2013 Forest Stewardship Program, Small Farms,
Extension & Other Natural
Resource Events and News
If you know of an event or news brief that should be included on this page please send an email with the name of the event, date, location, and contact phone or email to cdemers@ufl.edu.
Events
| EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south) | |
May 21-23 |
2013 UF-IFAS SFRC / FL SAF Spring Symposium: "Practical Aspects of Geomatics in Natural Resource Management", Paramount Plaza Hotel, 2900 SW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608. Details and registration at http://springsymposiumgeomatics.eventbrite.com/ |
May 21 |
2013 Vegetable Crop Health Management Workshop, 8 am to 4 pm, UF-IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center at Balm. Registration is free and online at http://2013vegetablecropworkshop.eventbrite.com |
June 5 |
Tree Farm Tour at Austin Cary Forest (link to pdf flier) , 9 am to 1 pm, ET, Austin Cary Forest, 16025 NE Waldo Rd, Gainesville, FL. Please Pre-Register before May 31: (850) 414-9934, Roy.Lima@FreshFromFlorida.com |
June 7 |
Habitat Management and Enhancement for Ground Nesting Birds Workshop, beginning 9:00am, UF-IFAS Hamilton County Extension Office, 1143 US Hwy 41 NW, Jasper, FL 32053. Presented by Florida Forest Service in Cooperation with National Wild Turkey Federation. Free. Pre-register by calling the Hamilton County Forester, Greg Staten, by phone at (386) 792-1269 or by email at Greg.Staten@freshfromflorida.com. |
June 20 |
National Wild Turkey Federation Habitat Management Field Tour at Straughn and Simmons Property, near Archer in Alachua County, FL. 8:30 am to 1 pm ET. Topics will include longleaf pine forest restoration and management, prescribed fire (demonstration planned), wildlife habitat management, pine thinning and more. Pre-register by contacting Ricky Lackey at (229) 378-0003, rlackey@nwtf.net or Derek Alkaire, (352) 262-2373, dalkire@nwtf.net. |
August 2-4 |
2013 Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference, Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744. Details at http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms/location.html |
August 12-16 |
Natural Areas Training Academy: Basic Certified Wildland Fire Training, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily, Waccasassa Forestry Center, Gainesville (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri), Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, Melrose (Thurs only), Registration: $100 for university students; $125 for all others (includes registration, materials, and lunch on the day of the live fire exercise) Registration at http://2013_s130-190.eventbrite.com |
August 22 |
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| WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west) | |
May 21-22 |
2013 FL Exotic Pest Plant Council (EPPC) / Southeast-EPPC Joint Annual Symposium - Plant Wars: The EPPC’s Strike Back (link) , Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, FL. See link for details. |
May 23 |
Wild Hog Information Meeting, 6 pm CT, UF-IFAS Okaloosa County Extension office at 3098 Airport Road in Crestview. http://okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu/ |
May 30 |
Forest Stewardship Workshop: Timberland Security for Landowners (link) , 3:00 to 7:15 pm, UF-IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy, FL. $10 fee covers lunch and materials. Details and registration online at http://fsp-workshop053013.eventbrite.com/ |
June 4 |
Longleaf Restoration Workshop, 8:30 am to 4 pm CT, Ebro Community Center and Nokuse Plantation. Provided by The Longleaf Alliance, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservaton Commission, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and UF-IFAS. Free, lunch provided. Register by contacting Billie Clayton at (850) 767-3634 or email billie.clayton@myfwc.com |
June 8 |
FAMU Farm Fest 2013, 9 am to 3 pm, FAMU Research & Extension Center, 4259 Bainbridge Hwy, Quincy, FL. Topics include container gardens, horticulture, hydroponics, high tunnels, forestry, livestock, urban farming, vegetable plots, youth development, and more. |
August 24 |
Annual Grape Harvest Festival, 8 am to 4 pm, Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, 6505 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32317. Hosted by FAMU. For more information, call (850) 599-3996. |
September 19 |
Invasive Exotic Species and Control Workshop, UF-IFAS Jackson County Extension Conference Room, Marianna, FL . Presented by Florida’s Forest Stewardship Program and Apalachicola Regional Stewardship Alliance. $10 fee. Register online: http://fsp-workshop091913.eventbrite.com/ |
Timber Price Update
Timber Price Update, 1st Qtr 2013
News Briefs
CURRENT AND BACK ISSUES OF THE FLORIDA LAND STEWARD NEWSLETTER ONLINE
BARK & AMBROSIA BEETLE ACADEMY COMING IN MAY 2014
The Forest Entomology Lab at the University of Florida is pleased to invite you to a comprehensive workshop on bark and ambrosia beetles in May 2014.
- Are you a landowner or a naturalist interested in bark and ambrosia beetles?
- A forester in charge of pests?
- An extension agent with clients in forestry and natural resources?
- A researcher with beetle-related projects?
You probably need to understand bark and ambrosia beetles, their damage, and biology! Learn from a team of experts through hands-on labs, field demonstration, and lectures. Choose one, two, or all three modules: Regional Applied Focus, Hardcore Identification, and Understanding the Bug. See details and sign up for updates at http://www.ambrosiasymbiosis.org/academy/.
