Got Nature? Blog

MyDNR, Indiana’s Outdoor Newsletter: Each year, Indiana DNR invites the public to provide feedback on the management of white-tailed deer via the Deer Management Survey.

This electronic survey gathers opinions on deer management at both the county and state levels, covering deer population management, trends in deer populations, and other relevant topics.

The survey will include questions about this past year’s epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) event in southern Indiana, as well as questions regarding Indiana DNR’s approach to managing EHD outbreaks.

Anyone can sign up to receive the survey by visiting the Deer Management Survey webpage. If you have previously filled out the survey, you will automatically receive one in future years.

Resources:
Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
Introduction to White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands
Understanding White-tailed Deer and Their Impact on Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Monitoring White-tailed Deer and Their Impact on Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Managing White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Bovine Tuberculosis in Wild White-tailed Deer, The Education Store
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
How to Score Your White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
White-Tailed Deer Post Harvest Collection, video, The Education Store
Age Determination in White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store
Handling Harvested Deer Ask an Expert? video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Wildlife Playlist

Division of Fish and Wildlife
Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR)

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Do you want to learn more about trees, forests and how to better manage your woodlands for a variety of purposes?

Sign up for one of four upcoming editions of the award-winning Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner course in Spring 2026. The course received the 2024 Family Forests Education Award from the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA) and the National Association of University Forestry Resources Programs (NAUFRP).

Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner introduces forest landowners to the biology and management of forests. Topics covered include tree identification, forest biology and history, forest management planning and practices, wildlife management, considerations for selling timber, forest economics and taxation, and resources and assistance available to forest landowners.

According to survey results from course participants in 2021, “94.4% stated that the information was useful to help them make future decisions and 92.5% stated that the information was useful to help act to manage their property objectives.”

Ron Rathfon is set to teach an eight-week version of the course at the Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center (SIPAC) in Dubois, Indiana, from January 26 to March 16.

The course will meet on Monday evenings (6-9 p.m.) at 11371 East Purdue Farm Rd., and also will include one Saturday field session. Class size is limited to 40 registrants. Advanced registration is required by Jan. 16. Cost is $50 with couples/family registration available for $30 for each additional person.

Those interested should contact Amity Traylor, District Coordinator with the Pike County Soil & Water Conservation District at 812-354-6120 ext. 3 or pikecoswcd@gmail.com to receive a brochure and registration form as well as payment information.

Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee will teach two iterations of the course in Tippecanoe County, beginning on Feb. 18 and March 5 respectively.

• A virtual course is slated to begin on Wednesday Feb. 18. The course will feature three live online meetings during which participants may ask questions and receive updated information from the course instructor related to the recorded videos available to view at any time by the registrants. Live meetings are set for Feb. 18, March 11 and April 1. Full registration fee is $15. Registration for this virtual edition is available online through Feb. 13.
• Farlee also will teach an in-person edition of the course, meeting on Thursday evenings from March 5 to April 23 at the John S. Wright Center (1007 N 725 W, West Lafayette, IN 47906). In addition to the eight evening meetings (from 6-9 p.m. ET), the course will include two Saturday field days, which will provide in-person experience with forest biology and management demonstrations and instruction. Full registration fee ($50) includes handouts, flash drive with class reference resources and a tree measuring stick. Guest registration fee ($30) includes class handouts. Visit Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Event webpage to learn more and register by February 28th.

Veronica Bullock and Dave Osborne will be teaching a program in Franklin County from Feb. 10 to March 31.

The course will take place on Tuesdays from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. ET at the Franklin County Public Library – 919 Main Street, Brookville, IN 47012. This course also will include a field tour at the Southeast Purdue Agriculture Center (4426 County Road 360 North, Butlerville, IN 47223) on March 21. Registration is available online. Contact Bullock with any questions at bullockv@purdue.edu.

To view this article along with other news and stories posted on the Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources website view: FNR Extension Set to Offer Four Editions of Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course in Spring 2026.

Resources:
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Wildlife Habitat Hint YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Woodland Management Moment YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Invasive Species YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course – Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Report Invasive Species, Purdue Invasive Species
Finding help from a professional forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Indiana Woodland Steward Institute
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE)
Hardwood Tree Improvement & Regeneration Center (HTIRC)
Help the Hellbender
The Nature of Teaching
Pond and Wildlife Management, Website
Sustainable Communities and Community Planning, Purdue Extension
Subscribe Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Join Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee in this episode of “A Woodland Management Moment” as he discusses the presence of black walnut within a pine plantation. This episode explores how hardwood species like black walnut can become established in planted pine stands and what that means for woodland management decisions. Watch the video to learn about opportunities, challenges and considerations for managing mixed-species woodlands over time.

