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Tax preparation time usually brings with it questions about what is deductible, how do I report this income, and what can I do to save on my taxes in the future. Fortunately for forest landowners, this resource for tax tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service provides several excellent resources to help you find some guidance. View Understanding Your Taxes as a Forest Owner.

The National Timber Tax Website, which is also shared in this article, addresses tax issues for forest landowners.  This site provides updated tax tips for the 2022 filing year, as well as many guides and references to help you effectively plan a tax strategy for your property.

The USDA Forest Service mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations, continues on as they provide many resources including managing your land, science and technology, and working with the U.S. Forest Service.

More resources: Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources offers some publications covering taxation issues for timber sales and tree planting.
How to Treat Timber Sale Income, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Determining Tax Basis of Timber, The Education Store
Financial and Tax Aspects of Tree Planting, The Education Store
The Education Store (for a list of all timber resources or woodlands place in search field: “timber” or “woodlands”)
Classified Forest and Wildlands Program , Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Division of Forestry
Find an Indiana Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)

USDA Forest Service

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Channel catfish, commonly known as catfish, are freshwater finfish in the Ictaluridae family. Their native range extends from southern Canada and the Central US to Mexico. They are popular to catch and eat and have been introduced throughout the US and the world for food and recreation. This fact sheet publication shares how to identify the catfish, where they can be found, where you can find catfish products and if they are safe to eat. You will also enjoy the recipe found on this fact sheet.

The Channel Catfish publication is the seventh in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. (See FNR-608-W, Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, FNR-618-W, Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, FNR-621-W, Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, FNR-622-W, Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, FNR-623-W, Pacific White Shrimp Farmer Fish Fact Sheet and FNR-625-W, American Paddlefish Farmed Fish Fact Sheet). The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Classic Fried Catfish.

This publication is a collaborative project of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.

About the Author
Amy Shambach is Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s (IISG) aquaculture marketing outreach associate who works with the aquaculture industry in the USDA’s North Central Regional Aquaculture Center. Her work focuses on the demand side of domestic farm raised seafood products. She provides outreach and extension services to producers, potential producers, and consumers. Along with Dr. Kwamena Quagrainie, producers, aquaculture associations, and consumers, she works to determine the needs of stakeholders.

To receive the free download for the Channel Catfish please visit The Education Store.

Resources:
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
American Paddlefish, The Education Store
A Guide to Small-Scale Fish Processing Using Local Kitchen Facilities, The Education Store
Aquaculture Family Coloring Book Development, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub
Aquatics & Fisheries Videos, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel Playlist

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois Indiana Sea Grant Program

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Among the steel and concrete that make up the urban environment, trees provide welcome relief from heat and potentially unfavorable sights and smells. Trees provide value from ecosystem services, which can refer to any of the benefits humans obtain from nature. Trees in the built environment provide many benefits, such as storing carbon, reducing air temperature and air conditioning costs, filtering air and water pollutants, intercepting rainwater to reduce flooding, and increasing aesthetic value.

The Preparing Indiana’s Urban Forest for Climate Change is an overview of choosing species of trees that will thrive in urban settings has always required careful consideration, but climate change is making that task even more important. In this paper, Purdue and other researchers provide tools to help urban foresters, arborists and planners adapt so that the ecosystem services that trees provide can be maintained.

To receive the free download for the Preparing Indiana’s Urban Forest for Climate Change please visit The Education Store.

Resources:
Urban Forestry, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Community Development, Purdue Extension
How to Find an Arborist Near You!, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Storms Can Cause Damage and Tree Cleanup, What You Need to Know, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Purdue Landscape Report, Purdue Science-Based Midwest Landscaping
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Woodland Wildlife Management, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel

Julie McAulay, Undergraduate Research Assistant in Environmental and Ecological Engineering
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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

Brady Hardiman, Associate Professor for Environmental and Ecological Engineering
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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The Purdue Rainscaping Education Program introduces two new videos as they continue to provide training and resources on rainscaping practices that can be installed in residential settings or small-scale public spaces projects.

