Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Pollinators in Pennsylvania's Forests

 Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: June 11, 2024
Times: noon - 12:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM, eastern time. Questions often last an extra 15 to 20 minutes
Registration: REGISTER HERE FOR LIVE WEBINAR

Presentation Summary:
Insect declines have been well-documented globally and conservation actions are being taken to mitigate and reverse those declines. Pennsylvania’s vast forests provide a refuge for countless insects, which have been relatively undocumented until recent years. In this webinar, you will learn about the insects of Pennsylvania’s forests and what can be done to better understand and conserve them. Discover the reasoning for a decline of pollinating insects in Pennsylvania and learn how you can contribute to their conservation efforts.

What will participants learn:

  • The importance of pollinators in Pennsylvania forests
  • Which insects act as pollinators across Pennsylvania, including bees, flies, and wasps
  • How forests and forest-adjacent openings can be managed to improve insect communities

Presented By:


** 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


Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Vegetation response to slash walls that exclude deer from hardwood forest regeneration harvests

Cornell University - Forest Connect

Date: February 21, 2024
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 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 State Extension Forester

*** 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.

Friday, December 1, 2023

Ticks and Public Health

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: January 9, 2024
Times: noon - 12:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM, eastern time. Questions often last an extra 15 to 20 minutes
Registration: REGISTER HERE FOR LIVE WEBINAR

Presentation Summary:
Ticks have been a common part of outdoor experiences but are recently becoming more of a worry. With tick-borne diseases on the uptick, being outdoors carries new levels of risk. Did you know that for Pennsylvania residents, the Tick Research Lab will test ticks that you pull off of yourself for common tick-borne diseases for free? Join us for a webinar that will cover an introduction to ticks/ecology, tick prevention, public health concerns, and what is offered at the PA Tick lab.

What will participants learn:

  • Tick Ecology
  • Public Health Concerns
  • Tick Prevention
  • Resources available at the PA Tick Lab

Presented By:
Jessica Turpin, Public Health Research Coordinator at the Tick Research Lab, East Stroudsburg University

** 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

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Benefits of Large Woody Debris in Streams

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: November 14, 2023                                                                                             Times: noon - 1:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM, eastern time. Questions often last an extra 15 to 20 minutes                                                                              Registration: REGISTER HERE FOR LIVE WEBINAR

Presentation Summary:
This presentation will discuss the benefits of downed woody materials to streams and current methods of restoring this critical ecosystem component. Historically, streams in Penn’s Woods looked much different than they do today. Fallen woody debris in stream channels and floodplains had a profound effect on stream-valley ecosystems, and the removal of those materials often had unintended consequences.

What will participants learn:

  • How woody debris benefits streams, restores fish and wildlife habitat, and protects water quality
  • New and simple methods of putting woody materials into streams
  • The importance of stream-valley ecosystems

Presented By:
Luke Bobnar, Western Pennsylvania conservancy

** 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

Friday, August 5, 2022

Wildlife Adaptations

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: June 13, 2023                                                                                             Times: noon - 1:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM, eastern time. Questions often last an extra 15 to 20 minutes                                                                              Registration: REGISTER HERE FOR LIVE WEBINAR

Presentation Summary:
The natural world is a difficult place to survive. Animals face competition for resources, harsh climates, and predators. But, in order to survive, some species have adapted in interesting or unusual ways.

What will participants learn (just a few bullet points here):

  • The difference between structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations
  • How the process of natural selection works
  • Examples of different animal adaptations

Presented By:
Katie Schmidt, Forestry and Wildlife Educator, Penn State Extension
Calvin Norman, Assistant Teaching Professor, Penn State

** 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

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Who Are Pennsylvania’s Forest Landowners? Update from the 2021 Survey

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: March 14, 2023                                                                                             Times: noon - 1:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM, eastern time. Questions often last an extra 15 to 20 minutes                                                                              Registration: REGISTER HERE FOR LIVE WEBINAR

Presentation Summary:
As you look at the forest around the state, did you know that the vast majority of it is owned by people like you – families and individuals? 70% of the state’s forest is privately-owned with a lot of unique owners making unique decisions about the well-being and care of those woods. 2010 was the last year of a statewide forest landowners survey to better understand the values, goals, and activities of these landowners. In 2021 we repeated that survey to see how current forest landowners approach their ownership. This presentation will share what we’ve learned about forest landowners today and how they care for their woods and show some comparison to how landowners cared for their woods over a decade ago.

Presented By:
Allyson Muth, Assistant Research Professor, Penn State Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Sasha Soto, PhD Student , Penn State Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

*** 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

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

A Briefing on Oak Regeneration Ecology

Cornell University - Forest Connect

Date: February 15, 2023
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:
Oaks make up a broad group of plants that play important roles in diverse ecosystems in the US and across the globe. This presentation will give a briefing on general oak reproduction biology and regeneration ecology using examples from recent research on the associated topics. Topics will include flowering, masting, and stressors.

Presented By:
Dr. David McGill, West Virginia University

*** 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.