Oak restoration workshop set
<p class="p1">The Illinois Forestry Association is working with a number of partners and field experts to offer a one-day workshop and field tour focused on the restoration of oak forest ecosystems. </p><p class="p1">The program is scheduled Friday, Oct. 16, at the Trail of Tears State Forest in Union County.</p><p class="p1">The day is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with a series of four presentations in the historic white barn at the state forest, which is northwest of Jonesboro. </p><p class="p1">A catered, barbeque lunch will be served to those who are registered to attend the workshop.</p><p class="p1">The workshop is scheduled to finish with a field tour of state forest demonstration sites in the afternoon. </p><p class="p1">Topics will include the role of fire in maintaining oak forests, the impact of oak ecosystem management on wildlife and a look at oak restoration from a natural heritage perspective.</p><p class="p1">Speakers are scheduled to include: </p><p class="p1">Joe Marschall, coordinator for the Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium.</p><p class="p1">John Burk, regional biologist with the National Wild Turkey Federation.</p><p class="p1">Mark Guetersloh, natural heritage biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR.</p><p class="p1">Dr. Charles Ruffner, forestry professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. </p><p class="p1">IDNR district foresters Ben Snyder and David Allen, along with NRCS conservation forester Ryan Pankau, also are scheduled to be on hand to participate in the event.</p><p class="p1">The topic of invasive weeds will be integrated throughout the program. Kevin Rohling, the new coordinator for River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area, is scheduled to offer an informal show and tell about invasive plants during the lunch hour.</p><p class="p1">Organizers of the event said that the "adaptive management" strategies underway at the Trail of Tears State Forest offer an opportunity to view different practices alongside untreated areas, so visitors can see the results first hand. </p><p class="p1">Leading experts and front line managers will be on hand to help interpret the landscape and explain the why and how of maintaining and restoring oak trees in the forest.</p><p class="p1">Planned with private landowners in mind, the workshop is free and open to the public. Space is limited to the first 50 people who register in advance: online at http://ilforestry.org/event-2042027 or by phone by calling Stephanie Brown at 618-638-6954, or by email at ilforestry@gmail.com.</p><p class="p1">The workshop is sponsored by the Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium and the National Wild Turkey Federation. </p><p class="p1">Planning is coordinated by the Illinois Forestry Association, in cooperation with IDNR, SIU Forestry, the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.</p>