Rainscaping and Rain Gardens
Rainscaping is a combination of sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies — directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils.

 

Rainwater Harvesting with Cisterns
This video demonstrates how rainwater can be harvested with cisterns for future use in your landscaping and gardens.

Rainscaping is a combination of sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies — directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils. Learn more about rainscaping and demo rain gardens at: Purdue Rainscaping Education Program.

Resources:
What is Rainscaping? Purdue Rainscaping Education Program Video, Purdue Extension
Q&A About Drainage Water Recycling for the Midwest,  The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Rainscaping Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Ask an Expert: Rainscaping, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Rain Gardens Go with the Flow, Indiana Yard and Garden, Purdue Horticulture
Become a Purdue Master Gardener, The Education Store
Master Gardeners Program
Plan Today For Tomorrow’s Flood, The Education Store

John Orick, Purdue Master Gardener State Program Coordinator
Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist for Sustainable Communities
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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The classic and trusted book “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” by T.E. Shaw was published in 1956 as a user-friendly guide to local species.  Nearly 70 years later, the publication has been updated through a joint effort by the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Indiana 4-H, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana.”

The full publication is available for download for $7 in the Purdue Extension Education Store. The field guide helps identify common Indiana woodlot trees.

Each week, the Intro to Trees of Indiana web series will offer a sneak peek at one species from the book, paired with an ID That Tree video from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee to help visualize each species as it stands in the woods. Threats to species health as well as also insight into the wood provided by the species, will be provided through additional resources as well as the Hardwoods of the Central Midwest exhibit of the Purdue Arboretum, if available.

This week, we meet the Redbud or Cercis canadensis.

The alternately held leaves of this small tree are heart-shaped with smooth edges and that measure three to five inches long. Leaves changes from a dark green to a yellow or yellow green in the fall. The leaves are held on twigs that grow in a zig-zag pattern. The bark on redbud is reddish brown and flaky with the older, darker bark shedding to reveal the red inner bark.

The clusters of pink, lavender and even magenta flowers of this species appear in the early spring before the leaves open. The redbud is in the broad legume family and, as such, its fruit is a small pea-pod, approximately three inches long, which is flat with a very thin skin.

Redbud trees, which grow 20 to 30 feet tall, are often found along the edge of woodlands and open fields and brushy areas, but are also planted ornamentally for their beauty. This species grows best in partial sun and in moist, well-drained soils, but is tolerant of alkaline soil and clay. The natural range of the redbud is the central and eastern United States, from southern Iowa across to Pennsylvania to the north and south into northern Florida. It also extends west to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and east to Florida and up the Atlantic coast.

The Morton Arboretum states that redbud is susceptible to borers, canker disease and verticillium wilt. It also suffers in full sun or extreme summer heat. It is noted that the trees have a shallow root system, which must be protected, and the tree is relatively short-lived, with only a 20 to 25 year life span.

For full article with additional photos view: Intro to Trees of Indiana: Redbud, Forestry and Natural Resources’ News.

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.

Other Resources:
ID That Tree: Redbud
ID That Tree: Redbud Spring Bloom Edition
Morton Arboretum: Redbud
Eastern Redbud, Purdue Fort Wayne Native Trees of Indiana River Walk
ID That Tree Spring Bloom Editions, Got Nature Blog
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

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

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

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The classic and trusted book “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” by T.E. Shaw was published in 1956 as a user-friendly guide to local species.  Nearly 70 years later, the publication has been updated through a joint effort by the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Indiana 4-H, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana.”

The full publication is available for download for $7 in the Purdue Extension Education Store. The field guide helps identify common Indiana woodlot trees.

