University of Maryland Extension

Becoming a Steward of the Land: UME Forestry Program Offers Certification Course

August 5, 2024 by University of Maryland Extension Leave a Comment

Learn to be a steward of the land this fall with the University of Maryland Extension’s General Forestry Course. The online course features full-color photos and graphics and will run from August 26 through December 9, 2024. Registration is now open, and interested participants can register online at extension.umd.edu/forestry-course.

This is a non-credit course with no formal classes ‒ work from the comfort of your home using your own woodlot, a friend’s, or a public forest. The course covers ways to protect your trees from insects, diseases, and fire; how to, step by step, create a forest inventory and a stand analysis; and covers the details of the forestry business, including tax nuances and the sale and harvest of forest products. Ultimately, the course exercises help you develop the framework for a stewardship plan for your forest.

The cost for this forestry course is $150.00. Included in the cost are copies of the supplemental readings: A Sand County Almanac, The Woodland Steward, American Forests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery, a small pamphlet entitled “What Tree Is That?” and Common Native Trees of Virginia Tree Identification Guide. Users receive a flash drive of the paper version of the text and appendices. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed.

To learn more about the course and what it entails, go to extension.umd.edu/forestry-course. There you can read lessons from the text, preview an exercise, read through detailed course information, and more.

For more information, contact Andrew Kling at the University of Maryland Extension Western Maryland Research & Education Center at 301-226-7564, or via email at [email protected].

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

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Queen Anne’s County Master Gardeners Announce 8th Annual Plant Sale

April 20, 2023 by University of Maryland Extension

Queen Anne’s County Master Gardeners are busy getting ready for their 8^th Annual Plant Sale slated for Saturday, May 13^that the University of Maryland Extension-Queen Anne’s County Office (505 Railroad Ave, Centreville, MD 21617) from 8:30-11:30, rain or shine. In addition to mingling with a group of passionate and knowledgeable gardeners, you can buy plants, introduce the kids to pollinator friendly gardening, or ask those questions about your landscape you’ve been wondering about all spring. Master Gardeners are volunteers who are trained by the University of Maryland Extension and will help you select the perfect plant for your garden. Maybe you’ve been longing to have some herbs by the kitchen door, or to grow that perfect variety tomato, or try a new kind of squash but don’t know how or where to find the plant. You are welcome to request advice about flowers, fruits, vegetable beds and plants that can beautify your yard and provide friendly habitat for wildlife like songbirds, butterflies, bees, and humming birds at our ‘Ask A Master Gardener Plant Clinic.’For further information please call or email the University of Maryland Extension Queen Anne’s County Master Gardener Coordinator, Rachel J. Rhodes, at 410-758-0166 or [email protected] or see us on Facebook @https://www.facebook.com/QueenAnnesCountyMasterGardeners

Master Gardener Pat Gannon getting plants ready for the plant sale.

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

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Register Now for “The Woods in Your Backyard” Online Course

March 9, 2023 by University of Maryland Extension

Registration is now open for the spring 2023 session of “The Woods in Your Backyard” online course. Our self-directed, non-credit course runs 10 weeks from April 3 to June 13, 2023. The course will help landowners convert lawn to natural areas and enhance stewardship of existing natural areas. The course provides strategies to landowners of small parcels of land (1-10 acres) that improve the stewardship of their property for personal enjoyment and environmental quality. It uses a hands-on learning approach to help participants develop and implement a plan for their property. Activities include how to map habitat areas, understand basic ecological principles about woodland and wildlife, choose and implement a few habitat management projects, and how to set a timetable and record your progress. Online discussion groups will allow participants to interact with others taking the course. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed.

The course costs $95.00 per person, which includes the 108-page “Woods in Your Backyard” guide, workbook, and a tree identification guide. The course is limited to 25 participants, so sign up now! Registration closes April 3 or when filled. Registration is through Eventbrite; go to https://spring23.eventbrite.com.

For more information, go to https://go.umd.edu/3XUbhDb, or contact course coordinator Andrew Kling, University of Maryland Extension, [email protected], 301-432-2767, extension 307.

