There has been an alarming increase in the number of dead trees throughout the Pacific Northwest, which means more importance is placed on caring for forested areas.
Owners of wooded property in Washington state can build skills for caring for their land and trees at the 2020 Washington Forest Owners' Online Field Day, to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.
The midday online event will be hosted by Washington State University Extension, the Snohomish Conservation District and the Society of American Foresters. Content includes workshops and demonstrations on a variety of topics for forest property owners of all skill levels. Participants can choose up to four workshops to attend; topics include forest health issues in Washington state, wildlife, wildfire prevention, mushroom cultivation on logs and invasive weed control.
For example, you could check out a session on forest measurements, which provides simple techniques to measure your tree density and see how big those trees really are. Or check out a session on variable-density thinning, which can increase diversity, health and resiliency across your forest. There are 17 different sessions, some regionalized to eastern and western Washington.
Expert speakers recorded in field
To keep the "field" in field day, the Extension forestry team will bring the field to the landowner this year. Instead of having forest owners watching multiple PowerPoint presentations, the team will be recording expert speakers in the field. This will allow team members to provide real-life demonstrations, and access to a range of sites that would not be possible even during a traditional field day.
Videos for the event will be streamed via Zoom, with the speakers available to discuss and answer questions. Preregistration is required, but the event is free to attend.
Youth under 18 are welcome — and encouraged — so bring your next-generation forest stewards.
You can learn more and get a complete list of workshop topics at forestry.wsu.edu/webinars/onlinefieldday, or contact WSU Extension Forestry at 425-357-6023.