Natural Area Management Training

 

Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Department of Forestry offers webinars on natural area management for Green Industry Professionals.

 Professionals looking to expand their services to include working in woodlands and meadows can benefit from a series of webinars on natural area management offered by “The Woods In Your Backyard Partnership”.

 The webinars will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on three consecutive Thursdays — March 10, 17 and 24. “Natural Area Management Services Series: A Case Study” is also designed for land managers and interested landowners.

 The three-part series will provide in-depth instruction on managing a small-acreage property. Using a case-study approach, instructors will demonstrate how to utilize a checklist to assess a property, develop a land care plan and implement various land management practices.

 The webinar series will cover how to:

 — Improve tree health through management of existing tree canopies.

— Control invasive plants.

— Convert unused lawn area into woods and meadows, creating a haven for wildlife.

— Assess and mitigate deer impact on vegetation.

 According to organizers, the program is aimed at informing and equipping green industry professionals with knowledge and skills to provide additional services to clientele while improving ecosystem health. A resource manual and specialized checklist tool complement the training and help green industry professionals determine which enhancement practices suit a given property.

 A certificate of attendance will be provided to participants who attend the live sessions. These certificates can be used to obtain professional development credits. No credits will be available for listening to recordings.

 The webinar series is provided by The Woods in Your Backyard Partnership, which includes Penn State Extension, the University of Maryland Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Forests for the Bay.

 Registrations will be accepted through March 9 at $15. Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinar. Registrants also will receive access to webinar recordings. More information can be found at the Trees Virginia Website: https://treesvirginia.org/events

 

EDITORS: For more information on program content, contact Adam Downing, Extension Forester, at 540-948-6881 or adownign@vt.edu.