Concurrent Sessions

Understanding Forests

Allelopathy in Rhamnus cathartica, European Buckthorn

T. L. Eddy and Scott Seltzner
Green Lake School District
Since the mid-19th century when Rhamnus cathartica, commonly known as European Buckthorn, was introduced into Wisconsin as an ornamental hedge, it has spread extensively, colonizing disturbed forest and savanna habitats.  This session will examine how the invasive buckthorn uses allelopathy, a chemical process that inhibits the growth of other plants.

Careers in Forestry and Natural Resources
Maggie Bishop
Trees For Tomorrow Natural Resources Specialty School
Forester, Forestry Technician, Entomologist, Biotechnologist, Conservation Biologist, Outdoor Recreation Specialist, Silviculturist, Ecologist, Fire Technician...  This session will take a look at the familiar and unfamiliar careers in natural resources, examining schooling requirements, job outlooks and available internships.

Exploring Forest Biome Connections: Temperate vs. Tropical
Dennis Yockers
Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education
Why should Wisconsinites learn about temperate and tropical forest biomes? These forest ecosystems are globally connected and these connections contribute to diversity. This session will compare and contrast different types of tropical forests (in Australia, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica) with Wisconsin's temperate forests.

Forest Soils
Duane Simonson
Natural Resources Conservation Service
In this session we will discuss some of the physical and chemical properties of forest soils, examine soil survey mapping in Wisconsin, and get some hands-on experience in determining soil texture and soil color.

Future Forests
Wisconsin River Academy Senior Seminar students
How will the forest and forestry be different in the 22nd century? How will the added pressures of consumerism and population growth affect our forests and what will be done to protect them?

Managing Forests for Wildlife
Christian W. Cold
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Wildlife Management
We will discuss different types of forest wildlife and ways to manage forests for wildlife abundance and diversity. Some of the current issues and controversies that we will discuss include clear-cutting, old growth forests, deer management and herbivory, forest fragmentation and degredation, and endangered & threatened species concerns.

Photographing Nature
Scott Remick
White Lake High School
Come examine the relationship between humans and the forest landscape through the work of photographers like Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter.  We will trace the history of landscape photography in the U.S. and look at how our conception of nature and forest has changed over the last 150 years.

Studying Forestry: Learning More Than How to Cut Down Trees
Sue Kissinger
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
Learn about the many directions that the study of forestry can take you-- from the city streets to the national forests. The UWSP forestry program will be highlighted, along with an overview of employment opportunities. Dress for outdoor activities.

Urban Forestry A to Z
Kim Sebastian
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Urban Forestry A to Z will cover topics in urban forestry from Arbor Day to the zig zagging characteristic of a honey locust branch.  Participants will also have the opportunity to see how they do on an informal forestry "quiz".

Urban Forestry: Wisconsin's Other Forest Resource
Les Werner and Rich Hauer
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
Urban forests represent a significant, yet often overlooked resource. As the pressures of urban sprawl continue, the urban-rural interface keeps changing. This session will explore the management of forested lands that are smaller in acreage and that serve different objectives than larger forests.

Why Are There So Many Kinds of Forest in Wisconsin?
John Kotar
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Forest Ecology and Management
A look at how some 35 major native tree species, competing with each other across climatic gradients on hundreds of different types of soils, and reacting to natural disturbances and human use over centuries and millennia, form a vast array of ever-changing forest types across Wisconsin and the Lake States.

**TEACHER SESSION **
Learning to Use the WISE Interactive Website: Gypsy Moths and The Forestry Implications In Wisconsin
Kristen Mueller
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WISE is an interactive website that is available free of charge. One of the units available on the site focuses on exotic species and the effects of gypsy moths on Wisconsin forests. This session will introduce teachers to the WISE web site and demonstrate how it can be a powerful classroom tool.

The Importance of Forests

Forestry Quiz Bowl
Joe Panci and students
Conserve School
Learn about Wisconsin's forests and their importance by participating in this mind challenging forestry competition. Groups will compete to see who knows the most about Wisconsin's forests and general forestry concepts.

Forests, Public Policy, and the Commonwealth
Stan Gruszynski
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
This session will address how laws and policies affecting forests and forest lands are made and how citizens can have an impact on those decisions. Increasing pressure on our forests for recreational, commercial, and agricultural uses will demand more public input and better knowledge of forest management. Active citizens can ensure these policies are administered fairly and appropriately.

