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Question: I have two White Ash trees growing in my front yard along the street. One is 8″ in diameter and the other 12″. Large roots are growing out of the ground horizontally away from the trees. Should I try to cut these roots and risk hurting the tree or should I try to mound dirt over them to allow grass to grow? The roots are unsightly and ruining my lawn.

Answer: Trees provide many benefits including clean air and water. Also, they can provide up to 10% greater property value by keeping trees on your site healthy. First, make sure they are treated against Emerald Ash Borer to prevent from losing them to the pest.

Tree roots can grow a great distance from a tree, sometimes two to three times the height of the tree. These are very important for stability and health. Cutting tree roots can be a very risky choice as well as covering them with soil. When you cover existing tree roots with soil the results are similar to smothering the tree by not allowing gas exchange between the roots and the air above.

I would suggest not doing anything to the roots within the drip line of the tree. Outside of this critical root zone area is less risky and changes can be made with minimal risk. The best option under the drip line would be to add a light layer of two to three inches of hardwood mulch creating tree rings to help the tree, reduce mowing and cover the roots.

Resources:
When Tree Roots Surface – Purdue Extension
Emerald Ash Borer in Indiana – Purdue Extension
Mechanical Damage to Trees: Mowing and Maintenance Equipment – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Why Is My Tree Dying? – The Education Store
Tree Owner’s Manual – Indiana Department of Natural Resources

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

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Ornamental plants provide many environmental and ecological benefits to landscapes and urban areas. They can be aesthetically pleasing, reduce stormwater runoff, lower carbon dioxide and pollutants, alleviate the urban “heat island” effect, and provide habitats to pollinators, birds, and mammals. Unfortunately, a few of these landscape species can escape into wild areas and create ecological problems in unintended areas such as forests and woodlands.

The Indy Star shares article titled, “Bradford pears and other backyard bullies to avoid in Indiana” listing some of the invasive species that are taking over Indiana woodlands. If you are planning on adding trees or shrubs to your property this spring, you will want to view this article before planting.

Author:
Cara Anthony, cara.anthony@indystar.com
Release date of article April 2, 2016.
IndyStar

Resources from The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center:
Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Alternative Options for Invasive Landscape Plants
Invasive Plant Species in Hardwood Tree Plantations
Invasive Plant Species Fact Sheets: Poison Hemlock
Mile-a-minute Vine
Native Trees of the Midwest
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest: Identification, Wildlife Values, and Landscaping Use

Videos:
Invasive Plant Species: Callery Pear
Invasive Plant Species: Oriental Bittersweet
Invasive Plant Species: Wintercreeper

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Arbor Day is always the last Friday of April in Indiana and it falls on April 29^th this year. Many of us are familiar with the tradition of planting a tree in celebration of this holiday, but have we stopped to count the benefits and reasons why we celebrate planting trees? In honor of Arbor Day, here are 10 reasons to remember why we love and plant trees:

1. Public health: Research shows that trees planted in the city make people happier! The result is a reduction in stress levels, crime rates, and improves patient recovery time.
2. Beauty: Trees are a great way to soften the often harsh city environment. A tree with vibrant fall color, interesting branch structure or bark patterns in the winter, flowering in the spring, or providing shade with its lush, green leaves in the summer will always provide a pleasing distraction from the urban environment.
3. Clean air: Trees are an important source of life-giving oxygen in the air that we breathe. They filter out harmful particulate matter and other pollutants common in the urban or suburban areas that would otherwise make it into our lungs.
4. Clean water: Trees help filter the water we drink. The leaves of a tree slow rainfall on the ground, preventing soil erosion and pollutants from washing into our water sources.
5. Energy conservation: Trees shade our houses from the sun and provide insulation and create windbreaks, keeping heating and cooling costs during the extreme temperatures of summer and winter lower.
6. Property Value: Benefits of trees include lower energy costs and beauty and are recognized and reflected in higher property values where trees are strategically placed.
7. Wildlife: Trees provide shelter and food for wildlife that we love to watch, such as songbirds and squirrels.
8. Beloved landmarks: City trees properly cared for will provide years of memories for residents. They can serve as a place to gather and as a source of civic pride, as well as a way to mark the changing of the seasons and progression of time.
9. Global warming: – Trees are a major factor in carbon sequestration. CO₂ is a major contributor to global warming and tress put it to good use rather than causing harm in the atmosphere.
10. Our children: Every day, many trees are cut down to allow for our continued growth as populations expand. We must work to replace them if we want our children to receive the same benefits from them in the future that we enjoy today.