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Delmarva Woodland Steward Program Ushers in First Crop of Volunteers

January 26, 2023 by University of Maryland Extension

If you’re a Maryland property owner and have been meaning to make a change in your environmental sustainability practices, you can now start right in your own backyard through the newest program offering from University of Maryland Extension (UME), designed to increase species diversity, eliminate invasives, and improve forest health.

For the first time this past fall, the new Delmarva Woodland Stewards program trained an eager crop of 25 volunteers in sustainable forest management, and empowered them to share that knowledge within their communities over the upcoming year. The program, modeled after successful training programs like the UME Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, and Maryland Woodland Stewards, targets homeowners that reside on the Delmarva Peninsula.

The first class and instructors on the field trip during the first season of Delmarva Woodland Stewards. Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Extension.

“We’re on the Coastal Plain, on top of an ancient sea floor,” said Luke Macaulay, UME wildlife management specialist who has been partnering with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service, other state agencies, and nonprofit organizations through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration grant to promote forest management for wildlife habitat and develop the stewardship program. “This leads to sandier, acidic soils that influence what will grow in those places.”

The 25 participants learned principles and best management practices in forestry, silviculture, wildlife management, water quality, herbicides, invasives, and vegetation management during four intensive online classes featuring guest speakers from all three states comprising the peninsula – Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Online sessions were taught by field experts from Virginia and Delaware Cooperative Extensions, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the Delaware Forest Service, Delaware Master Naturalists, Maryland Forest Service, Virginia Department of Forestry, The Nature Conservancy, and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. The course culminated in a field trip highlighting the various coastal environments and the management practices in place across the three states.

“Going to all three states showed that the forest management techniques are the same all across the peninsula – or anywhere on the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain,” said Matthew Hurd, regional forester with the Maryland Forest Service who partnered with Macaulay in the development of the new stewardship program. “The only thing that’s different is who the people are that you contact as a resource for information or permits to do the work.”

Luke Macaulay, UME wildlife management specialist. Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Extension.

“The class gives them access to those resources – those people – to ask questions; and they can turn around and tell other landowners, family, friends, and neighbors,” said Hurd. “That’s what makes this program so powerful – these students are signing up to volunteer to train others afterwards.”

The new class of Delmarva Woodland Stewards have committed to volunteering a certain number of hours to share their new knowledge within their communities to help improve forests and land management practices at a small scale.

“Individual landowners are operating at a smaller scale so they’re able to implement things that might not be scalable to a larger area,” said Macaulay. “So they might be able to tackle a really pernicious invasive species because they can really get to a detail level that might not be possible at a larger scale.”

“You can make a difference on your land, and on other people’s lands, by looking at the bigger picture and knowing that you need all types of diversity,” said Hurd. “It doesn’t matter how much or how little land you’ve got, if you’re interested in making a change, you should consider practices that are going to add to the species richness and the diversity of the landscape.”

Increasing the diversity of plants, animals, and insects is only one of the lessons taught through the new woodland stewardship program. The course teaches methods for light management, hack and squirt methods for eliminating invasive or unwanted vegetation, prescribed burns, and much more.

“In some places where people have gone hands-off, you get like a monoculture of unmanaged forest, all similar in height and species because there are limited natural or human disturbances,” said Macaulay. “It’s okay to manage your woodland, to take action and change the composition of your forest. It can be beneficial for the broader ecosystem.”

Class participants study a tree coring taken by Matthew Hurd of the Maryland Forest Service.

“It doesn’t matter how much or how little acreage you have; as long as you’re creating diversity, any piece of land can make a difference in the landscape,” Hurd said. “We collectively, in all three states, need to work together to accomplish our goals.”

If you are interested in becoming a Delmarva Woodland Steward, or learning more about the program, go to go.umd.edu/delmarva or contact Taylor Robinson at [email protected]. The course is open to participants in all three states, and students do not need to be residents or own land on the Delmarva Peninsula.

To watch a video of a tree coring exercise performed by Matthew Hurd during the class fieldtrip, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yvM8Fso6ew&t=11s.

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Master Gardeners on Track to Consult on a Record Number of “Bay-Wise” Properties

December 17, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension

Homeowner Trish Reynolds (l.) received Bay-Wise certification for her property following a Spring 2022 visit by a Master Gardener team that included Carol Jelich.

With the Chesapeake Bay stroking our shores, Talbot County residents have generally shown interest in local waters and the environment. Talbot County Master Gardeners have found this even more apparent in 2022.