Forests: The Big Green Giant  
Wisconsin River Academy Senior Seminar students
Exactly what are the resources we are getting from our forests?  See the well known and little publicized uses, past and present, that make our Wisconsin forests such an important economic resource.

From the Forest to the Faucet
Mike Dombeck
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources-GEM Center
When we think of forests products, we usually think of lumber, paper, and firewood.  But did you know that water is an important forest product as well?  Join former USDA Forest Service Chief, Mike Dombeck, in discussing the forest’s key role in providing and maintaining our water supply.

Importance of Forests in Wisconsin
Adam DeBauch,  Maggie Haas, Bill Gardner, Pete Kinsman , Sam Maas, Matt Molback, and Ben Williams
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Society of American Foresters
Learn about the importance of the forest industry to Wisconsin’s economy and hear about how forest management has changed through history.  This session will also cover some current forest management tools and explain what the Society of American Foresters does.

Managing Forests for the Endangered Kirtland's Warbler
Deahn DonnerWright
USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station
The Kirtland’s Warbler is an endangered migrant songbird that breeds exclusively in young jack pine forests found on public lands in northern Michigan.  We’ll discuss the issues and the habitat management program that is implemented by the U.S. Forest Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to provide enough suitable habitat for their continued survival. 

Paper: A Major Product of Wisconsin Forests
Karyn Biasca
UWSP Paper Science Department
Did you know that Wisconsin produces more paper than any other state? During this session, we will explore how the paper industry processes wood into paper, and how paper is recycled. The session includes some hands-on deinking in the Paper Science laboratory.

Public Land Policy and Changing Social Values:  Where Does Conservation Fit In?
John G. DuPlissis
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
This presentation will take a look at how social values directly impact public policy.  Through a series of case studies over time the presenter will address how social values shape public policy and how these policies affect forestland management and the goods and services that we derive from the natural resources of our state.

Supply and Demand:  Forest Services in a Global Marketplace
Nicholas Hylla
Learning, Experiences, & Activities in Forestry (LEAF)
Participate in a hands-on activity that shows how a variety of the services we receive from forests (like water retention and filtration, oxygen production, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, etc.) do not fit into the standard supply and demand model we rely on for the provision of forest products like lumber and paper. Then join a discussion of the importance of these services and some ways to ensure that they are sustained.

Timber Wolves: The Impact of an Apex Predator on Wisconsin's Forest Ecosystem
Lisa Lemke
Timber Wolf Alliance
The wolf has returned from extinction in Wisconsin and is once again thriving. This session will explore the biological role of Wisconsin’s top predator in the forest web of life and discuss the impact of human interaction with wolves and wilderness in our state.

Understanding Consumption: Where Are All the Trees Going?
Scott Bowe
University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin- Extension
This session will examine the role forests play in providing wood fiber, the most abundant renewable raw material on the planet.  The environmental and economic impacts will be discussed from a global down to a local perspective.  Common misperceptions will be discussed throughout the presentation.  Questions and interaction are encouraged.

**TEACHER SESSION**
Funding Your Forestry Education Efforts
Sterling Strathe
Learning, Experiences, and Activities in Forestry (LEAF)
Need funding to help your students learn about Wisconsin's forests?  We'll discuss funding opportunities available through the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) and other sources.

** TEACHER SESSION**|
Power Up Your Forestry Lessons!
Staff of the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP)
Why attend an energy session at a forestry conference? Energy is everywhere, including a forest! In the past, the energy of moving water transported logs down rivers to saw mills. Power plants in Wisconsin burn wood to generate electricity. Many Wisconsinites use woodstoves to heat their homes. Whether your students are exploring forestry food chains or researching biomass as a viable energy resource for our future, KEEP has programs and support materials that will energize your forestry lessons.

Sustaining Forests

Forest Management Practices
Geary Searfoss
Wisconsin Forest Productivity Council
Learn about management options available to woodland owners and other land managers to help them achieve their goals in woodland ownership. Goals may include timber production, improvement of wildlife habitat, recreation, aesthetics, or the creation of a stand with old growth characteristics. 

