Got Nature? Blog

This week on ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee introduces you to a non-native conifer that can be found throughout the state, the Red Pine. This species, which enjoys sandy soil, is identifiable by its small, egg-shaped cones, as well as tufts of needle pairs, which can be quite brittle, and orange/reddish bark. Learn more inside.

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, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

On this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee introduces you to the willow family, especially the black willow. The black willow is the only tree sized willow in Indiana. This species features a single scale covering the bud and thin flexible twigs, and is often found near wetland sites.

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, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

This week on ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee introduces you to another Indiana conifer, one that is found natively on dry hillsides in two southern counties near the Ohio River, the Virginia Pine. The Virginia pine is easily identified by its needle clusters that feature twisted two-needle groupings and its cones, which feature spikes at the end of the scales. Learn more about this tree often used for reforestation inside.

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, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Virginia Pine, Native Trees of IN River Walk, Purdue University Fort Wayne

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

In this episode of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee introduces you to a native Indiana conifer typically found in sandy soils near Lake Michigan, the Jack pine. This tree is differentiated from other Indiana conifers by its short two-needle clusters often found in a V formation, as well its closed cones, and open crown.

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, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Jack Pine, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Fort Wayne, Purdue University

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Purdue Landscape Report sharing resources on spotted lanternfly.The interdisciplinary faculty and staff behind the Purdue Landscape Report, which provides science-based, timely information regarding Midwest landscapes to commercial growers, garden centers, landscapers, arborists and the general public, has been named as the recipient of the Purdue Agriculture TEAM Award, which was created in 1995 to recognize interdisciplinary team achievements of faculty and staff.
Teams must consist of three or more Purdue faculty and administrative/professional staff members. Team projects should include activities in one or more of the College mission areas of teaching, research and extension, and must have made demonstrable impact.

Led by Kyle Daniel, nursery and landscape outreach specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, the Purdue Landscape Report is a collaborative effort between Purdue Extension specialists and diagnosticians in the departments of Botany and Plant Pathology, Entomology, Forestry and Natural Resources, and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Articles cover everything from urban forestry and tree maintenance to pest and disease problems and management to plant selection and turf science. In addition to an email newsletter and online blog, PLR staff also provide live interactive webinars in order to highlight content and respond to questions from the audience.

“I believe this team embodies the spirit of this award – working together across department in the College,” said Dr. Linda Prokopy, Department Head in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. “This team has indeed achieved more and is a consistent source of reliable, science-based information for homeowners and the green industry. The PLR team is doing a phenomenal job meeting the needs of an important industry in the state and they are very deserving of being recognized for this work.”
In the nomination for the TEAM Award, the impact of the Purdue Landscape Report team was described as:
“The quality of life and livelihood of many Hoosiers is greatly improved when cities and towns have healthy trees, shrubs, and flower beds. The task of growing and maintaining these plants is complicated by conflicting, incomplete or inaccurate media reports about the arrival of new pests and diseases; or how landscape choices, or use of certain management practices can have a negative impact on the environment and public health. Tree owners, landscapers and the professional workforce need timely science-based information to keep plants healthy in an environmentally sustainable manner.”
Since launching in February 2018, the Purdue Landscape Report has included more than 200 articles. PLR is sent out in a bi-weekly email newsletter to more than 4,000 subscribers nationwide. The online blog brought in 180,376 unique visitors in 2020.

In response to the pandemic, the Purdue Landscape Report staff also began a live, to addresses articles and hot topics. That series garnered more than 2,000 views.
In a January 2021 survey sent to PLR subscribers, 88% of respondents said they believed that the newsletter improved their ability to diagnose a problem, while 76% said that PLR has had a positive economic impact on their business.

A local professional shared that “Sometimes when I open up the PLR, it is like you have been reading my mind. The problem I have been seeing or thinking about is there in your headlines.”

Lindsey Purcell sharing tree planting tips at outside workshop. Purdue Landscape Report receives TEAM award.One PLR subscriber said “The Purdue Landscape Report is a great resource for myself and my team members. Within each issue is one or more topics that our team has encountered or discussed recently and the information provided by a very reputable source gives us the material needed to provide the best service to our clients and increase our knowledge base. The virtual sessions are another great resource provided that give an opportunity to have specific questions answered by experts.”

The impact extends from landowners to industry professionals and beyond.

“Often we take for granted the information produced in the PLR and we forget the countless dollars we have saved from information in the PLR,” said Rick Haggard, Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association Executive Director.

