Got Nature? Blog

Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner is a Purdue University short course providing knowledge and resources to help landowners make informed decisions in the care and management of their forests.

Topics covered include tree identification, forest history and biology, forest management planning, forest management practices, considerations for selling timber, forest investment and taxation, wildlife habitat management, and resources and assistance for private woodland owners.

In addition to previously announced courses (virtual and in-person near Wabash, Indiana), a third offering will be available near the Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center (SIPAC) in Dubois, Indiana. (11371 E Purdue Farm Rd., Dubois, IN 47527)

This workshop, led by Purdue Extension forester Ron Rathfon, will be taught from Feb. 5 to March 25, 2024, at SIPAC on the north side of Patoka Lake near the dam entrance.

The course will include eight weekly meetings on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET, as well as two Saturday morning field tours, running from 9 a.m. to noon.

Class size is limited to 40 registrants on a first-come, first served basis. Register with easy printable, mail-in pdf, Forest Management of the Private Woodland Owner Course.

Registration cost is $50 per person and includes: in-person time with forestry specialists, all course materials, a thumb drive of all publications, a tree measuring stick and snacks. Guest registration (in addition to initial registration) is $30 and includes all learning sessions and handouts at the sessions.

Contact Ron Rathfon at ronr@purdue.edu or 812-678-5049 with any questions.

The Southern Indiana Purdue Ag Center is a 1,331 acre working farm and research and education facility designed to address practical farm and natural resource management problems providing practical solutions and education and training opportunities for farmers, landowners, foresters, and other natural resource professionals.

Purdue acquired the first piece of the property which became SIPAC in 1953 and additional forest acres were added in 1966 and 1967. Purdue FNR faculty and staff have taken an active role in management of the forest at SIPAC since 1953. The facility also has housed an extension forester since the mid-1960s.

Rathfon has served as a Purdue extension forester since 1992. He has taught the Forest Management for the Woodland Owners course since 1993.

Resources:
Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course Program Impacts, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course – Wabash County, Purdue Extension-FNR Events
Forestry Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course – SIPAC, Purdue Extension-FNR Events
Virtual Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course, Purdue Extension-FNR Events
Forestry Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course – Jackson County, Purdue Extension-FNR Events
Cost Assistance for Landowners Planning Conservation Practices, Purdue Extension-FNR Got Nature? Blog
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: EQUP, video, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Woodland Management Moment: Invasive Species Control Process, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
Woodland Management Moment YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Invasive Species YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Report Invasive Species, Purdue Invasive Species
The GLEDN Phone App – Great Lakes Early Detection Network
EDDMaps – Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment: Uneven-aged Management, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
Finding help from a professional forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center

Ron Rathfon, Regional Extension Forester, Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center (SIPAC)
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources