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The longer daylight period and the warming weather are bringing new life to woodlands. We have a community of native plants, called spring ephemerals, that grow, bloom and produce seed quickly before the tree leaves emerge and the forest understory is wrapped in shade. Several of my favorite wildflowers are in this group, including hepaticas, trilliums, bloodroot, squirrel-corn and trout lily.

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Join Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee and wildlife specialist Brian MacGowan as they help you prepare for the holidays while keeping your family and local wildlife safe. This video discusses everything from how to choose and care for a real Christmas tree as well as what to do with it after the season and also how to make wildlife/nature-friendly decorations.

Topics Include:
– What can I do with my tree after Christmas that would benefit wildlife?
– Are artificial structures legal in Indiana lakes?
– What types of items can I collect from the wild for holiday decorations?
– How do I do it in an environmentally responsible way?
– Are there some things I shouldn’t or can’t collect?
– What outdoor holiday decorations can benefit wildlife?
– How do I make it last longer?
– Can I avoid problems with non-target wildlife?

If you have any questions regarding trees, forest management, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources
Selecting an Indiana-Grown Christmas Tree, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Tips for First-Time Buyers of Real Christmas Trees, The Education Store
Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association
Purdue University Invasive Species resources
Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife possession rules
Feed the birds with a DIY wreath, Audubon
Dan Cassens: Tips for First-Time Christmas Tree Buyers, Video, Purdue Agriculture
Dan Cassens: Starting Your Own Christmas Tree Farm, Video

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

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

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Agricultural & Natural Resources (ANR) Newsletter: The Extension activities of Kwamena Quagrainie, clinical engagement professor in the Departments of Agricultural Economics and Forestry and Natural Resources, relate to economics in aquaculture and aquaponics. Kwamena is also affiliated with the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) program at Purdue University and the University of Illinois.

One aspect of his outreach activities relates to small-scale fish processing. He explored processing fish in shared-use commercial kitchens and on-farm processing facilities in local communities and hosted free HACCP training and pilot training workshops in seafood processing and food safety for fish farmers in Indiana and Illinois. Information from potential use of shared-use commercial kitchens and small on-farm fish processing kitchens were gathered to construct business models, costs, regulations, etc., as case studies, which are published in a handbook as a guide for small-scale fish farmers. The Handbook on Processing Fish for Small-Scale Fish Farmers outlines various aspects of understanding the process, including regulations, required training, requirements for renting a commercial kitchen and what it takes to own an on-farm facility. Fish farmers interested in processing their fish can use the handbook to decide if processing is a feasible pathway to add to their fish production business or to simply get into fish processing using any local facilities.

The other aspect relates to aquaponics as a sustainable food production enterprise and outreach to high schools interested in aquaponics in the classroom. Aquaponics is integrating aquaculture and hydroponics to produce seafood and plants using less land and water resources when compared with conventional food production methods. Kwamena’s primary focus with aquaponics is addressing the challenges in the adoption of aquaponics in the Midwest and helping farmers make informed decisions about getting into Aquaponics as a business. View YouTube video Aquaponics: What to consider before starting your business. Farmers are expressing interest in aquaponics as small farms and, in some cases, as urban farming, which could have some economic benefits because of its small footprint and use of less water and land resources.

The aquaponics in schools program is in its initial stages and is aimed at introducing students to basic scientific concepts through the lens of an aquaponics system. The program has lessons aligned with Science and Engineering Process Standards, incorporating material from biology, chemistry, and environmental science. An aquaponics curriculum developed by IISG is currently being pilot tested by high school teachers. The program will be implemented together with a water quality test kit loan program to schools in Indiana and Illinois.

To learn more about Dr. Quagrainie’s research and publications view: Kwamena Quagrainie, Forestry and Natural Resources profile page.

Resources:
A Guide to Marketing for Small-Scale Aquaculture Producers, The Education Store
A Guide to Small-Scale Fish Processing Using Local Kitchen Facilities, The Education Store
Marine Shrimp Biofloc Systems: Basic Management Practices, The Education Store
Aquaculture Industry in Indiana Growing, Purdue Today
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet: A Guide for Seafood Consumers, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Sustainable Aquaculture: What does it mean to you?, The Education Store
The Benefits of Seafood Consumption The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet: A Guide for Seafood Consumers, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Pond and Wildlife Management website, Purdue Extension
Fish Cleaning with Purdue Extension County Extension Director, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Aquatics & Fisheries, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub

Agricultural & Natural Resources (ANR), Purdue Extension

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

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It is in the vested interest of both humans and wildlife to reduce potential traffic collisions. Researchers in the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources looked at one possible option to do so in a five-year study involving the development and use of deer-reduction zones, areas where targeted recreational hunting was utilized to reduce animal-vehicle collisions.