“The Purdue Landscape Report provides timely information to the Indiana Arborist Association members and associated parties in a format that is easily accessed and understood,” Associate Executive Director of IAA Ashley Mulis said. “The collaboration that goes into providing this product demonstrates the cohesive nature of several departments within Purdue University and the open sharing and comparison of information. The Purdue Landscape Report is an excellent addition to the many publications offered within Purdue Extension  in helping resource professionals manage the ever-changing landscape of pests, diseases and best management practices.”

In 2020, the PLR received the Extension Division Education Materials Award for Outstanding Blog presented by the American Society of Horticultural Science and received also earned the Team Award from the Purdue Cooperative Extension Specialists’ Association (PUCESA).
For team list and full article view: Purdue Landscape Report Selected for TEAM Award.

 

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

 

Lindsey Purcell, Chapter Executive Director
Indiana Arborist Association

In this edition of ID That Tree, meet a rarely found native tree that is closely related to the black walnut, the butternut. The butternut has been plagued by fungal disease, but can be identified by large lemon-shaped nuts, very sharp ridges on the nut inside the husk, a “hairy eyebrow” above the leaf scar/below the buds, and long compound leaves with a terminal leaflet intact.

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, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Butternut, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
Indiana Walnut Council, Industry Representatives include 45 states and 3 foreign countries

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

In this edition of ID That Tree, meet a non-native tree originally planted for fence rows, the Osage Orange, also known as a hedge apple. This tree is known by its gray bark with orange undertones and its large yellowish fruit, which has a milky center.

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, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Pin Oak, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

On this edition of ID That Tree, meet the black locust, which is recognizable by its small, rounded pinnate leaflets; gray bark with rough, long running ridges with orange undertones; and paired thorns where the buds and leaves originate.

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, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Black Locust, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

An Introduction to Trees of Indiana publication, 4-H-15-80A

Trees are one of Indiana’s great natural resources. Professor T.E. Shaw, one of the first Indiana Extension foresters, wanted to make sure young Hoosiers, beginners in the field of forestry and tree enthusiasts alike had an educational resource to help them learn the names and identify local trees.

Shaw updated Charles C. Deam’s highly technical Trees of Indiana, which was first published in 1911, putting out an update for the 4-H forestry handbook in 1949. A second edition came out in 1950 and another revision was completed just before Shaw’s death in 1956 and published as “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” through the Indiana Department of Conservation.

The publication, which utilizes simple methods and user-friendly language, has become a common resource many place in their backpacks before beginning an outdoor adventure.

The 1956 publication has been used for decades by 4-H, FFA and many other classroom and outdoor education programs as an introduction to tree identification for Indiana youth. Nearly 70 years later, the publication will be reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana,” with additional trees added to the resource along with updates of the original species. An Introduction to Trees of Indiana was a collaboration of experts from the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR), Indiana 4-H Youth Development and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Add your copy of this new book to your library by visiting the Purdue Extension resource center, The Education Store: An Introduction to Trees of Indiana, product code: 4-H-15-80A.

Other resources:
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Playlist, Subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Tony Carrell, 4-H Youth Development Extension Specialist
Purdue Extension 4-H Youth Development

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Posted on January 10th, 2022 in Natural Resource Planning, Urban Forestry | No Comments »

Downtown area improving the visitor experience.The Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities Team, has been honored for its efforts by the Purdue Cooperative Extension Specialists’ Association (PUCESA).

The collaborative effort of Purdue Extension professionals from Forestry and Natural Resources, Health and Human Sciences, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education Division (SNAP-Ed), and Community Development, as well as Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, earned recognition as a PUCESA Team Award honoree.

The EVPS: CHC campus leadership team consisted of:

  • Blake Connolly, assistant director of Purdue Extension, Nutrition Education program
  • Lisa Graves, assistant program leader, Purdue Extension, Health and Human Sciences
  • Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist, Purdue Extension, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue FNR
  • Daniel Walker, Community Development Regional Educator, Purdue Extension, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
  • Michael Wilcox Jr., assistant director and program leader, Purdue Extension, Community Development

The Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces program provides Extension professionals with the information, tools, processes and research base needed for them to guide decision-makers and local leaders with oversight and management of community public spaces and public health. The program aims to help participating communities recognize public spaces as community assets; understand the significant influence of the built environment on the health of people and places in their community; develop and implement change strategies and indicators to support the process of creating Healthy Eating and Active Living environments; and to integrate public spaces into communities’ planning and development activities to contribute to the process of creating a healthy, thriving and sustainable community.

Program implementation may involve parks board and planning commission members, public officials and their staff, and members of organizations involved with programming or management of public spaces. Health coalitions and other organizations working in the realm of active living and healthy eating also play a key role.

Full article > > >

Resources:
Sustainable Communities Extension Program Website, Purdue Extension
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Program Video, Purdue Extension
Subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

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

Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Dan Walker, Community Development Regional Educator
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

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