Connecting with others is part of woodland stewardship

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu

Family forest ownerships make up one-third of all forested land in Minnesota, making them the largest landowner group in the state — collectively bigger than lands held by either the USDA Forest Service, DNR, or private industry. Over 200,000 family woodland stewards are caring for their woodlands and improving the long-term health and resilience of Minnesota’s forests. Each of them has a unique story to tell, and we all have so much to learn from each other! 

That collective ownership is powerful but can become complicated when we consider that thousands of woodland stewards are making decisions for their parcels based on individual stewardship goals that may not always align.

This is one reason it’s so important for Extension to provide programming and education to people across the state. Providing practical advice to people through programs such as Minnesota Woodland Steward can help create a shared understanding of management issues, goals, and outcomes, and how they all affect our forest ecosystem as a whole.

“One of the standout aspects of the program is the connections made with like-minded people and local professionals,” notes Carrie Nicklow, a graduate of the program. It was those connections that helped Carrie and her husband Mike launch Let's Plant Trees, a nonprofit that distributes free native tree seedlings to property owners in northeastern Minnesota and organizes tree-planting projects with groups and organizations statewide.

Working together to foster resilient family forests

Climate change, pests and disease all threaten the long-term health of Minnesota’s forests. A resilient forest can tolerate a wide range of changing conditions and maintain essential functions even in the face of these challenges. It’s important to manage forests to promote long-term resilience against these changing conditions so that they can continue to support biodiversity, water quality, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, timber production, cultural and emotional wellbeing, and many other benefits.

You can improve the resilience of your woodlands through various strategies, and we highly recommend working with a local natural resource professional to help refine your management goals and identify site-specific actions to maximize your work.

In January, you will have the opportunity to connect with natural resource professionals and learn more about fostering resilient woodlands at the Minnesota Family Woodlands Conference. You can attend sessions on woodland stewardship, wildlife, trail design and construction, and invasive species. 

Perhaps most importantly, you will be able to connect with fellow woodland stewards and become part of a community that is larger and more impactful than the sum of its parts.

Carrie and Mike will be there: “We are excited to attend and share information about Let’s Plant Trees at the Minnesota Family Woodlands Conference. We encourage everyone who cares about the future of our forests to join us!”

Minnesota Family Woodlands Conference

Join University of Minnesota Extension Forestry at the Minnesota Family Woodlands Conference to connect with fellow woodland stewards, meet local natural resource professionals, and learn about woodland stewardship, wildlife, trail design and construction, invasive species, and more. This full-day event will offer two panels from woodland stewards and forestry professionals, twelve concurrent sessions, and ample time to visit exhibitors and network with each other.

Learn more about this event and register