The interdisciplinary research group recently published its findings in Science of the Total Environment. Along with lead author Zackary Delisle, a 2023 PhD alumnus, and Dr. Rob Swihart, professor emeritus of wildlife ecology with Purdue FNR, the research team included Carson Reeling, an associate professor with the Purdue Department of Agricultural Economics, Indiana state deer project leader Joe Caudell and 2018 PhD alumna Emily McCallen, a wildlife biometrician with the Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife.

“The initial goal for this research was to test a method for decreasing deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) throughout Indiana,” Delisle said. “DVCs are quite frequent in Indiana. From 2003 to 2022, there were more than 300,000 reported DVCs in Indiana, with estimated costs to society of more than $2.5 billion dollars! Therefore, discovering a way to decrease the number of DVCs is important for deer management in Indiana.”

Researchers initially studied the activity of deer in delineated research units across the state, the findings of which are available in an article titled “Deer activity levels and patterns vary along gradients of food availability and anthropogenic development,” published in Nature’s Scientific Reports. The study examined the relationships between animal activity and the availability and quality of food, proximity to human development and other factors, utilizing trail cameras to sample more than 1,000 unique locations during the winters of 2019, 2020 and 2021.

“In that paper we found that deer in the northeast region of Indiana (what we called RMU 9) spend more of the day active than in other regions we studied,” Swihart explained. “Because traffic volume also tends to be higher during the day, deer in this region presumably are more likely to collide with a car. In the northeast region, we specifically estimated deer to be more active in the morning and less active at night, unlike the other regions.”

The publication summarizes the results:

“If animals either are active during a greater fraction of each day or shift their activity to coincide with periods of peak vehicular traffic volume, the chances of animals and vehicles colliding on the landscape likely will increase. In our study, we documented in RMU 9 the highest regional activity levels and a pattern characterized by a greater fraction of activity during the morning rush hours. Under such conditions, accidents involving collisions between motorists and deer might be expected. Indeed, deer-vehicle collisions occur at a rate 1.98 times higher in RMU 9 compared to RMU 3 and 4. Therefore, quantitative examinations of the relationships between characteristics of activity distributions and deer-vehicle collisions may help future management planning to reduce collisions. If positive relationships are found, incentivizing humans to hunt deer in close proximity to roadways may reduce occurrence of deer-vehicle collisions by causing deer to shift to nocturnal activity patterns, reduce movement rates, or select areas further from roads.”

Based on the results of the initial study, researchers tested how well policies designed to increase human hunting of deer (longer hunting seasons and increased harvest limits) reduced deer-vehicle collisions along 618 kilometers (or 384 miles) of high-risk roadways, or those in the upper 99^th percentile in terms of DVCs.

Of the 51 selected roadways covering 949 km, relaxed hunting regulations were implemented among 15 of them, designated as treatment deer reduction zones (DRZs), while 36 roadways were left as is, designated as control DRZs. All parcels of land within 0.8 km of the high-risk road were included as part of the deer-reduction zone.

A unique license was developed specifically for hunters pursuing deer within treatment DRZs, with a cost ranging from $24 to $240 depending on the year and a hunter’s residence status.

Findings from the study show both a decrease in number of deer-vehicle collisions and the amount of economic damages from those accidents, as well as increased revenue for the local wildlife management agency. The publication details:

“We estimated a strong interaction between treatment type and initiation of DRZs. Deer reduction zones decreased DVCs by a predicted 21.12 % along 618 km of high-risk roadways and prevented an estimated 69.6 DVCs from 2018 to 2022. Deer reduction zones saved up to $653,756 in economic damages to society during the 5-y treatment period. This total savings included $483,983 in estimated vehicular damage, $123,180 in avoided fatalities, and $46,593 in avoided injuries. The DRZs brought in $206,268 in revenue from license sales.”

Delisle said the success of the study lies not only in the fact that the methods tested worked in reducing DVCs, but also in the potential supplemental revenue for wildlife agencies, which are often underfunded and overwhelmed.

“Our findings are unique in that most previously tested methods for reducing DVCs cost a lot of money to implement, but our method actually generated revenue from hunting licenses,” Delisle noted. “We also found a way to decrease DVCs, which is massive in terms of the cost savings to society and the potential prevention of human injuries and fatalities, which unfortunately do occur in DVCs. In addition to nontraditional stakeholders, which could be defined as anyone driving a car in Indiana, our method for reducing DVCs also gives traditional stakeholders (i.e., hunters) more opportunities to harvest deer in certain areas of Indiana. Needless to say, we were very pleased with these findings because it was the first test of such methods across very large scales germane to state wildlife management.

“Knowing that we were able to figure out that increased recreational hunting worked at reducing DVCs feels special because we may have prevented someone from getting seriously hurt or killed. Personally, being able to analyze data on an experiment like that this has the potential to really influence how deer are managed in Indiana as well as help people (prevention of costs, human injuries and human fatalities) was really cool and I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to work on this project with my coauthors.”

Caudell believes that there is a future in applying these research findings beyond the original test areas and said the Indiana DNR is already working to do so.

“Now that we have evidence that this method can reduce deer vehicle collisions, the DNR is in the process of adding these deer reduction zones to our rules so that hunters will continue to use these areas over time,” Caudell said. “DNR’s deer biologists will also look for other areas around the state where we would expect this season to be effective and possibly expand the reduction zones to new areas around the state.”

Although the study shows that increased human hunting decreased the number of deer-vehicle collisions, more work must be done to explain the connection between hunting and a reduced number of accidents.

Delisle explains that the group has two main hypotheses: (1) the population density of deer may be reduced before most DVCs occur (mid-October to December), hence, there are fewer deer on the landscape to collide with vehicles; and (2) there is a behavioral change in deer where deer avoid areas with more human hunters (again, behavioral change before mid-October to December).

“Ultimately, although the findings of this project were pretty neat, more research is needed to discover what ecological mechanism is driving the reduction in DVCs,” Delisle noted. “As is typical in the awesome process of science, someone else will need to make that discovery.”

Beyond establishing the connection between hunting and reduced deer-vehicle collisions, another more specific hypothesis, related to No. 2 above, involves expanding the research to examine collision rates with bucks and does.

“Other researchers have shown that deer adjust their activity to avoid risky times and risky places, with greater tolerance for risk during breeding seasons (for bucks) and fawn-rearing seasons (for does),” Swihart said. “So, a prediction that could be tested in future research is that deer-reduction zone policies, which do not include fawning season, should be more effective in reducing deer-vehicle collisions with does than with bucks because does will be more likely to adjust their activity in response to greater hunting risk during fall/winter.”

To view this article along with other news and stories posted on the Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources website view: Researchers Study Deer-Vehicle Collision Reduction Method.

Resources:
Ask an Expert, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wildlife Habitat Hint, Playlist
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Managing Deer Damage to Young Trees, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel
Introduction to White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands, Got Nature? Blog & The Education Store
Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
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
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Handling Harvested Deer Ask an Expert? video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Wildlife Playlist
A Woodland Management Moment – Deer Fencing, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video

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

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How does forest management affect wildlife, specifically birds? Which birds prefer which types of forest habitat? How can you help birds thrive on your property?

The Forestry for the Birds Virtual Tour is a new tool developed by Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources and Purdue Extension, which offers answers to those questions and more in an easily digestible and visual format. The virtual tour is based on The Nature Conservancy’s Forestry for the Birds program.

The virtual tour is an interactive guide to forest management techniques and birds in the forest that features 360-degree images, including several taken on eight Purdue FNR properties across the state. Bird identification resources from Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library, forest management resources from Purdue Extension and more make the tour come to life and allow landowners to improve their identification and management skillsets.

The tour was created and is narrated by Kaitlyn Young, a 2022 wildlife alumna and current FNR master’s degree student. Young spent the summer of 2023 monitoring birds as an avian monitoring and extension intern for the Purdue FNR Extension Internship program.

Young conducted breeding bird surveys and made recordings of all the species she encountered whether audibly or visually last summer. She utilized a GoPro Max to capture 360-degree images of the properties she surveyed. Song Meter Mini acoustic monitors allowed her to capture various bird songs, which are incorporated into the background of some of the virtual scenes of the tour. Still camera images also provide stunning visuals of each property and bird type.

“I think my favorite thing about the tour is that when you are exploring each scene, it really feels like you are there,” Young explains. “I want folks who may not be able to visit our properties to feel like they are right there, inside the scene, while learning a thing or two about bird conservation and managing our forests for our rapidly declining feathery friends.”

Young is quick to note, however, that it is much easier to spot the birds she added to each scene of the tour than when trying to look for them during surveys, when they are often hiding behind the leaves in the canopy.

Forestry for the Birds is a project developed by the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which provides foresters and private landowners with the information and tools needed to enhance their forests in a way that fosters thriving bird communities. Many resources, including the Forestry for the Birds pocket guides, focus on the “Birders’ Dozen,” or 12 bird species which nest in the Central Hardwood ecoregion of Indiana that are easy to identify by sight and/or sound, and need conservation action to assist with range-wide or local population declines. The Birders’ Dozen species were selected by The Nature Conservancy and an independent group of birders, ornithologists and conservationists.

The virtual tour focuses on how different forest stewardship practices and forest types can benefit a variety of bird species, including the Birders’ Dozen. In each scene, there are three or more bird species to look for, recorded bird songs which are representative of what you could hear in that scene, interactive icons that link to images and videos and an audio description of the scene.