 

A good resource to learn more is the Walnut Council website. Founded in 1970, the Walnut Council is an international association representing nearly 700 woodland owners, foresters, forest scientists, and wood-producing industry representatives in 45 states and three foreign countries. The purpose is to assist in the technical transfer of forest research to field applications, help build and maintain better markets for wood products and nut crops, and to promote sustainable forest management, conservation, reforestation, and utilization of American black walnut (Juglans nigra) and other high quality fine hardwoods.

If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products, or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
The Nature of Oaks Webinar, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel, Shared from Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners Video Series, Playlist, Indiana Department of Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Ask an Expert: Tree Selection and Planting, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Find an Indiana Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Purdue Arboretum Explorer

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension Forester Lenny Farlee introduces us to sugarberry, a native relative of hackberry that can be found throughout Indiana. Often overlooked among other hardwoods, this species has its own distinctive features and ecological role. Learn about where it grows, how it fits into our woodland landscapes and what sets it apart from its close cousins. Whether you’re a student, landowner or simply interested in the rees you see along rivers and lowlands, this video provides a quick introduction to sugarberry in Indiana.

 

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree – Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Habitat University, Episode 12 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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Uncover the challenges posed by reed canarygrass, an invasive perennial grass that threatens conservation plantings, wetlands and low-lying areas. This guide details control options for reed canarygrass. Essential for conservationists and land managers dedicated to preserving native ecosystems: Reed Canarygrass Control.

Check out the Managing Conservation Plantings Series which include details on how to control invasive species and other problematic plants in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) plantings and native warm-season grass and wildflower conservation plantings.

Publications in this series include:

• Golden Rod Control
• Thinning Native Warm-Season Grasses
• Sericea Lespedeza Control
• Woody Encroachment and Woody Invasives
• Jonhsongrass Control
• Reed Canarygrass Control
• Teasel Control (Common and Cut Leaved)
• Controlling Introduced Cool-Season Grasses
• Crownvetch, Sweetclover and Birdsfoot Trefoil Control

Resources:
Deer Impact Toolbox & Grassland Management, Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
Pond and Wildlife Management, Purdue Extension
Forestry for the Birds Virtual Tour and Pocket Guide, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Frost Seeding to Establish Wildlife Food Plots and Native Grass and Forb Plantings – Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Tips for Evaluating a First Year Native Grass and Forb Plantings, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Drone Seeding Native Grasses and Forbs: Project Overview & Drone Setup, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Forest Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest, The Education Store
A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Nature of Teaching Unit 1: Animal Diversity and Tracking, The Education Store
Nature of Teaching, Purdue College of Agriculture
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Subscribe Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Jarred Brooke, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Hoosier Ag Today – Your Farm Podcast: On the latest episode of the “Your Farm” podcast, C.J. Miller chats with Lenny Farlee from Purdue Forestry & Natural Resources, about the environmental and sustainability benefits of a having a real Christmas tree in your home this holiday season.

“It’s a great family experience and there is also some really significant environmental benefits to using live trees as your Christmas tree decorations.” — Lenny Farlee, Purdue FNR extension forester.

Looking for the perfect Christmas tree but feeling overwhelmed by all the options? Whether you’re debating between fir, pine, or cedar, this podcast has you covered! Join Lenny as he shares expert tips and the key questions every first-time buyer should ask to find the tree that fits your home and your holiday dreams.

Watch the YouTube video from the podcast episode 5 The Benefits of a Real Christmas Tree in Your Home!

The “Your Farm” Podcast is one of the many new podcasts available as Hoosier Ag Today presents YOUR Purdue Extension—a Podcast Network!

About Hoosier Ag Today
Hoosier Ag Today is Indiana’s leading agricultural news network, dedicated to providing timely, relevant and credible information for the state’s farming community. It delivers farm news, market updates, weather forecasts and analysis through the largest network of local radio stations in Indiana, as well as digital platforms like its website, podcasts, e-newsletter and mobile app. Founded in 2006, Hoosier Ag Today serves as a trusted source for farmers and agribusiness leaders to stay informed about state, national and international agricultural developments.

Resources:
A Choose-and-Cut Pine and Fir Christmas Tree Case Study, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Living Christmas Trees For The Holidays and Beyond, The Education Store
Tips for First-Time Buyers of Real Christmas Trees, The Education Store
Growing Christmas Trees, The Education Store
Selecting an Indiana-Grown Christmas Tree, The Education Store
Winterize Your Trees, The Education Store
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
What do Treed Do in the Winter?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Forest/Timber Playlist, subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Ask the Expert: Holidays in the Wild, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
ID That Tree: Balsam Fir, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
ID That Tree: Scotch Pine, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
To identify other pine trees view ID That Tree, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Purdue Plant Doctor, Purdue Extension

C.J. Miller, Assistant News Director
Hoosier Ag Today

Diana Evans, Extension & Web Communications Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Join Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee in this episode of “A Woodland Management Moment” as he highlights the breeding programs with the native Indiana tree Butternut. This episode introduces viewers to the once frequently found species and why there’s been a notable decline in its population. Watch the video to learn the reason behind butternut’s decline, how we have been trying to combat that with conservation efforts and details about how butternut grows.