Since the start of the year, Master Gardeners have certified 9 Talbot County properties that now qualify to wear “Bay-Wise” signs. They have consulted with an additional 21 residents–significantly more than in prior, pre-pandemic years. Bay-Wise visits encourage property owners to follow sustainable landscape care practices that benefit our local waterways and the environment.

According to Master Gardener Coordinator Mikaela Boley, “The process is simple. Homeowners may contact my office to set up a free consultation with a team of Master Gardener volunteers who are University of Maryland trained and accredited. The team visits the property to see what has been accomplished and references the Bay-Wise Yardstick, which has a number of practices and suggestions listed for homeowners to achieve a more ecological landscape. This one-on-one contact is especially worthwhile, if you, for example, face storm water run-off issues or need planting recommendations.”

She adds, “After you implement additional recommended Bay-Wise practices, the team will follow-up for certification. When sufficient beneficial practices are in place, the property receives Bay-Wise certification and a free sign.

“Once certified, property owners are quite proud of their efforts and hope that their environmental diligence will inspire neighbors, to benefit all.”

Talbot County homeowners interested in learning more about the Bay-Wise program, contact Mikaela Boley ([email protected] /410-822-1244). Link to the state’s Bay-Wise website for further information and to download a copy of the Bay-Wise Yardstick: extension.umd.edu/baywise.

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Maryland Grazing School and Advanced Grazing Workshop

September 2, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension

University of Maryland Extension and partners are excited to be bringing back both the Maryland Grazing School and Advanced Grazing Workshop this fall and invite grazers and livestock owners to attend one of these upcoming events!

The Maryland Grazing School will be held over two days on September 29-30, 2022 at Rocklands Farm in Poolesville, MD from 8 AM to 5 PM each day. Designed with producer interests in mind, this 2-day grazing school will offer a more in-depth education on pasture and grazing management. The course features multiple hands-on exercises to provide participants with opportunities to work with grazing tools and fencing materials. Topics covered will include forage selection, pasture assessment, grazing management, pasture allocation, fencing and watering options, extending the grazing season, and more! Enrollment is limited to 30 people to keep the group small and allow for more interaction and networking opportunities. For full details and registration information, please visit https://go.umd.edu/grazingschool.

The Advanced Grazing Workshop feat. Ranching for Profit will be held over two days on October 20-21, 2022 at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, MD from 9 AM to 5 PM each day. This advanced grazing workshop is designed for producers looking to transform their operation into a profitable business with less work and stress. Workshop attendees will dive deeper into the principles behind farm economics and increasing farm profitability, giving them the tools and insights they need to improve their business. The workshop will be taught by Dave Pratt, one of the experts on the Ranching for Profit team and will feature a small group approach with team and class discussions, case studies, videos, and application to participants’ own situation. For full details and registration information, please visit https://go.umd.edu/rfpworkshop.

These events are brought to you by University of Maryland Extension, the Maryland-Delaware Forage Council, Maryland Grazers Network, NE SARE, and American Farmland Trust. Thank you to our event partners!

If you have questions or need assistance please contact your local county Extension office or Amanda Grev at [email protected] or 301-432-2767 x339. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity please contact us at least 2 weeks prior to the event. Hope to see you there!

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The Maryland Food Ventures Workshop for Home Cooks and On-Farm Home Processors Goes Virtual

August 30, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension

If you’ve considered turning your farm’s tomatoes or fruit into a canned product, or turning your grandmother’s favorite bread recipe into a small business idea, University of Maryland Extension has a newly updated virtual workshop developed to teach the intricacies of starting a food business under Maryland’s on-farm home processing license and cottage foods.

The Maryland Food Ventures workshop (formerly known as Food For Profit) is currently offered in a virtual format (in-person dates forthcoming), and is free for a limited time only (till Mid-September 2022). The newly designed course was created in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Health, and provides foundational information for farmers (small farms and ranchers, specialty crop producers and value-added producers) under the On-Farm Home Processing License, and home cooks and bakers interested in selling their homemade products to the public, under the Cottage Food Business. The self-paced workshop will help both groups determine if their homemade jam, or other value-added product, will make a sustainable business idea.