Forest Planning for Wisconsin's Future
Bobbie Webster and Lynn Markham
Center for Land Use Education
Participants will learn about the status of Wisconsin’s forests, factors that contribute to its fragmentation, and short case studies of ways that communities in Wisconsin have protected forestland.  They will engage in a mock forest planning exercise where they will make challenging planning and implementation decisions. The session will encourage participants to identify ongoing planning processes where they may become involved or follow along. References for further information will be distributed.

Forests and Their Creatures: The Real Story
Rachel Ann Heberlein and other E.A.R.T.H. members
E.A.R.T.H (Environmentally Aware Residents Thinking Holistically)
This interactive session with students living in the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point “Eco-Hall” will focus on the need to sustain forests for the trees and the many animals who call it home.

Goods From the Woods: Sustainable Harvest of Non-Timber Products for Hobby or Profit
Colleen Matula
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
“Non-timber forest products” refers to items collected from the woods such as balsam boughs, birch bark, mushrooms, and willow. People have collected these products for years as part of their ethnic and generational background. In this session you will learn the importance of these products, how to collect them sustainably, and how to use them for crafts.

Gypsy Moths: Invasion of the Tree Snatchers
Bria Radtke
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
In this session we’ll go over a brief history of the gypsy moth in Wisconsin, learn how to identify gypsy moths, and discuss possible control methods.  If time permits, we will also talk about other invasive insects and how they are impacting Wisconsin's forests.

Insects in Our Forests: Have You Ever Noticed Them?
Linda Williams
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
There are many insects in our forests and trees.  Some of these insects feed on the leaves of trees while others bore into the wood of the tree or feed on the roots.  Come learn about some of the major insect pests in Wisconsin forests as well as some exotic pests that the forests have to deal with.  In addition you'll learn about some of the opportunities to work in the exciting and diverse field of entomology. 

Leave No Trace in Our State Forests
Jim Joque
Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
Leave No Trace is a ten year old international concept that addresses how recreational activities such as camping, canoeing and backpacking impact our state wildlands. By way of practicing seven basic Leave No Trace principles, we can all contribute to preserving our forests.

Lessons from the Present: Sustainability
Wisconsin River Academy Senior Seminar students
How will Wisconsin forests continue to thrive under the increased pressures for usage and acreage?  All across Wisconsin a great many things are being done right by individuals, organizations, and industry.  Come learn the lessons that are being discovered here and now.

Menominee Forest Management: A Renowned Example of Sustainable Development
Bill Van Lopik
College of Menominee Nation
The Menominee Indians have sustained their 235,000 acre forest for many years, earning recognition from the United Nations as leaders in sustainable development.  Their forest has sustained the economy, natural resources, sovereignty and spirit of the Menominees and has inspired people from all over the world to visit the reservation.  Come learn about how the Menominees have cared for their land and maintained a valuable resource over time.

Wildland Fire in Wisconsin
Catherine Regan
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
This session will focus on various topics related to wildland fire in Wisconsin.  We will discuss the history of fire prevention, the Smokey Bear campaign, fire suppression, primary causes, fire safe practices, making your home firewise, and burning laws and regulations. 

Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools
Christal Campbell and Joel Stone
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Green and Healthy Schools Program is a non-competitive voluntary program open to all K-12 public and private schools across Wisconsin.  The program encourages schools to use their facilities, grounds and the whole community as learning tools to teach, promote, and apply healthy, safe, and environmentally sound practices. During this session we will show you how you can help your school to become one of the first Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools by implementing projects that will benefit your school site and forest. We will also have students who are currently participating in the program share some of their experiences.

Wisconsin Resource Aeronautics
Greg Stacey
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry
This session will cover the history of Department of Natural Resources aviation resources, highlighting the people, equipment and progress since 1915.  We will examine the aircraft, pilots and application of airborne techniques responsible guarding forest and wildlife of Wisconsin.

**TEACHER SESSION **
LEAF: In Your Classroom and at the School Forest
Sterling Strathe, Jeremy Solin, Nick Hylla
Learning, Experiences, & Activities in Forestry  (LEAF)
Come learn how LEAF materials can be used in your classroom and at your school forest.  LEAF is the statewide K-12 forestry education program that provides resources for the inclusion of forestry education in the classroom.  The session will also provide an overview of the LEAF program, professional development opportunities, available resources, and school forests.