award Program winners!!  They will be recognized at the 2022 ANREP conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 31- June 3, 2022.  A complete list of award recipients can be found on the ANREP website.
 

Promotional and Marketing Materials – Silver Award

2022 Phenology Calendar
Lynn Dickinson, Becky Barlow, Bence Carter, Nancy Loewenstein, Mark Smith, Wesley Anderson, Cameron Boland and John Kush. Auburn University
 

Promotional and Marketing Materials – Bronze Award

Celebrating Earth Day 2021: Restore Our Earth
Dr. Karnita Garner, Dr. Tyler Mason, Allyson Shabel, Mary Dixon, Dr. Roosevelt Robinson, Kerry Steedley, Shannon Schoeneweiss, and Wendi Williams. Alabama A&M University
 

Short Publication - BRONZE AWARD 

Chainsaw Safety: Personal Protective Equipment 
Bence Carter and Beau Brodbeck. Auburn University
 

Televised Conference – Video Conference - Webinar -- SILVER AWARD

Natural Resources Webinar Series
Bence Carter, Norm Haley, Ryan Mitchell, Drew Metzler, David Cline, Nancy Loewenstein, Mary Dixon, Doug Fulghum, Mark Smith, Eve Brantley, Chip East, Richard Cristan, Becky Barlow, Lynn Dickinson, Robert Tufts, Wes Anderson, Kerry Steedley, Adam Maggard, and Lori Eckhardt. Auburn University. Tim Albritton. USDA-NRCS
The Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resources webinar series will meet every other week and focus on a variety of natural resources management topics to benefit anyone from industry professionals to curious homeowners and landowners. Webinar titles and information will be updated regularly at the following link: Natural Resources Webinar Series

Looking for Help with Cogongrass Control?

  • You may be interested in this new Alabama Forestry Commission Cogongrass Mitigation Program that is providing landowner assistance with cogongrass control. For more information about eligibility requirements, the application process and other details about the program see:   https://forestry.alabama.gov/Pages/Management/Cogongrass.aspx.  
     
  • Speaking of cogongrass, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries has a new cogongrass outreach program underway. Check out the website at: https://www.alcogongrass.com/
For more information, contact Nancy Loewenstein, Extension Specialist.
Eco-Friendly Fridays is an environmental education webinar series. Join the team for training sessions on traditional conservation topics as well as new and emerging issues in environmental education. This free virtual series offers effective best management practices (BMPs) aimed at safeguarding human, animal, and environmental health and practical solutions to help reduce your ecological footprint. Whether you are an educator, an environmental professional, or a nature-lover, tune in to discover how you can become a better steward of the environment and its precious resources. READ MORE.

For more information, contact Karnita Golson-Garner, Extension Specialist.
The Auburn University College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, in partnership with several other academic colleges and administrative offices, will host a first of its kind cross-laminated timber (CLT) conference in the southern United States at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

The three-day event titled ‘The Sustainable Future of CLT in the South: Grow. Design. Build.’ will be held April 27 – 29 and will feature renowned experts in forestry, building sciences, engineering, and architecture and design who will share the latest CLT research, trends, and developments in the South. Concurrent sessions will address the interests of multiple audiences, including designers, builders, contractors, academia, landowners, producers, and suppliers. 5.5 Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) and 5.5 Professional Logging Manager (PLM) credits are available.

Detailed information about registration, speakers, sessions, and sponsorships are available online. Caroline Camus, event coordinator, is happy to field any questions at (706) 201-2632 or email cec0195@auburn.edu. Discounted accommodations will be available at the conference venue, The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center.

The conference is presented in partnership with the Auburn University College of Architecture, Design, and Construction, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and the Offices of Sustainability and Planning, Design, and Construction. 
 
 
REGISTER NOW
 
 

Managing Eastern Gray Squirrel Damage in the Attic

Eastern gray squirrels have a mixed reputation to homeowners. Some enjoy watching squirrels as they scavenge and cache seeds throughout their yard. Others, detest them for their habits of eating from bird feeders, scaring away birds, and instinctive gnawing on property. One of the biggest concerns from squirrels comes when they nest in attics of homes. Attics are warm, dry, and typically free from predators. Once inside, squirrels will gnaw on wiring, cache food, and cause health concerns with feces and urine. Read More

For more information, contact Bence Carter, Regional Extension Agent.

All About the Tallapoosa River Basin 

With 132,000 miles of streams and rivers, Alabama has been called “the River State.” The Tallapoosa River is one of Alabama’s major waterways. It begins in the Piedmont of northwest Georgia and flows southwest through four Georgia counties and 12 Alabama counties until it meets the Coosa River just north of Montgomery to form the Alabama River. That Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa Rivers form what is collectively known as the ACT River Basin. 

