Northeastern Slash Walls: Response of Vegetation to the Exclusion of Deer

Cornell University - Forest Connect

Date: September 17, 2025
Time: noon - 1:00 PM, eastern time
           and 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Registration: You need a free personal registration ID to join this month’s webinar:
https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5IRFqn7oSYm5D-Vyqb8-3Q

If prompted for a password use “Cornell”

After registration, which includes a question about whether you want CEU credits, you will receive the link to the webinar and a password. It should go without saying that you should retain this email. The registration email provides the link you will use the day of the webinar. 

Presentation summary:
Slash walls in the northeastern US were initiated in 2017 and have been installed in at least 8 states on every type of ownership. The results are visually dramatic, and illustrative of the impacts of deer on forest vegetation. Research projects at our two institutions with various cooperators have shown significant differences in the response of the vegetation to the absence of deer. We will discuss NY and Southern New England studies regarding slash wall effects on species composition; heights of seedlings, saplings and stump sprouts; species diversity; and more. This webinar is a precursor to an upcoming related webinar on October 15 “Voices from the Forest – Practitioner Experiences with Slash Walls.”

Presenters:

• Jeff Ward, Chief Scientist Emeritus, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station,
• Peter Smallidge, NYS Extension Forest, Cornell University &
• Brett Chedzoy, Regional Extension Forester and Arnot Forest Mgr., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County

*** Please note: Continuing Education credits are not available for reviewing recorded webinars. You must participate in the live seminar to receive credit.

This webinar counts for 1 hour of PA SFI Continuing Education (C.E.) credit. You must complete 3 additional hours of C.E. credit to add 1 year to your training card expiration date. Individuals seeking C.E. credit must submit a completed Non-SFI Course C.E. credit form (Please request that the webinar administrator send PA SFI confirmation of your participation), a course agenda or certificate of completion, and a $20 administrative fee (Check made payable to “PA SIC”) to the PA SFI office. Continuing Education credit can only extend your PA SFI Training Card expiration date by a maximum of 3-years from the current calendar year. Please refer to the PA SFI Training Policy for a complete description of the program requirements.

The Use of Slash Walls to Exclude Deer and Regenerate Native Forest Tree Species

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: June 10, 2025
Times: noon - 12:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM, eastern time. Questions often last an extra 15 to 20 minutes
Registration: COMING SOON

Presentation Summary:
Slash walls were developed at the Cornell University Arnot Teaching and Research Forest in 2017. Slash walls have proven effective to exclude deer. Annual measurements of permanent sample points have documented changes in vegetation inside versus outside of slash walls. This presentation will review 4 to 6 years of vegetative response, inside younger and older slash walls, to assess their association with the regeneration stocking, hardwood seedling diversity, seedling height growth, and other metrics of response. The design and construction of slash walls will be reviewed.

Presented By: Peter Smallidge, Cornell University Extension

** Please note: Continuing Education credits are not available for reviewing recorded webinars. You must participate in the live seminar to receive credit.

This webinar counts for 1 hour of PA SFI Continuing Education (C.E.) credit. You must complete 3 additional hours of C.E. credit to add 1 year to your training card expiration date. Individuals seeking C.E. credit must submit a completed Non-SFI Course C.E. credit form (Please request that the webinar administrator send PA SFI confirmation of your participation), a course agenda or certificate of completion, and a $20 administrative fee (Check made payable to “PA SIC”) to the PA SFI office. Continuing Education credit can only extend your PA SFI Training Card expiration date by a maximum of 3-years from the current calendar year. Please refer to the PA SFI Training Policy for a complete description of the program requirements

Deer, Interfering Vegetation, and Factors to Guide the Treatment of the Green Lie

Cornell University - Forest Connect

Date: April 16, 2025
Time: noon - 1:00 PM, eastern time
           and 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Registration: You need a free personal registration ID to join this month’s webinar:
https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5IRFqn7oSYm5D-Vyqb8-3Q

If prompted for a password use “Cornell”

After registration, which includes a question about whether you want CEU credits, you will receive the link to the webinar and a password. It should go without saying that you should retain this email. The registration email provides the link you will use the day of the webinar. 

Presentation summary:
Many woodlands give the appearance of vigor and health because the vegetation is lush and green. However, the mixture of species is important as this determines the future of the woods, and the services it can provide. A concept known as the “Green Lie” describes a woodlot that is “green” but not able to serve the owner’s objectives. This webinar will address recent research about the interaction of deer and interfering vegetation, how the Green Lie develops, and how plants interfere with the establishment and recruitment of desirable plants. Finally, we will discuss some of the factors that owners and managers should consider when selecting a treatment option. Examples of “what would you do” will engage the participants in selecting correct options for different circumstances.

*** Please note: Continuing Education credits are not available for reviewing recorded webinars. You must participate in the live seminar to receive credit.

This webinar counts for 1 hour of PA SFI Continuing Education (C.E.) credit. You must complete 3 additional hours of C.E. credit to add 1 year to your training card expiration date. Individuals seeking C.E. credit must submit a completed Non-SFI Course C.E. credit form (Please request that the webinar administrator send PA SFI confirmation of your participation), a course agenda or certificate of completion, and a $20 administrative fee (Check made payable to “PA SIC”) to the PA SFI office. Continuing Education credit can only extend your PA SFI Training Card expiration date by a maximum of 3-years from the current calendar year. Please refer to the PA SFI Training Policy for a complete description of the program requirements.

Hazard Tree Analysis

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: March 11, 2025
Times: noon - 12:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM, eastern time. Questions often last an extra 15 to 20 minutes
Registration: https://extension.psu.edu/pennsylvania-forest-seminar-hazard-tree-analysis

Presentation Summary:
Spending time in the forest is usually a relaxing experience for most individuals. Being aware of your surroundings can be the difference between life and death. This presentation will discuss the need for paying attention to the trees being walked around and beneath their outstretched limbs. Whether cutting firewood or simply taking a walk in a forest, looking for existing and potential tree hazards needs to be done every time you set foot in and around trees; your life could depend on it.

Presented By: Mike Powell, Penn State Extension

** Please note: Continuing Education credits are not available for reviewing recorded webinars. You must participate in the live seminar to receive credit.

This webinar counts for 1 hour of PA SFI Continuing Education (C.E.) credit. You must complete 3 additional hours of C.E. credit to add 1 year to your training card expiration date. Individuals seeking C.E. credit must submit a completed Non-SFI Course C.E. credit form (Please request that the webinar administrator send PA SFI confirmation of your participation), a course agenda or certificate of completion, and a $20 administrative fee (Check made payable to “PA SIC”) to the PA SFI office. Continuing Education credit can only extend your PA SFI Training Card expiration date by a maximum of 3-years from the current calendar year. Please refer to the PA SFI Training Policy for a complete description of the program requirements