 

If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products, or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:

ID That Tree: Butternut
Hardwoods of the Central Midwest: Butternut
Hardwood Lumber and Veneer Series: Butternut, The Education Store
Morton Arboretum: Butternut
Identification of Butternuts and Butternut Hybrids, The Education Store
Conservation and Management of Butternut Trees, The Education Store
The Plight of the Butternut
HTIRC Seed Propagation Protocol for Purdue and Hybrid Butternut
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Butternut, Native Tree of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners Video Series, Playlist, Indiana Department of Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Ask an Expert: Tree Selection and Planting, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Find an Indiana Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Purdue Arboretum Explorer

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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Discover how to manage non-native cool-season grasses like tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass in native conservation plantings. This guide reveals how these invasive species form dense sod layers, which limits wildlife mobility, and also provides control options for these invasive species. Controlling Introduced Cool-Season Grasses is essential for anyone dedicated to preserving native ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity.

Check out the Managing Conservation Plantings Series which include details on how to control invasive species and other problematic plants in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) plantings and native warm-season grass and wildflower conservation plantings.

Publications in this series include:

• Golden Rod Control
• Thinning Native Warm-Season Grasses
• Sericea Lespedeza Control
• Woody Encroachment and Woody Invasives
• Jonhsongrass Control
• Reed Canarygrass Control
• Teasel Control (Common and Cut Leaved)
• Controlling Introduced Cool-Season Grasses
• Crownvetch, Sweetclover and Birdsfoot Trefoil Control

Resources:
Deer Impact Toolbox & Grassland Management, Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
Pond and Wildlife Management, Purdue Extension
Forestry for the Birds Virtual Tour and Pocket Guide, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Frost Seeding to Establish Wildlife Food Plots and Native Grass and Forb Plantings – Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Tips for Evaluating a First Year Native Grass and Forb Plantings, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Drone Seeding Native Grasses and Forbs: Project Overview & Drone Setup, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Forest Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest, The Education Store
A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Nature of Teaching Unit 1: Animal Diversity and Tracking, The Education Store
Nature of Teaching, Purdue College of Agriculture
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Subscribe Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Jarred Brooke, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Once the leaves have fallen and the landscape is dominated by shades of brown and gray, bright colors like red catch our attention. There are several red fruits that we may encounter in the late fall and winter here in Indiana that add some color to the landscape. These fruits are retained on trees and shrubs for a variety of reasons. Some are not as palatable to wildlife, so they are eaten later in the season. Some are more resistant to freeze damage and thus cling to branches longer than delicate fruits. There may also be an advantage to their appearance. Many of these plants have seeds dispersed by wildlife like birds, which eat the seeds and excrete them later, providing an opportunity to produce new plants away from the parent. Many birds can see much of the same color spectrum we do, plus enhanced vision in the ultra-violet bands. Brightly-colored seeds with waxy skins may reflect more ultra-violet light and be more noticeable to the birds.

What are some of those red fruits?
One family of plants accounts for several red fruit we can see in late fall and winter, the rose family. This family includes apples, plums, cherries, hawthorns, pears and others as well as the roses. In Indiana we have several hawthorns (Crataegus species) that produce a fruit resembling a tiny apple. These vary in size by species but are typically ¼ to ½ inch diameter and often held in clusters. Hawthorns are typically small trees and may have long thin thorns on the twigs.

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Discover how to effectively manage the invasive common and cut-leaved teasel, which threatens open areas like prairies, savannas, sedge meadows, roadsides and conservation plantings. This publication provides essential information for exploring effective control options. Essential reading for conservationists and land managers interested in grassland ecosystems: Teasel Control (Common and Cut Leaved).

Check out the Managing Conservation Plantings Series which include details on how to control invasive species and other problematic plants in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) plantings and native warm-season grass and wildflower conservation plantings.

Publications in this series include:

• Golden Rod Control
• Thinning Native Warm-Season Grasses
• Sericea Lespedeza Control
• Woody Encroachment and Woody Invasives
• Jonhsongrass Control
• Reed Canarygrass Control
• Teasel Control (Common and Cut Leaved)
• Controlling Introduced Cool-Season Grasses
• Crownvetch, Sweetclover and Birdsfoot Trefoil Control

Resources:
Deer Impact Toolbox & Grassland Management, Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
Pond and Wildlife Management, Purdue Extension
Forestry for the Birds Virtual Tour and Pocket Guide, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Frost Seeding to Establish Wildlife Food Plots and Native Grass and Forb Plantings – Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Tips for Evaluating a First Year Native Grass and Forb Plantings, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Drone Seeding Native Grasses and Forbs: Project Overview & Drone Setup, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Forest Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest, The Education Store
A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
Nature of Teaching Unit 1: Animal Diversity and Tracking, The Education Store
Nature of Teaching, Purdue College of Agriculture
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Subscribe Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Jarred Brooke, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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