“There’s some important things that have been updated in terms of Maryland regulations,” said Dr. Shauna Henley, senior agent in the Family and Consumer Sciences program, and current lead on the U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) grant to re-examine, optimize, and improve the current modules for both online and in-person classes. “In October of 2019, cottage foods were allowed to be sold in certain retail establishments, and this October (2022), the cap on sales for cottage foods is rising to $50,000 from $25,000 per year. These are significant changes for these small businesses, although not for on-farm home processing.”

In addition to the increase in the yearly cap on sales for cottage foods, the U.S. will also include sesame as the ninth major food allergen that will need to be declared, like tree nuts (e.g. almonds) or the other eight major food allergens. “This program gives us the platform to reiterate the regulations, as well as bring awareness to the new food allergen,” Henley said.

Collaborating with Shannon Dill, principal agriculture and food systems agent (Talbot county), and Neith Little, agriculture and food systems agent (Baltimore City), to create the new curriculum, the program not only highlights state regulations, but also tackles the business development side of starting a cottage food or on-farm home processing business from your home or farm kitchen.

“It’s intended to be a beginning platform to introduce people to all of these moving pieces,” said Henley. “We really want people to think of the risks as it applies to food safety, costs, business planning, and labeling – even that can be more than people expect.”

While starting an on-farm or cottage food business comes with challenges and risks, the Maryland Food Ventures workshop provides an introduction designed to help people develop their idea into a sustainable business plan. The workshop also addresses those who have been running an on-farm or cottage food business and are ready to take the next step.

“You have to be invested if it’s something you want to pursue,” Henley said. “An on-farm or cottage food business can give you a taste of whether your idea can be successful on a larger scale in the future.”

The free introductory period to access the workshops only lasts for a limited time, after which, the course registration is $15. Learn more and register at https://umeagfs.teachable.com/p/maryland-food-ventures-cottage-onfarm. For more food safety resources from farm-to-table visit https://extension.umd.edu/resource/food-safety-farm-table-resources-marylanders.

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University of Maryland – The Woods In Your Backyard Online Course

March 18, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension

Registration is now open for the spring 2022 session of “The Woods in Your Backyard” online course. Our self-directed, non-credit course runs 10 weeks from March 28 to June 6, 2022. The course will help landowners convert lawn to natural areas and enhance stewardship of existing natural areas. The course provides strategies to landowners of small parcels of land (1-10 acres) that improve the stewardship of their property for personal enjoyment and environmental quality. It uses a hands-on learning approach to help participants develop and implement a plan for their property. Activities include how to map habitat areas, understand basic ecological principles about woodland and wildlife, choose and implement a few habitat management projects, and how to set a timetable and record your progress. Online discussion groups will allow participants to interact with others taking the course. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed.

The course costs $95.00 per person, which includes the 108-page “Woods in Your Backyard” guide, workbook, and a tree identification guide. The course is limited to 25 participants, so sign up now! Registration closes March 28, 2022 or when filled. Registration is through Eventbrite; go to https://spring22.eventbrite.com.

For more information, go to https://go.umd.edu/WIYB-Spring_2022, or contact course coordinator Andrew Kling, University of Maryland Extension, [email protected], 301-432-2767, extension 307.

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LEAD Maryland Fellowship Program Welcomes Class XII

February 18, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) Signature Program, LEAD Maryland, welcomed its newest class of professionals, selected to develop leadership and skills to better serve and support the agricultural, natural resources, and rural sectors.

LEAD Class XII consists of 25 Fellowship recipients who are participating in the two-year program that teaches problem solving, communication, leadership skills, and public issues education related to public policy, resources, and opportunities. LEAD Fellows come from all over the state and from diverse backgrounds including rural and urban farmers, communications specialists, business owners, conservation technicians, organization managers, and more.

During the two year term of the Fellowship, the class will participate in a series of nine multi-day seminars and an international study experience, focused on affecting public policy, identifying resources, engaging and educating others, and becoming leaders within their communities, in rural Maryland, and within the agriculture industry.

“We are very excited to be working with this class. When the Fellows gathered for their first seminar last week, and we learned more about each person, it really impressed upon me what a strong and capable group this is—capable to do anything they might put their minds to doing,” said LEAD Maryland Foundation Executive Director Susan Harrison. “Each person brings experiences, knowledge, resources, and a passion for their work and communities to the class. Their collective strength will allow them to serve and solve problems through leadership. The LEAD experience will help them grow as leaders and to discover many new people, places, and ideas. They are already learning from conversations with each other.”