The mainstem of the Tallapoosa is nearly 260 miles long and the majority (85%) of the river is in Alabama. The Tallapoosa Basin encompasses 4,675 square miles and is largely underlain by granite bedrock. Granite is a crystalline rock that is resistant to erosion. Due to this, the Tallapoosa River and its tributaries are softer (contain less mineral content), clearer, and less biologically-productive than neighboring river basins. READ MORE


Original Article By: Rachel McGuire, edited by Mona Dominguez for FWNR Newsletter 
For information please contact Monda Dominguez, Research Associate IV.

Alabama Invasive Plant Council 19th Annual Conference

The Alabama Invasive Plant Council invites you to the 19th Annual Invasive Plant Conference. The conference will be held at Auburn University's College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences building, 602 Duncan Drive, Auburn, AL 36849 on April 28, 2022. Visit https://sfws.auburn.edu/sfws-building-room-directory/ for venue details. Conference registration for attendees, vendors and sponsors (excluding lodging), will take place online through this Eventbrite.com webpage: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alabama-invasive-plant-council-annual-conference-2022-tickets-301450365157

  • The pre-registration rate is $70, with a deadline of April 20, 2022. After that, on-site registration at the late registration rate ($90) will be available. In addition, a non-CEU registration option of $45 and a student registration option of $25 are available. Lunch is provided but can’t be guaranteed with on-site registration.  QUESTIONS? Contact Nancy Loewenstein (loewenj@auburn.edu) about registration, Jacob Hodnett (hodnettj@dot.state.al.us) about sponsorships or being a vendor. 
  • Continuing Education Points: Pesticide recertification-10 points (D&R, FOR, REG, ROW); Forestry CFEs- 3 Cat-1 points, 2 Cat-2 points, PLM 5 points 
For more information, contact Nancy Loewenstein, Extension Specialist.

W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Awards

W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Awards Program is accepting nominations for the Mosley Environmental Achievement Award in Forestry, Wildlife, and Related Resources. The fundamental mission of the Mosley Environmental Achievement Award is to identify and reward "unsung heroes" who have voluntarily contributed significantly to the wise stewardship of Alabama's natural resources. Almost anyone may be eligible - youths, adults, practitioners, professionals, technicians, individual citizens, and groups - if their voluntary contributions have resulted in the wiser use of our natural resources and the betterment of our communities. Award recipients are identified by the Steering and Selection Committee composed of leaders of Alabama natural resource institutions. 

Although nominations for the Mosley Environmental Achievement Awards may be submitted any time of year. Award recipients receive a $500 honorarium, a framed certificate of recognition, and a framed limited-edition reproduction of our commissioned painting.  Multiple award recipients may be approved each year by the Steering and Selection Committee (i.e., not restricted to only one recipient per year).  Nominators will also receive the same reproduction of our commissioned painting should their submission be successful. 

For more information about the W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Awards Program, or to submit a nomination online, please visit our new website at https://sfws.auburn.edu/wk-mosley-environmental-award/  

If you have any questions regarding nomination submissions, please contact the Executive Secretary, Mark Smith by phone (334-844-8099) or email (mds0007@auburn.edu

We hope that you take the time to nominate a deserving individual for this prestigious award. 

Mark D. Smith 
Executive Secretary
W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Awards Program

Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resources Team Impacts 2021

The mission of the Alabama Extension Forestry, Wildlife, and Natural Resources team is to provide relevant, science-based information to help Alabama’s residents make informed natural resource–related management decisions.

Participants in the Forestry, Wildlife, and Natural Resources (FWNR) program learn how to improve forest health, create and improve wildlife habitat, increase the quality and value of timber, and protect water quality.

Alabama has 64 different and documented ecosystems, and 25 of those are forests and woodlands that cover more than two-thirds of the state. This makes Alabama the fifth most biologically diverse state in the country. If you think about it, you can travel by car from the mountains of north Alabama to the sandy white beaches of the Gulf Coast in just one day and never leave the state.

Wood products, hunting and other outdoor recreation, and improved water quality make significant contributions to Alabama’s economy. In 2020, Alabama ranked second in the United States in pulp, paper, and paperboard production, and sixth in lumber production. Outdoor recreation activities such as camping, hiking, boating, and hunting generated more than 55,500 jobs and provided $2.1 billion in wages and benefits to Alabama workers in 2020. Healthy, well-managed forests are essential to support these industries, and society’s well-being. Read More

Spring Checklist for Landowners 

April 

May 

June 

  • Test your pond for alkalinity and hardness.  
  • Forest inventories are needed to make good land management decisions.  This workbook can help you set goals and better communicate with land management professionals.  
  • Summer is the time to order trees for next year’s planting.     
  • Plan for wildlife food plot locations and plantings. 
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Backyard to the Back 40 · 602 Duncan Drive · Auburn University, AL 36849-0001 · USA

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