If so, this shortcourse is for you.
A shortcourse on Forestry and Wildlife Management will be conducted on Saturday, October 29, 2011 in the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Annex (2513 7th Street in Tuscaloosa) from 8:30 a.m. -2:00 p.m. This course is designed primarily for new woodland landowners and landowners who are interested in better managing their woodlands. The objective of this course is to inform you about the basic skills needed to maximize your woodlands for optimum forestry and wildlife management.
The course will teach you how to identify the major trees, wildlife species, plant and animal invasive species, forest insects and diseases in Alabama. It will cover how to read legal property descriptions, how to determine property acreage on a map, how to develop a woodland management plan, how to find professional assistance to help meet your objectives, how to pace between distances, how to read a compass, how to measure standing trees to determine the amount of wood in the tree, how to evaluate a woodland stand to determine the best management practices needed for selected wildlife, and much more.
To sign-up for this course, send your $25 registration to Natures Haven at 10561 Turner Spur, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 by Friday October 21. Refreshments lunch and A Starter's Guide to Managing Your Woodlands included. For more information, contact Wayne Ford at (205) 333-0621 or at wayneford18@att.net.
The instructor for this course will be Wayne Ford. Wayne is a registered forester who retired as the Tuscaloosa County Extension Coordinator this past February. During Wayne’s 32 years in Extension, he has discussed hundreds of natural resource questions with youth and adults as well as conducted or helped conduct hundreds of meetings, field days and shortcourses on natural resource topics. He has coached more National Championship 4-H Forestry Teams (eight) than any other coach in the United States. Likewise, his 4-H wildlife judging teams have won five National Championships - again, tops in the nation. Due to his accomplishments, he has received many honors such as the Alabama Governor’s Conservation Educator of the Year, the Extension Distinguished Career Award and received the honor of a Pillar of West Alabama in 2009. Recently, he was awarded Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Most Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award.