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The Alliance coordinates Forests for the Bay, an education and outreach program for landowners who are interested in actively managing their woodland and/or restoring woods on their property.
Forests for the Bay training, events, newsletters, and workshops actively encourages woodland owners to continue providing natural benefits for themselves and their neighbors through management, easing access to conservation funding, and developing educational initiatives. Workshops include “Your Woods and Your Wallet,” “Real Forestry for Real Estate,” “The Woods in Your Backyard,” “Discover your Woods,” and “Family Succession Planning.”
Forests for the Bay serves as a clearinghouse of information and resources to help landowners improve the vitality of the woodlands, increase wildlife habitat and protect water quality, generate income, and overall enjoyment of their property.
Despite the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been facing lately, it’s technically not spring yet. In fact, our Chesapeake Forests Team is just beginning to prepare for the spring riparian buffer, or streamside tree, planting season in Pennsylvania. The two main ways we prepare for planting season are by live staking (propagation by cutting) and flagging …
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Romance is in the air. For the American woodcock (Scolopax minor), that’s a literal statement. The courtship ritual of the woodcock is the most elaborate that I’ve seen outside of Homo sapiens, and is a must-see for lovers of forests, birds, or flirtation. In the southerly parts of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, lucky residents may …
There are many good reasons to have a lawn. A lawn can be used for overflow parking, a space for children and dogs to play, or as a stable surface for heavy foot traffic around buildings and houses. But about ten percent of the land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is lawn cover. Do we …
Folklore is a popular topic of conversation this time of year, and the Philippines, a country consisting of more than 7,600 islands in Southeast Asia in the Pacific Ocean, generates its fair share of ancient, creepy and mythical beasts. Consider the aswang (or evil shape shifter) known as Gumon. The Gumon literally has killer hair …
Are you afraid of the dark? Walking through a forest in upstate New York, you come across a damp, dark cave. You are keen to move past it, fearful of what lies within. You hurry forwards when out of the corner of your eye an eerie greenish glow appears. Are you seeing things? What could …
Our streams need trees. The very best thing we can do for water quality is to protect and increase the amount of streamside (or, if you’re inclined to speak Latin, riparian) forest cover. In the conservation world we call these strips of recently planted streamside trees riparian forest buffers; they are protecting our water bodies …
You’re walking through the woods on a crisp, late October afternoon, smelling the sharp scent of decaying leaves and listening to the dry rustle of beech leaves in the breeze. You decide to take a break, sit on an old stump, munch an apple and observe this amazing world…but, what is that reaching up next …
We highlighted two types of edible plants you can forage for in our July and August episodes of Tree Talks. On the other side of the spectrum are dangerous and toxic plants to avoid. Here is a list of some of the most poisonous plants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) You …
Agroforestry is an exciting way to sustainably harvest food and herbs in your backyard without compromising your woodland. The concept of agroforestry has been around for decades, but is becoming increasingly popular due to its numerous environmental and economic benefits. Agroforestry is a science-based design framework of supplying food while integrating trees, shrubs, and ground …
If you work in the field of forestry, conservation and natural resources you tend to speak a language infused in acronyms. An acronym that seems to have broad appeal and interest is FIDS. FIDS, which translates to Forest Interior Dwelling (or Dependent) Species, is a term first derived by avian ecologists to classify bird species …
A large part of this collaborative effort to educate and provide resources for forestry landowners is the Forests for the Bay newsletter. This monthly newsletter is bursting with stories, regional events, trivia, and more! Sign up or read past newsletters by clicking the links below.
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