Forest Management Educational Workshop Series at Wilcox Preserve

From Michelle T. Ford, City Planning & Environmental Specialist
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Event 1:  Reading the Wooded Landscape                                                                  

• When:  Saturday, October 17, 2015, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Where: Wilcox Preserve off Footit Drive in Middletown
• Instructors: Tom Worthley, Associate Extension Professor, University of Connecticut  and UConn Extension Forestry Staff

You can become part of an investigative team that will explore, inspect, investigate and describe in detail the woodlands of the Wilcox preserve. Under the guidance of expert instructors we’ll make note of habitat features, measure trees, learn to navigate with a compass, map trails and other features and collect all the detailed information needed to formulate management decisions. Are you a woodland owner wanting a plan for your property? Or are you interested in how plans are created for managing public open space parcels? This workshop will provide the foundation you’ll need.
During the course of this workshop we will cover the following topics:

• Boundaries and boundary evidence
• Seeing history on the land
• Recognizing habitat features
• Forest cover types and plant communities
• Tree measurement tools
• Not getting lost: Keeping track of distance and direction
• Observations and diagnostics: What do the data tell us

The rain date for this event is Sunday, October 18, 2015 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
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Event 2:  Chain Saw Safety and Operation

• When:  Saturday, November 14, 2015, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Where: Wilcox Preserve off Footit Drive in Middletown
• Instructors: Tom Worthley, Associate Extension Professor, University of Connecticut and UConn Extension Forestry Staff

Whether you find yourself needing to use a chain saw for property cleanup, making firewood, maintaining trails or woodland management, this workshop will be of interest. Homeowners and property managers, folks who find they need to use a saw occasionally at work or those who regularly cut wood for their own use need to be familiar with the basics of personal safety, and safe and efficient operation of the saw itself, and how to know that their saw is in good working condition.
During the course of this workshop we will cover the following topics:

• Personal protective equipment
• Saw safety check
• Reactive forces while operating a chain saw
• Parts of the tooth and sharpening techniques
• Basic maintenance tasks
• Work planning and hazard assessment
• Tree felling and bucking demonstration

The rain date for this event is Sunday, November 15, 2015 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Both workshops are free to Middletown residents. Wear sturdy shoes, bring drinking water and lunch. Hearing and head protection are not required, but bring them if you have them. If there is heavy rain, lightning or high winds, the workshops will be re-scheduled to the rain dates as posted.  Spaces are limited for each event so please RSVP to Michelle Ford at michelle.ford@middletownct.gov or by phone at 860-638-4837 to ensure availability.