We have our 10 reasons, now where will we get our 10 trees? For a $10 contribution you can become a member of the National Arbor Day Foundation and receive a gift of 10 trees through the mail. Also with your membership, you will receive discounts on over 100 other varieties of trees and a free guide to planting and care called The Tree Book.

To become a member, you can join online at the Arbor Day Foundation website.

Resources:
Membership – Arbor Day Foundation
Indiana Arborist Association
Tree Installation: Process and Practices – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Importance of Hardwood Tree Planting – The Education Store
‘Twas The Day Before Arbor Day – Got Nature?

Amy Wetzel, Former Urban Forestry Student
Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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With spring comes planting of trees and shrubs along with questions of best practices to ensure success. This 20-page publication titled “Planting Forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana” provides an abbreviated 10-step approach to successfully plant and establish healthy, productive forest and conservation plantings in Indiana. It discusses types of plantings, site selection, site preparation, how to obtain seedlings, planting methods, and care after planting. You will also find resources with further planting details, how to increase wildlife on your properties, along with how to contact a professional forester.

To order a hardcopy for $5.50 visit Planting forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana in The Education Store. It is also available as a free download.

Resources:
Planting & Care of Fine Hardwood Seedlings, Indiana Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Woodland Wildlife Management, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest: Identification, Wildlife Values, and Landscaping Use, The Education Store

Ron Rathfon, Regional Extension Forester-Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center (SIPAC)
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources’ extension team have received four Purdue Extension Issue-Based Action Team (IBAT) awards out of seven. These new initiatives have been chosen from 30 submitted proposals. In an ever-changing world, Purdue Extension is launching big ​ideas to identify and address priority issues to enhance quality of life as well as the efficiency and/or effectiveness of organizations through research-based education.

Congratulations to the following FNR teams that are moving the world forward:

ENHANCING THE VALUE OF PUBLIC SPACES: HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND DESIGNING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Project Overview: Expand upon the existing Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces program to include a health component — building community capacities for accessible means for physical activity. $50,000.

Team: Michael Wilcox, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development Extension, Purdue Center for Reginal Development; and Kara Salazar, Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist, Department of Forestry & Natural Resources; Donna Vandergraff, Extension Specialist, Nutrition Science; Lisa Graves, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist, Nutrition Science; Melissa Maulding, Director, Nutrition Education Programs; and Steve Yoder, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), Tippecanoe County.

MARKET BASKET 360
Program Overview: A wealth of resources on a website, educational workshop agendas, certification programs, uniform materials for cooking demonstrations, and more for Farmers’ Market Masters, producers, and consumers. Market Basket 360 centralizes, streamlines, and enhances existing farmers’ market resources available through Purdue Extension, Indiana State Department of Health, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, and other industry organizations.

Team: James Wolff, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), Allen County; Julie Gray, Central District Director, ANR; Morgan Roddy, Extension Educator/Health & Human Sciences (HHS), ANR, Henry County; Curt Campbell, Extension Educator, ANR, Wabash County; Jodee Ellett, Local Foods Coordinator, Purdue Extension; Vickie Hadley, HHS Extension Educator/CED, ANR, Allen County; Nancy Manuel, HHS Extension Educator, ANR, Adams County; Gail Peitzmeier, HHS Extension Educator, Crawford County; Tim Vining, Development Educator, ANR; Teresa Witkoske, HHS Extension Educator/CED, Wabash County; Kwamena Quagrainie, Aquaculture Marketing Director and Associate Professor, Department of Forestry & Natural Resources and Agriculture Economics; Bob Rode, Aquaculture Research Lab Manager and Extension Specialist, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.

NATURAL RESOURCES LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Program Overview: Expanding Extension’s capacity to develop and deliver statewide natural resource programs and enhance decision-making for implementation at the community level. $30,000.

Team: Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant; Angie Tilton, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), Hendricks County Team; Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources; Liz Jackson, Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC), Engagement Specialist and Executive Director of the Indiana Forestry and Woodland Owners Association and the Walnut Council; Steve Yoder, Regional Extension Educator, Community Development

THE NATURE OF HEALTH
Project Overview: A multifaceted approach to engaging families in nature-learning opportunities that will utilize emerging research to connect Health and Human Sciences and Agriculture and Natural Resources using curriculum developed by Rod Williams titled “The Nature of Teaching.” $20,000.

