University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Forestry Outreach Programs
Annual R e por t
of Ac t iv it i es
f or 2 0 0 8
The University of Wisconsin - Stevens
Point in cooperation with University of
Wisconsin Extension and the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resource’s
Division of Forestry offers leadership
training and advanced training on
sustainable forest management for
woodland owners and enthusiasts
through the Woodland Leadership
Institute and Master Woodland Steward
Program.
To help build capacity in Wisconsin’s
woodland owner organizations the
Woodland Leadership Institute was
created with the first class graduating
in 2001. The Woodland Leadership
Institute is designed to educate and
equip woodland owners and enthusiasts
to become leaders in Wisconsin’s
woodland owner organizations and
in their local communities on issues
related to forestry, sustainable forest
management, and public policy.
The Master Woodland Steward Program
was designed to help woodland owners
understand and implement their
management plan for their property and
the resources that are available to help
them do that. Since the first courses
were offered in 2002 this goal has been
expanded somewhat to include helping
woodland owners who don’t have a
management plan understand the need
and value of having a management
plan. Our goal is to reach out to
woodland owners and enthusiasts who
are interested in learning more about
sustainable forest management practices
and becoming better stewards of their
land and provide them with educational
opportunities that help them meet their
needs.
To accomplish these goals we have
developed a number of partnerships that
include, but are not limited to, the U. S.
Forest Service, University of Wisconsin
- Madison, University of Minnesota
Extension, Wisconsin Woodland
Owners Association, Wisconsin Family
Forests, inc. Dovetail Partners, the Aldo
Leopold Foundation and the Woodland
School, and many others who provide
assistance in helping to promote these
programs, teach seminars, and support
our efforts.
We also work with partners to help
them achieve their goals. This past year
UWSP’s Forestry Outreach Programs
provided financial and technical
assistance to the Department of Natural
Resources and the Wisconsin Woodland
Owners Association to host a Private
Forestry Summit. The goal of the
Summit was to bring together all those
with interests committed to private
forestry and evaluate the opportunities
to increase the amount of land under
responsible forest management.
The goal of this report is describe the
resources that go into making these
programs successful, the coursework
and seminars that are held each year and
the impact that these programs have on
individuals and organizations. To learn
more about what we have accomplished
this past year turn the page and
continuing reading...
Woodland Leadership Institute
The goal of the Woodland
Leadership Institute it to help
strengthen Wisconsin’s woodland
owner organizations by building
leadership capacity and skills of
their members.
The institute accomplishes this
through seminars that focus on...
• The history of forestry in Wisconsin and
its impact on the ecology, economy and
social development of Wisconsin.
• The reasons why family forest owners
own land and how that affects their
management decisions.
• The financial and technical resources
available to forest landowners to help them
manage their forest lands.
• Responsible forest management activities
on private and public lands and the role
of landowner organization in promoting
sustainable forest management.
• Citizen led conservation efforts.
• Understanding of the skills that leaders
must employ to gain citizen/membership
involvement in decision-making on
conservation issues.
The Institute requires participants to read
books on natural resource conservation
philosophy, volunteerism and building
volunteer led organizations. They also perform
a series of observations and interviews of
community leaders to learn more about their
community. But perhaps most important to
our participants, they share what they have
learned with each other.
Participants receive more than 50 hours of
classroom instruction and presentations in
the field from nearly 30 agency, extension,
forest industry, private consultants and natural
resources management professionals. They
also invest considerably more time as they are
given readings and homework assignments to
help them prepare for the next seminar.
The Class of 2008 had twenty-three
participants; Six from Minnesota and
Seventeen from Wisconsin. Including
leaders from Wisconsin Woodland Owners
Association, Wisconsin Family Forests,
Wisconsin Walnut Council, Wisconsin
Christmas Tree Producers Association, and
the Minnesota Forestry Association.
Participants are required to develop a
Community Action Plan to address a specific
need in their community. This process
gives them an opportunity to practice what
they have learned through the Institute and
helps them to focus on how they can give
back to their community. An example of a
proposed project from this year’s class is the
development of a “Woodland Experience at
Madison Children’s Museum.” The goal of
this project is to “provide a wood source and
technical expertise to the staff involved in the
development of the new Madison Children’s
Museum scheduled to open in late 2010. We
will be a material and information resource for
the design, development, and fabrication of a
woodland interactive exhibit(s).”
Institute graduates have played important
roles in the growth and maintenance of
Wisconsin’s woodland owner organizations
and have been essential to the recruitment of
each new class that has come after.
The goal of the Master Woodland Steward
Program is to offer training for woodland
owners who are interested in learning more
about sustainable forest management practices
and becoming better stewards of their land.
A total of 32 Master Woodland Steward
Seminars were offered in 2008. These 32
Seminars accounted for over 170 hours of
instruction and almost 1,500 student contact
hours with Instructors. Instruction is
provided by over a dozen agency, extension,
forest industry, private consultants and
natural resources management professionals.
Seminar were held at four different locations.
These included:
• The University of Wisconsin - Stevens
Point’s Schmeeckle Reserve and
Treehaven Field Station,
• The Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Legacy
Center through the Woodland School,
• The Wisconsin Woodland Owners
Association Foundation’s Seno Woodland
Education Center.
Seminars offered through the Woodland
School and the Seno Woodland Education
Center are done in partnership with these
organizations with overall coordination and
support being provided by UWSP’s Forestry
Outreach Programs.
Nearly 110 individuals participated in at
least one Seminar with 20 currently working
towards completing the requirements to
become Master Woodland Stewards.
To become a Master Woodland Steward
participants are required to complete the
eight core seminars and commit to providing
30 hours of volunteer service taking what
they have learned and helping to pass
that knowledge on to their community.
Participants are asked to provide us with a
plan for how they propose to do that and
we follow-up with them one-year after they
graduate to hear about their experiences.
Master Woodland Steward Program
The Master Woodland Steward Program
consists of approximately 50 hours of
classroom instruction and hands-on learning
experiences in the field. The Program includes
seminars on
• Tree Identification
• How Trees Grow
• Tree Selection and Planting
• Woodlot Management
• Plant Health Care
• Dealing with Invasive Species
• The Careful Timber Harvest
• After the Harvest
• Financial planning for woodland owners
• Wildlife Habitat Management
• Chainsaw Safety
• Pruning trees and shrubs for fun and
profit
An important component of the Program is
giving participants the opportunity to practice
the skills, techniques, and tools discussed in
the classroom in the field so they can see how
to apply these very same things on their own
woodland property.
The experience that these
partners bring to the
classroom is invaluable in
bringing quality instruction
and high satisfaction to
Program participants.
Impact Statements
Thoughts from our Woodland Leadership Institute
and Master Woodland Steward Program Graduates
One way to evaluate the effectiveness of
these Programs is to look at the impact that
they have on people’s lives and how their
assumptions about and the management
activities on their woodland properties have
changed. As a part of our evaluation process
we perform a one-year after follow-up with
Institute and Program graduates. The
following quotes are from our graduates.
“My message would be to sign up the first
chance you get because you never will regret it
(Time well spent.)”
Woodland Leadership Institute
“The program has given me a bigger picture
of all that is involved in properly managing
a woodland including growing healthy
trees, wildlife use & concerns, how will the
woodland look in 5 years or 20 years, what
are the threats to a healthy woodland, how
to best utilize the woodland for a profit and
how to improve the woodland for maximum
enjoyment.”
“A chance to interact with a group of
woodland owners that share the same passion
for sound sustainable forestry practices.”
“First of all, the people that I have met in
the class of 2008 have been incredible - for
their humor, openness, and all that they
have accomplished and what they intend to
accomplish. What a fantastic group. They
are inspiring to me about my own goals.”
“I believe that many areas of my life,
above and beyond woodland leadership
will be positively affected by the classwork.
Interaction with the participants has been as
informative and beneficial as the classes.”
“First, it has made this 70+ person feel like
50+. Second, it has given me the opportunity
to rethink what is important in life and what
I might be able to contribute while I still
can. Third, it has given me more confidence
to stand up and do the things that need to be
done - most important to make others work
with me in the effort.”
“It’s well worth the time commitment… An
outstanding learning experience and a great
adventure meeting wonderful people.”
Master Woodland Steward Program
“I am more concerned about active
management especially identification
and removal of invasive species. The
MWS program discussions opened my
understanding that our management plan
was a document to be continually revisited
and updated as we learned more about
best management practices. I am more
interested in oak regeneration on our land as a
consequence.”
“I am now more aware of how a forest
interacts with recreation, wildlife, and the
production of good wood products. Growing
trees is more than just letting nature take its
course. Good management can improve the
final financial outcome and still have good
recreation and wildlife opportunities.”