Each week, the Intro to Trees of Indiana web series will offer a sneak peek at one species from the book, paired with an ID That Tree video from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee to help visualize each species as it stands in the woods. Threats to species health as well as also insight into the wood provided by the species, will be provided through additional resources as well as the Hardwoods of the Central Midwest exhibit of the Purdue Arboretum, if available.

This week, we meet Sassafras or Sassafras albidum.

The alternately held leaves of this species can be tricky. While all have untoothed margins and smooth leaf surfaces, they may be variable in shape, ranging from no lobes or two or three lobes, and all three variations may even be found on the same branch. The leaves turn from a medium green in the spring to showy yellows, oranges and reds in the fall.

The bark is strongly ridged and brown or gray in color, but when sliced into, it has a brownish orange color underneath. When the leaves are crushed or the bright green twigs are scraped or the bark is sliced into, it produces a spicy aroma.

In the spring, the sassafras produces clusters of small yellow flowers.  In the fall, the species produces a dark blue or purple berry-like fruit, which is held on bright red or orange stems.

Sassafras trees, which grow 30 to 60 feet tall, are often found along the edge of fields, waste areas and areas with a history of disturbance, but may often also be found as a larger tree in the rich woodland soils of forest interiors. This species prefers acidic and moist, well-drained soil, but can tolerate alkaline soil and dry sites.

The natural range of the sassafras is the central and eastern United States. It extends from eastern Texas and Oklahoma and Missouri west across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and up into southern Michigan and parts of New York and Massachusetts. It extends down the Atlantic coast to northern Florida and across the Gulf coast to Louisiana.

The Morton Arboretum warns that sassafras is best planted in the spring and that the species is a thicket-forming plant that may require more maintenance due to suckering. Sassafras also is susceptible to Japanese beetles, powdery mildew, leaf spots and cankers.

Sassafras is known for the tea made from the bark on its roots, and also was a key ingredient in root beer historically.

The Morton Arboretum states that redbud is susceptible to borers, canker disease and verticillium wilt. It also suffers in full sun or extreme summer heat. It is noted that the trees have a shallow root system, which must be protected, and the tree is relatively short-lived, with only a 20 to 25 year life span.

For full article with additional photos view: Intro to Trees of Indiana: Sassafras, Forestry and Natural Resources’ News.

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.

Other Resources:
ID That Tree: Sassafras
ID That Tree: Sassafras Spring Bloom Edition
Morton Arboretum: Sassafras
Sassafras, Purdue Fort Wayne Native Trees of Indiana River Walk
ID That Tree Spring Bloom Editions, Got Nature Blog
Hardwood Lumber and Veneer Series: Sassafras, The Education Store
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

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

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

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You may have many reasons why you want to plant trees on your land and this webinar Conservation Tree Planting will help you as you define your objectives and plan your planting. This webinar explains the difference between conservation tree planting and ornamental or landscape tree planting. The research based techniques and resources shared will help guide you as you work toward meeting your goals.

Lenny Farlee, Purdue extension forester, discusses topics including:

• reforestation
• tree species
• growth rates
• ordering seedlings
• weed control/herbicides
• equipment
• erosion control
• windbreaks
• soil health
• post-planting care/thinning
• fencing options
• wildlife habitat management

We Want to Hear From You:
After you have viewed the webinar please fill out the Qualtrics Survey and let us know if the video was helpful.

Resources:
Resources and Assistance Available for Planting Hardwood Seedlings, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Creating a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan for Landowners, The Education Store
Planting Forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) Extension YouTube Playlist
Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Playlist

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

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Question: I’m interested in doing regeneration planting of oaks and hickories on my property, and have made attempts with both direct seeding, as well as starting in Rootmaker containers and then planting the seedlings after one year of growth. I have been having a major problem with voles, despite my best attempts at barriers, and am wondering if there is anyone who would be able to advise me?