Team: Rod Williams, Professor of Wildlife Science, Department of Forestry & Natural Resources; Angie Frost, Extension Specialist-Healthy Living, College of Agriculture; Stephanie Woodcox, Extension Specialist-Health & Wellness, College of Health and Human Sciences; Deb Arseneau, Extension Educator, Agriculture Natural Resources (ANR), Newton County; Jay Christiansen, Extension Educator, ANR, Vigo County; Jan Dougan, Extension Educator, ANR, Dubois County; Molly Hoag, Extension Educator, ANR, Wells County; Molly Hunt, Extension Educator, ANR, Delaware County; Gracie Marlatt, Extension Educator, ANR, Rush County; Kelsie Muller, Extension Educator, ANR, Benton County; Lindsey Pedigo, Extension Educator, ANR, Howard County; Katie Zuber, Extension Educator, ANR, Lawrence County.

View the College of Agriculture Strategic Plan and the Purdue Extension Annual Report for more information on Purdue Extension.

For extension resources on Forestry and Natural Resources view Purdue Extension-FNR​ website.

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

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The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is one of three Indiana zoos working with Purdue University to study and raise hellbenders in captivity until they are ready to be released into the wild in an effort to grow their native population. Last spring, Rod Williams and his team at the Aquaculture Research Lab transferred young hellbenders to the zoo, where they will be reared for the next couple years. The zoo also puts on an outreach program called Kids4Nature where hellbenders were featured as one of the animals children could vote for with their quarters, collecting money for the hellbenders and other conservation projects.

In this new video, former Education and Communications Director Cheryl Piropato explains more about the zoo’s outreach process with the hellbenders, and Hellbender Keeper Dave Messmann offers a behind-the-scenes look at the hellbenders themselves. Check out “Helping the Hellbenders at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo”  to see for yourself and learn more about the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo’s involvement in the Help the Hellbender initiative.

The other two Indiana zoos are also doing great things to help the hellbenders. Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette held a “Help the Hellbender Day” last summer with educational games and activities for the whole family to learn more about this at-risk species. Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville is preparing a public hellbender exhibit that will be available later this spring. To stay updated in the world of hellbender outreach, check out HelpTheHellbender.org.

Resources:
Helping the Hellbenders at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo – Purdue Extension
HelpTheHellbender.org – Purdue Extension
Help the Hellbender Day at Columbian Park Zoo a Great Success – Got Nature?
Purdue partners with Indiana zoos for hellbender conservation – Purdue Agriculture News

Rod Williams, Associate Head for Extension and Associate Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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You know Spring is around the corner when the days get longer and the temperatures rise. While the weather has pleasantly been warm this year so far, perhaps my favorite harbinger of Spring is the annual arrival of the American Woodcock, also known as the Timberdoodle. Their unique “peents” and the spectacular aerial flights of males looking to attract mates can be very entertaining.

Woodcock are migratory and spend their winters in the southern U.S. They arrive in Indiana in the early spring. This year, they arrived in late-February in the southern part of the state. The Ruffed Grouse Society has a web page with maps of female woodcock and their migration routes for this spring and previous years.

Male woodcock typically set up their singing grounds in open fields and forest openings and recently logged areas. However, they can often be seen in urban areas including parks and even residential communities. Just a couple weeks ago I arrived home just in time to see a male doing his courtship display a block up the road. The best time to observe them is at dusk. They will spend time on the ground “peenting” for a while, then fly high into the air to perform their “dance” only to return to the ground to repeat the process. This will go on until it gets dark. You can sometimes hear them peent in the morning before sunrise. Kyle Daly, a wildlife biologist who has studied them in Minnesota, wrote an excellent article on their spring dance.

Resources
American Woodcock: Habitat Best Management Practices for the Northeast, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) & Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
American Woodcock Indiana DNR Fact Sheet, Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Fish & Wildlife
Learn how forests are used by birds new videos, Got Nature? Blog
Winter is a Good Time to Bird?, Got Nature? Blog
Managing Woodlands for Birds, The Education Store-Purdue Extension resource center
Managing Woodlands for Birds Video, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Birds and Residential Window Strikes: Tips for Prevention, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region, The Education Store
No Room at the Inn: Suburban Backyards and Migratory Birds, The Education Store
The Birders’ Dozen, Profile: Baltimore Oriole, Indiana Woodland Steward
Ask An Expert, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
It’s For the Birds, Indiana Yard and Garden-Purdue Consumer Horticulture
National Audubon Society
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Subscribe, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Brian MacGowan, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

 

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Biomass harvesting refers to harvesting where more woody material is gathered than in a traditional sawtimber harvesting. Material down to four inches in diameter is harvested along with large trees for veneer logs and saw logs. Small trees and tops are chipped and used for paper pulp and boiler fuel.

During October of 2012, a biomass harvesting project was started by harvesting a 100 acre tract of hardwood timber at the Southeastern Purdue Ag Center (SEPAC). The tract was divided into several treatment areas demonstrating various forms of harvesting including traditional clearcutting, biomass harvesting, and areas left uncut. The goal of this project was twofold: to determine the volume and value of the products produced using biomass harvesting compared to the traditional methods, and to gain a more thorough understanding of what happens to a harvest site following biomass harvesting when restoration practices are used.

The harvest site has experienced a rapid recovery of new vegetation. Forbs, shrubs, tree seedlings, and sprouts densely covered the ground and began providing new wildlife habitats and the beginnings of a new diverse forest area.

The new Extension video “Woody Biomass Harvesting at Purdue University” explores this process in further depth, showing the harvest as well as the aftermath and regrowth. It also introduces a Purdue Extension – FNR developed web application called the Woody Biomass Calculator. This calculator can be used by landowners, foresters, and wood products harvesters and managers to estimate the volume and value of several different wood product groups and tree species, including woody biomass. Before harvesting, consider using this tool to evaluate if biomass harvesting is a better choice than traditional sawtimber harvesting for you.

Resources: 
Woody Biomass Harvesting at Purdue University – Studying the Advantage Over Traditional Harvesting – Purdue Extension
Woody Biomass Calculator – Purdue Extension – FNR
Harvesting Biomass: A Guide to Best Management Practices – IDNR Division of Forestry
Woody Biomass Feedstock for the Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industries – IDNR Division of Forestry
IN Wood Industry Facts – Purdue FNR Wood Research Laboratory

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

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Purdue Extension-FNR now has two new expert-reviewed videos to help spread awareness of two significant invasive plant species in Indiana: the oriental bittersweet  and wintercreeper. These videos share plant characteristics, their effect on forests, and alternative native species that can be utilized.

Oriental bittersweet is a vine that was brought over from Asia in the 1960’s. It is a pleasant looking plant that is popular in landscaping and home decor items. However, they can be harmful to trees as they wrap around them and cut off their access to light and are also problematic on the forest floor.

Wintercreeper was brought over as an ornamental ground cover in 1907 and is still planted for landscaping today. As birds eat its seeds, wintercreeper spreads from urban areas into the forests where it grows earlier in the spring than native plants and prevents new growth from emerging.

Check out the oriental bittersweet and wintercreeper videos to learn more about these invasive species and to how to join the fight to stop them from spreading further.

Resources:
Invasive Plants of the Eastern U.S.: An Introduction to the Problematic Non-Native Species – The Education Store
Invasive Plants – Purdue University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology
Invasive Plants – Indiana Invasive Species Council
Purdue Extension-FNR Internship Program – Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Danny Thomas, Purdue Extension-FNR intern
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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A Purdue Extension program that helps Indiana communities improve public spaces such as parks and town centers is surveying West Lafayette residents to get input on the city parks and recreation department’s next five-year master plan.

Specialists and educators in Extension’s Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces program are administering the survey and collecting and analyzing the feedback. The objective is to create a five-year plan for improving facilities, services and programs.

Citizens can access the survey online. Those who do not have access to a computer but would like to participate can receive a copy of the survey at the Morton Community Center, the Riverside Skating Center, the Lilly Nature Center and the West Lafayette Parks & Recreation Service Center on Kalberer Road. Deadline to complete the survey is March 15.

“The Enhancing program is strongly rooted in the community development principles of good practice,” said Kara Salazar, sustainable communities Extension specialist. “As such, we concentrate on participation, inclusion, capacity building and balancing action planning with long-term sustainability.”

To read more, check out Purdue Agriculture News‘ full article titled “Purdue Extension program’s objective: enhance public spaces.” Further questions about the survey can be directed to Kara Salazar at 765.496.1070 or salazark@purdue.edu.

Resources:
Purdue Extension program’s objective: enhance public spaces – Purdue Agriculture News
Enhancing the Value of Public Places Home Page – Purdue Extension
Enhancing the Value of Public Places Action Plan – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center

Kara Salazar, Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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