JOIN US AT THE 2013 UF-IFAS SFRC / FL SAF SPRING SYMPOSIUM
May 21-23, 2013; Gainesville, FL. This is a two day symposium to present an array of practical applications regarding the use of GPS, satellite imagery, high resolution aerial stereo imagery, LiDAR, radar, and sonar technologies in natural resource management. Sessions will develop practical applications of these tools for terrestrial and aquatic systems management; including uses for forest inventory, fire and fuels management, invasive species management, aquatic habitat assessment, and land use analysis and planning tools such as GIS. Given the broad subject matter, we expect a large turnout. Registration will be limited to 200 attendees. Advanced registration is $175 and is available on Eventbrite: http://springsymposiumgeomatics.eventbrite.com/
USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE WELCOMES NEW STATE CONSERVATIONIST FOR FLORIDA
NRCS News Release, Gainesville, FL., May 15, 2013– On May 20th Russell Morgan will take over the reins as State Conservationist in Florida for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, also known as the NRCS.
Morgan will lead the agency's 163 employees in 50 offices across the state. In Florida, where total farmland equals 27% of the state and agriculture is considered the second most important industry, NRCS helps farmers and ranchers on voluntary conservation projects designed to protect natural resources on farms, ranches and private, non-industrial forests. Morgan will oversee significant federal conservation funding administered by the NRCS through technical assistance and conservation programs in the Farm Bill. In 2012, they totaled about $103.7 million in cost share, stewardship and easement payments. The funds help farmers and ranchers improve air and water quality, irrigation efficiency and water quantity, rangeland health, fish and wildlife habitat, and many other resource concerns.
Additional information on NRCS, conservation assistance, and programs is available on the web at http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/ or at your local USDA - NRCS office. To find the nearest office go to your telephone directory under “U. S. Government, Department of Agriculture”, or http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.
FWC RELEASES LAST GROUP OF PLANS TO CONSERVE 60 IMPERILED SPECIES
The fourth and final group of draft action plans to conserve dozens of Florida fish and wildlife species is ready for public inspection and input, including plans to protect pillar coral and the Southeastern American kestrel. Since February, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has shared plans to conserve 60 species listed now as state-threatened or species of special concern. While listing status may change for some species once a final Imperiled Species Management Plan is approved by the Commission, all 60 species will be managed by the FWC to maintain or grow their populations to preserve Florida’s wildlife legacy for future generations.
In this final group, FWC is releasing draft action plans for 13 species. In addition to pillar coral and kestrel, there are plans for the limpkin, crystal darter, Black Creek crayfish, Santa Fe cave crayfish and seven reptiles that reside in the Florida Keys. The reptiles are the Key ringneck snake, rim rock crowned snake, Florida Keys mole skink, as well as lower Keys populations of Florida brownsnake, Peninsula ribbon snake, red rat snake and striped mud turtle.
The public is invited to go to http://myfwc.com/Imperiled to read and comment on the plans for these 13 species, with the last day for public comment being June 21.
FWC REQUESTS REPORTS OF PANTHER, CHIPMUNK, and MINK SIGHTINGS
Report chipmunk sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/chipmunk/getlatlong.aspx
Report panther sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/PantherSightings/getlatlong.aspx
Report mink sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/mink/getlatlong.aspx
COYOTES VS BOBCATS: WHAT ARE THEY EATING?
Over the next 3 years (2012-2014), the University of Florida will be conducting a study of coyote and bobcat diets in Florida. Of particular interest is the importance of popular wildlife species, including white-tailed deer, turkeys, and bobwhite quail, livestock, and pets in the diet of these predators. Diets will be determined by examining the stomach contents of coyotes and bobcats legally harvested or obtained in Florida.
We are asking for your help in obtaining legally acquired coyote and bobcat carcasses, with or without pelts. We will also accept coyote and bobcat stomachs and intestines if you cannot store the whole carcass. If you have at least 5 animals that you would like to provide us, you can contact Lauren Watine (352-846-0558; lnwatine@ufl.edu) or Bill Giuliano (352-846-0575; docg@ufl.edu) at the University of Florida to arrange for pickup.
If you have fewer than 5 animals or are going to be coming through Gainesville, arrangements can be made to get carcasses from you at the University or combine your animals with others in your area for a pickup. Carcasses or stomachs and intestines should be frozen in a suitable bag or container, and include the name of contributor, animal sex, date harvested/obtained, and location harvested/obtained. We have obtained a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for this project, and will keep information provided by you for this project anonymous to the extent possible by law.
We greatly appreciate your help with this valuable study!
FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES WEBINARS
For a calendar of upcoming webinars in a variety of land management topics see:
http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinar-calendar/month#.T-zLkBhgZys.blogger
ONLINE EVENTS / EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/Extension/florida_forestry_information/events_calendar/online_events.html
SUPPORT FLORIDA'S FOREST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
Your contribution will help support Forest Stewardship Program outreach events across Florida. More information