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

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

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.

 

Why Care About Trees

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: February 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:
We all know about how trees provide the oxygen we breath, but how about a few of the intricacies of how trees influence our environment? Or provide habitat to over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity? Trees already provide key ingredients in 25% of all our medicines. Just wait until you learn how to harness health benefits with everyday exposure to our woody partners. This talk will cover the link between human health and trees, intricacies of how trees influence our environment, and how important trees are in our communities.

Presented By:
Julianne Schieffer, Extension Urban Forester for Penn State 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

Climate Smart Seed Sourcing

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: January 10, 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:
Forests provide myriad ecosystem services. Past exploitive practices, pest and diseases, invasive plants and a changing climate are increasing the need for reforestation and restoration practices that may include tree planting. But for now, success means that the seeds planted are adapted to current conditions and will grow and thrive. However, with a changing climate, we have to consider new strategies for current and future conditions. Learn more about climate-smart seed sourcing and preparing your forest for future conditions.

What will participants learn:
• Considerations for planting seeds to reforest or restore
• Impacts of climate change on Pennsylvania’s forests
• What is climate-smart seed sourcing

Presented By:
Laura Leites, Associate Research Professor of Quantitative Forest Ecology

*** 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 History of Pennsylvania’s Forests

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: December 13, 2022                                                                                             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: Using an understanding of forests past to inform both our aspirations for and strategies towards tending and growing our forests of the future is critical cultural undertaking during times of unprecedented societal and ecological change. This presentation frames it’s exploration of forest history in Pennsylvania with broad strokes from anthropological and evolutionary historical narratives on both the North American and Eurasian continents preceding the William Penn charter. It attempts to ask questions about a Pennsylvania forest history that might have been; in an effort to envision an improbably desirable but still possible forest of the future.

Presented By:
Roy Brubaker, District Forester, Michaux State Forest

** 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

Management Options for Control of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Cornell University - Forest Connect

Date: November 16, 2022
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:
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) continues its spread in New York and the Northeast, responsible for the mortality of countless hemlock trees. With milder winters, population growth has been rapid and HWA has been found moving into some of the colder and more hemlock dense forests of the Adirondacks. Management with insecticides continues to be effective and is being commonly used to protect high value hemlock forests. Silviculture is being investigated, but with equivocal results. Long term and area wide HWA management depends on the effective implementation of classical biological control with predators from the Pacific Northwest. This webinar will address the current state of HWA management efforts and the progress being made to implement biological control.

Presented By:
Mark Whitmore, Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Director Hemlock Initiative

*** 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.

 

Agricultural Engineer Technical Note AEN-4: Earth and Aggregate Surfacing Design Guide

USDA NRCS Science and Technology

Date: November 09, 2022                                                                                             Times: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM                                                                            Registration: REGISTER HERE FOR LIVE WEBINAR

Presentation Summary: Join us as we discuss design methodologies for stable foundations and aggregate surfaces typically used for Conservation Practice Standards such as Access Road (Code 560), Heavy-Use Area Protection (Code 561), Trails and Walkways (Code 575), and Stream Crossing (Code 578).

Presented By:

• Steve Reinsch, P.E., Co-Director NRCS National Design, Construction, and Soil Mechanics 
• Center, Lincoln, NE Clarence Prestwich, National Agricultural Engineer, Washington DC

** 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

Dormant-Season Invasive Plant Management in Forests

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: November 8, 2022                                                                                             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 end of the growing season doesn’t mean the end of vegetation control efforts! The dormant season can be an advantageous time to attack some invasive and competing plants. Learn about the various control options that can be used during this time of year. 

Participants will learn: 

• Types of plants that can be controlled/reduced with dormant-season treatments 
• Methods and techniques to use during the dormant season 
• Herbicides that can be used with dormant-season control methods
  

Presented By:
Emily Rojik, Research Technologist 2, Penn State 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

Designing and Maintaining Edge Habitat

Penn State Extension; Pennsylvania Forest Online Seminar Series

Date: October 11, 2022                                                                                             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 talk will address the importance of edge habitat, how to establish, and maintain it. Attendees will learn some practices and practical tips that can be applied in your backyard or on larger landscapes.

Presented By:
Calvin Norman, Assistant Teaching Professor of Forestry, Penn State 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

Bats, Understory Treatment and Green Tree Retention: Biodiversity and Forest Management

Cornell University - Forest Connect

Date: September 21, 2022
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:
Insectivorous bats play important roles in forest ecosystems and their protection is critical. However, bat populations in North America, specifically Myotis species known as the “mouse-eared bats”, have declined rapidly and are threatened due to white-nose syndrome (WNS) and habitat degradation. Apart from mitigating WNS, we can also assist the recovery of imperiled Myotis bats by incorporating forest management strategies that improve summer roosting and foraging success. We studied Myotis species at an experimental forest management site at SUNY-ESF Huntington Wildlife Forest in the Adirondack Park to determine the link between bat habitat use and forest structural characteristics. Our preliminary analyses show that forest variables such as canopy cover and sapling density affect probability of bat habitat use. We will discuss future outcomes of this project that potentially impact forest management decision-making.

Presented By:
Julia Rizzo and Dr. Vanessa Rojas, State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry

*** 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 Damage to Forest Regeneration: Using AVID to Assess the Impacts

Cornell University - Forest Connect

Date: June 15, 2022
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:
Deer impacts to forest regeneration are widespread across New York State. Landowners need simple and reliable methods to assess browsing damage in forest stands and decide if deer management is warranted. Working with staff from NYSDEC and SUNY-ESF, we developed the AVID protocol (Assessing Vegetation Impacts from Deer). In stands with adequate light, where tree regeneration would be expected, plots with tagged seedlings are established and measured annually to evaluate seedling growth rates by tree species. Our research has shown that if tree seedling height growth is <10% per year, that is an indicator that deer may be inhibiting successful forest regeneration. We encourage landowners to evaluate deer impacts on their property and contribute data to the statewide AVID database.

Presented By:
Dr. Paul Curtis, Professor, Cornell 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.