As an example, I had a black oak seedling, one year old, with great growth, about 18″ tall and with a root ball of comparable size, which I planted this fall. After 2-3 months, in December, the entire root system was eaten and all that remained of the seedling was the stalk, with clear gnaw-marks where it had been chewed off at the base. It was protected by a wire mesh enclosure that covered all sides plus the top, and was set about four inches into the ground. The mesh was finer than the standard chicken wire; the openings were about dime-size.

I would appreciate any guidance your experts can share.

Answer: Based on your description, it certainly sounds like pine (=woodland) voles, Microtus pinetorum, although trapping would be needed to confirm. I am no longer doing work on voles, but earlier work, Selective Feeding of Pine Voles on Roots of Seedlings, showed that they really do like roots of oak seedlings.

When I want to exclude small mammals, I use ¼ inch mesh size or smaller. One other approach I’ve used with success is to create an “apron” of hardware cloth underground and extending outward several inches from the cylinder. Since pine voles create tunnels below the ground surface, this isn’t a guarantee of exclusion, but it certainly should discourage them.

If the problem is too severe for you to tolerate, a rodenticide bait such as zinc phosphide is another option. Thiram is a repellent that could be used – like all repellents, it has variable and short-term effectiveness (but still tends to be better than other commercial products).

The following link offers some practical tips on voles and vole control, including trapping to verify that voles are present, and methods of scouting and treating with rodenticide to reduce exposure risk to other nontarget wildlife and pets, Controlling Voles in Horticulture Plantings and Orchards in Missouri, University of Missouri Extension.

Resources:
Voles!, Purdue Extension-Agronomy
Voles (remember the V), Turfgrass Science, Purdue Horticulture & Landscape Architecture
Dealing with Mole Damage in Your Yard video, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Orphaned Wildlife, Got Nature? blog
A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Wildlife Habitat Hint, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Playlist
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Playlist
Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Playlist

Rob Swihart, Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University

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The classic and trusted book “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” by T.E. Shaw was published in 1956 as a user-friendly guide to local species.  Nearly 70 years later, the publication has been updated through a joint effort by the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Indiana 4-H, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana.”

The full publication is available for download for $7 in the Purdue Extension Education Store. The field guide helps identify common Indiana woodlot trees.

Each week, the Intro to Trees of Indiana web series will offer a sneak peek at one species from the book, paired with an ID That Tree video from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee to help visualize each species as it stands in the woods. Threats to species health as well as also insight into the wood provided by the species, will be provided through additional resources as well as the Hardwoods of the Central Midwest exhibit of the Purdue Arboretum, if available.

This week, we meet the persimmon or Diospyros virginiana, one of Indiana’s fruit producing trees.

The alternately held leaves of persimmon are oval shaped with smooth margins, with no lobes or teeth. The thick dark green leaves turn yellow or reddish-purple in the fall. The buds are dark colored, while leaf stems are light brown.

The bark resembles alligator hide with deep broken ridges, often with an orange coloring between the ridges.

The fruit, a pumpkin orange colored fleshy plum-like fruit, is a standout characteristic and is favored by both wildlife and humans. Once it ripens and falls from the tree, persimmon is soft and sweet. If picked from the tree, this fruit can be green, very hard, gummy in texture and acidic. The seed count in persimmon is variable with some seedless varieties and some with as many as 10 seeds.

Persimmon trees, which grow 35 to 60 feet tall, are native to southern Indiana but can be found planted across the state. This species grows best in full sun and in moist, well-drained soils, but are tolerant of alkaline soil, clay, dry sites, and occasional drought. The natural range of the persimmon is the lower Midwest and southeastern United States reaching up into southern Illinois.

For full article with additional photos view: Intro to Trees of Indiana: Persimmon, Forestry and Natural Resources’ News.

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.

Other Resources:
Hardwoods of the Central Midwest: Persimmon
ID That Tree: Persimmon
Morton Arboretum: Persimmon
Persimmons, The Education Store
Persimmon, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

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

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

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