The Fellowship Program is provided through UME and the LEAD Maryland Foundation, which is supported in part by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, the Rural Maryland Council through the Maryland Agricultural Education & Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF), MidAtlantic Farm Credit, Maryland Farm Bureau, Maryland Soybean Board, Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Campbell Foundation, the Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation (NAEF), the Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA), Choptank Electric Trust, the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF), and support from other organizations and individuals.

To learn more about the LEAD Maryland Fellowship program, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, and to find a full list of the Class XII participants, go to www.leadmaryland.org.

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Natural Areas Management Services Webinar Series: A Case Study

February 15, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension

Green industry 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 University of Maryland Extension.

The Natural Area Management Services Series: A Case Study is designed for land managers and interested landowners. These webinars will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on three consecutive Thursdays: March 10, 17, and 24, 2022, and interested participants must register online at https://go.umd.edu/NAM22.

The three-part series based on the Woodland Health Practices Manual and Checklist, created by the Woods in Your Backyard partnership, will provide in-depth instruction on managing a small-acreage property. Using a case-study approach, instructors will demonstrate how to utilize the 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, and assess and mitigate deer impact on vegetation.

The aim is to inform and equip green industry professionals with resources, knowledge and skills to provide additional services to clientele while improving ecosystem health. A certificate of attendance will be provided to participants who attend the live sessions only. These certificates can be used to obtain professional development credits for International Society of Arboriculture, Society of American Foresters (pending approval) and Maryland Licensed Tree Experts (pending approval).

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

Registrations will be accepted through March 9. Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinar. Registrants also will receive access to webinar recordings. Cost of the program is $35, which includes the Woodland Health Practices Handbook and the Woodland Health Assessment Checklist and Management Actions Guide The webinar is $15 without the Handbook and Guide Register and find more information at https://go.umd.edu/NAM22.

For more information on program content, contact Agnes Kedmenecz, extension educator, at 410-827-8056 or [email protected].

Agenda:

Webinar 1: Thursday, March 10, 2022, 2 – 4 p.m.
Developing a Woods In Your Backyard Land Care Plan for Clientele: A Case Study Approach
This session will provide a brief overview of the Woods in Your Backyard educational program and resources available. It will describe the potential benefits to offering these services to small acreage landowners. In addition, it will explain what their motivations and interests are for natural area services and how to communicate your message to clientele. This will be done by focusing on a case-study property to demonstrate how to utilize the Woodland Health Assessment: Checklist & Management Actions Tool for the initial walk through. Session will wrap-up by developing a land care plan for the case study property.

Webinar 2: Thursday, March 17, 2022, 2 – 4 p.m.
Improving Tree Health and Managing Deer Problems: A Case Study Approach
This webinar covers two additional high priority practices: how to convert unused lawn area into a haven for wildlife by converting it to woods and meadows. Planting trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses is only the first step, practices such as controlling competing and invasive vegetation and maintaining tree protection will help ensure success. Next, this session will discuss how to identify and mitigate the negative impacts of deer overabundance. Methods to assess deer impact as well as small and large-scale methods to reduce the impact of deer on vegetation will be addressed.

Webinar 3: Thursday, March 24, 2022, 2 – 4 p.m.
Converting Lawn to Natural Area and Controlling Invasive Plants: A Case Study Approach
This webinar will cover two high priority management practices: how to improve tree health and habitat by thinning overcrowded trees and releasing chosen or “crop” trees and invasive plant problems and how best to control them. Herbicide selection and application methods will be examined in detail.

Time: Thursdays: March 10, 17 and 24, 2022 Registration Information: https://go.umd.edu/NAM22
Registration Materials & Cost: $35.00. Includes Woodland Health Practices Handbook and the Woodland Health Assessment Checklist and Management Actions Guide.
$15 without the Handbook and Guide
Note: For an additional $20 participants can also receive a copy of the original Woods in Your Backyard book 2nd edition.

The Woods in Your Backyard Partnership includes the University of Maryland Extension, Penn State Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and Virginia Dept. of Forestry

This project is funded by the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology.

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