Got Nature? Blog

In this episode of A Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee explores the unique characteristics of north-facing slopes. These shaded hillsides remain cooler and moister for much of the year, creating an ideal habitat for moisture-loving tree species such as Northern Red Oak, tulip tree, sugar maple, and black maple. They also support a rich understory of shade-tolerant shrubs and diverse plant life. Watch the video to see this environment firsthand and learn more!

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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Welcome to ID That Tree! In this video, Purdue forester Lenny Farlee examines one of Indiana’s most troublesome invasive shrubs: Amur honeysuckle. This aggressive species, along with other Asian honeysuckle varieties, is widespread across the state. It’s easily identified by its long, pointed leaves, smooth edges, and fine fuzz. Watch the video to learn more about its distinguishing features and the impact on Indiana’s ecosystems!

 

 

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
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture

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

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Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fish and Wildlife: DNR’s nongame aquatic biologists are in the middle of a multi-year effort to restore snuffbox mussel populations in the Tippecanoe River. The snuffbox mussel reproduces in the wild by releasing glochidia (microscopic mussel larvae) that attach to the gills of a specific fish species, the logperch. The glochidia eventually grow into baby mussels, fall off the logperch, and mature while living in the bottom of a river.

To assist snuffbox populations in the Tippecanoe River, the nongame aquatics team is mimicking this life cycle. After collecting logperch, they infect the fish with glochidia from Salamonie River snuffbox mussels and hold them in underwater enclosures until baby snuffbox mussels fall off and mature to a taggable size. The snuffbox mussels produced are then used to bolster Tippecanoe River populations.

This project and many others like it are made possible because of donations to the Nongame Wildlife Fund. Having diverse, healthy wildlife populations improves the quality of life for all—and you can help. Donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund to make a difference on conservation initiatives for the state’s most vulnerable species.

Subscribe to Wild Bulletin.

Resources:
A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lake Regions, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Protect Your Waters, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service & U.S. Coast Guard
Profitability of Hybrid Striped Bass Cage Aquaculture in the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
A Guide to Marketing for Small-Scale Aquaculture Producers, The Education Store
Aquaculture Industry in Indiana Growing, Purdue Today
Sustainable Aquaculture: What does it mean to you?, The Education Store
Pond and Wildlife Management website, Purdue Extension
Fish Cleaning with Purdue Extension County Extension Director, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Aquaponics: What to consider before starting your business, YouTube, Purdue Ag Economics
Aquatics & Fisheries, Playlist, YouTube, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources

Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Division of Fish & Wildlife

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Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fish and Wildlife: Have you seen wildlife showing odd behaviors or signs of disease? DNR encourages you to report them using our online Sick or Dead Wildlife report system. DNR is especially interested in recurring deaths of wildlife in the same location over a period of time, deer showing signs that may indicate chronic wasting disease or epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or incidents involving threatened or endangered species.

Indiana DNR’s Sick or Dead Wildlife Reporting System collects information about wildlife that appear sick or appear to have died without an apparent cause (e.g. do not use this form for predation or roadkill). Reports of incidents involving common species and single animals are useful to help us understand baseline levels of sickness and death in wildlife populations.

Your reports help us track wildlife health over time and detect potential disease outbreaks in the state. Visit the Sick or Dead Wildlife Reporting webpage to learn more.

Subscribe to Wild Bulletin.

Resources
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment – Wildlife Responses to Timber Harvesting, video, Purdue Extension resource center
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region, The Education Store
Managing Woodlands for Birds Video, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Subscribe: Deer, Forest Management, Invasive Species and many other videos, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Division of Fish & Wildlife

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In this episode of A Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee discusses the regeneration of small forest openings. Even forested areas of an acre or less can offer excellent opportunities for growth. Light-loving species thrive in the center, while more shade-tolerant plants flourish at the edges. This practice enhances the diversity of your woodlands. Adequate sunlight is crucial for creating a well-structured opening. By regenerating light-loving species, you can also add valuable wildlife habitat diversity to your property.

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, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
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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Purdue Extension: We invite you to read our 2024 Annual Impact Report to learn about some of the significant activities that Purdue Extension has led during this past year. We feature some of our most well-known programs, such as Master Gardener, as well as such up-and-coming ventures as Purdue on the Farm. In every story, what you discover and see in action is Extension’s profound commitment to providing diverse opportunities and ongoing support to all Indiana residents and to contributing to our state’s continued growth and stability.

Check out the highlights for the Community Development and the Facilitative Leadership Workshop, along with other Purdue Extension programs:

• Community Development, part of the Workforce Development program, sharing Digital Ready Business
• A Unique Learning Lab: Purdue Extension Facilitative Leadership Workshop
• 4-H Youth Development, Discovery Challenge program with students practicing essential communication skills and building career options
• Purdue Extension’s food as Medicine program, a prescription for better health.
• Purdue on the Farm, links growers and researchers.
• Cultivating Local Leaders

Resources:
Nature of Teaching, Purdue College of Agriculture
Community Development, Purdue Extension
Purdue Extension
Family Programs, Purdue Extension – Health and Human Sciences
Taking Action to Address Substance Use in Communities (TASC), Purdue Extension
Diversified Farming and Food Systems, Purdue Extension
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
A Woodland Management Moment, FNR – Ext Playlist
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment – Wildlife Responses to Timber Harvesting, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Community Planning, FNR -Ext Playlist

Dan Walker, Community Development regional Educator
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant/Purdue Extension

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

Purdue Extension

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Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fish and Wildlife: Each year, the Indiana DNR invites the public to provide feedback on the management of white-tailed deer via the Deer Management Survey. The electronic survey gathers opinions of deer management at both the county and state level, covering deer population management, trends in deer populations and other relevant topics such as chronic wasting disease (CWD), land access and equipment types permitted for hunting.

Anyone can sign up to receive the survey, if you have previously filled out the survey, you will automatically receive the survey in future years. Find more information at DNR: Deer Management Survey webpage.

Subscribe to Wild Bulletin.

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

Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Division of Fish & Wildlife

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Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fish and Wildlife: Snow blanketing the ground creates a canvas for spotting wildlife tracks. Here are some tips for exploring snow-covered trails or your own backyard to reveal a whole world of activity you might otherwise miss.

Tips and Tricks:

• Look near water sources, tree lines, or feeding spots where animals are more likely to gather.
• Find an Indiana wildlife track identification book or website to help you identify the animal you are tracking. Some animal tracks are more common to spot in Indiana, and here are some examples:
  • Deer: Heart-shaped hooves, often in pairs.
  • Rabbits: A hopping pattern with large back feet and small front feet.
  • Foxes and Coyotes: Oval-shaped paw prints with claw marks visible.
• Bring tools like a small ruler or notebook. This will help you record measurements for identification. Snapping a photo is also helpful for identifying the track later on!
• Follow the tracks. Tracks often lead to other signs, like nests, scat, or feeding areas. Stay quiet and watch—you might even spot the animal itself!

Are you ready to track wildlife and connect with the creatures around you? Bundle up, head out, and see what stories the snow has to tell!

For more information, visit the DNR Rare and Endangered Mammals page.

Subscribe to Wild Bulletin.

Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, Callery Pear, Multiflora rose)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Forestry for the Birds Virtual Tour and Pocket Guide, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Injured Wildlife and What to Do, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Frost Seeding to Establish Wildlife Food Plots and Native Grass and Forb Plantings – The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
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
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Forest Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest, The Education Store
Ask the Expert: Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment – Birds and Salamander Research, Purdue Extension – FNR
A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, 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
Subscribe Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Playlists include wildlife, Nature of Teaching, Moments in the Wild and much more.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Division of Fish & Wildlife

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In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension Forester Lenny Farlee showcases the unique features of prickly ash. The northeast member of the Citrus family (not the Ash family!) is a shrub with stout, paired thorns, reddish-brown buds and also has other traits shared in the video that makes it easy to spot out in the wild. This video contains nice close-up shots so you can identify this plant, which is native to Indiana and an important part of the habitat.

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: Firs and Spruces, Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
ID That Tree – Jack Pine, Scotch Pine, Red Pine, Virginia Pine, Eastern White Pine, Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Beat Back Borers Attacking Pines and Other Cone Bearing Trees, Purdue Landscape Report
Tree Diseases: White Pine Decline in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
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
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture

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

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When do you need to discard your real Christmas tree? What options are there in disposing the tree?
Check out these tips from our Purdue experts:

Lenny Farlee, Purdue Extension Forester with Forestry and Natural Resources, in interview with the WLFI news team shares the first steps is to remove all decorations. “Several municipalities here in the area will either take the trees for mulching or composting. So if you don’t want to fool with the tree anymore, that’s a great option. You can just take it to the curb, or certain locations, and they’ll take care of it for you and it gets reused or recycled into usable material,” explains Farlee.  Choosing to keep the tree in your backyard is a great wildlife friendly option. Lenny shares how important it is to remove your tree in a timely manner to avoid any fire hazards in your house. The video explains on how you can test your tree to see if it should be discarded. See video and full article for more options: Options for Getting Rid of Real Christmas Tree, wlfi.com.

John Woodmansee, Purdue Extension Educator-Agriculture Natural Resources (ANR), also shares tips in the Purdue Extension article Recycle Your Christmas Tree. If you have permission and/or have access to a private pond you can discard your tree in the pond to improve fish habitat.

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
Repurposing Your Real Christmas Tree, Purdue Extension News
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana, The Education Store
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
Finding help from a professional forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association
District Foresters for 10 plus acres, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Sustainable Biomaterials, FNR Concentration

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

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

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