“I’m excited to see this virtual tour come to fruition – it provides some depth of information to complement the Forestry for the Birds Pocket Guide and Silvicultural Guide,” said Jessica Outcalt, Purdue Extension Educator, who helped develop the Forestry for the Birds materials for TNC. “I especially appreciate the visuals and audio that can’t be communicated via printed materials, and how this tour captures the sense of being in a forest that will make the material accessible to a wider audience.”

The properties shown illustrate a variety of forest stewardship techniques ranging from single tree selection to group tree selection, shelterwood, clearcut, oak woodland restoration and prescribed fire. The tour also highlights both young forests and mature closed-canopy forests.

The Birders’ Dozen includes:

• Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoo
• Eastern Whip-poor-will
• American Woodcock
• Eastern Screech-Owl
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Wood Thrush
• Eastern Towhee
• Yellow-Breasted Chat
• Baltimore Oriole
• Worm-eating Warbler
• Hooded Warbler
• Cerulean Warbler

*Bird species listed above with links will take you to the Indiana Woodland Steward website as they share highlights with this information in “The Birders’ Dozen Profile” written by Jessica Outcalt.

The American Woodcock, Wood Thrush and Cerulean Warbler are listed on the National Audubon Society watchlist, while the Cerulean warbler is state endangered in Indiana. The Eastern Whip-poor-will, American Woodcock, Worm-eating Warbler and Hooded Warbler have been noted as species of special concern by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife.

To view this article along with other news and stories posted on the Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources website view: Virtual Tour Brings Forest Management for the Birds to Life.

Resources: 
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region, The Education Store, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Forest Birds, The Education Store
Managing Woodlands for Birds, The Education Store
Managing Woodlands for Birds Video, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region, 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
Birds and Residential Window Strikes: Tips for Prevention, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
No Room at the Inn: Suburban Backyards and Migratory Birds, Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Putting a Little Wildlife in Your Backyard This Spring, The Education Store

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

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Familiar with surprise lilies? Indiana has a native surprise onion!

Many yards where I grew up in southern Indiana were graced with surprise lilies. These plants grew long narrow leaves in the spring, which faded and died by early summer. After a pause with no evidence of the plant, long stems with pink lily-like flowers emerged, with no leaves to be seen.

While these plants are not a native species, we do have a native with similar habits that is a distant relative of the surprise lily. That plant is ramps, also known as wild leek and a variety of other local names. There are two species of ramps recognized now – the more common broad-leaved ramps, Allium tricoccum, and the narrow-leaved ramps, Allium burdickii. Ramps are related to onions and garlic and have odor and taste reminiscent of those plants. Ramps foliage emerges early in the spring and was one of the earliest green edibles available to First Nations people and early European settlers.

Many communities developed festivals or celebrations centered on the emergence of ramps as a sign of spring and some fresh greens to eat. The bright green leaves emerge before the tree leaves and fade before summer, but by the first half of June expect to see thin stems with a rounded cluster of small white flowers emerge – our surprise onion! It may take a ramps plant seven to ten years from seed to produce a flower, so this is a slow-growing and long-lived forest perennial. The flowers are pollinated by insects and produce round black seeds that may stay on the stalk through winter.

Look for ramps in well-shaded forest areas with moist soils. They have a scattered distribution across Indiana, so you won’t find them in every woodland. The leaves and bulbs are edible, but absolute certainty of ID is essential as there are some toxic plants that look similar.  Check ID references and spend some time with experienced foragers before eating any wild plants. The onion/garlic odor of ramps is a good indicator for positive ID.

Since this is a slow growing plant with a limited distribution, over-collection is a threat. A responsible harvesting technique is to harvest one leaf from mature plants, leaving the other leaves and the bulb. If you harvest the whole plant, take less than 5 percent of the plants in a patch, allowing seeding and bulb division to repopulate the area. Seed or bulbs can also be used to plant new patches. So keep you eyes open for our local surprise flowers this June – ramps!

 

Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Against Invasives, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive)
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Common Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry)
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, video, The Education Store
Find an Arborist website, Trees are Good, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA

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

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In this edition of ID That Tree, we’re going to introduce you to a very rare Indiana shrub that’s a relic of the ice age here, and that is Canada yew. It’s only found in Indiana on very steep slopes, rock faces, and cliffs. It’s an evergreen, so it is coniferous. It’s also very palatable to deer, so deer browse has been very hard on this particular shrub.

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 (FNR) YouTube Channel (Invasive White Mulberry, Siberian Elm, Tree of Heaven)
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, Callery Pear, Multiflora rose)
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Against Invasives, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive)
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Common Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry)
How long do seeds of the invasive tree, Ailanthus altissima remain viable? (Invasive Tree of Heaven), USDA Forest Service
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Aquatic Invasive Species, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
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
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester 10+acres of woodlands, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

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

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Observing the colors and patterns of blooming plants is an enjoyable spring activity that reinforces the plant world is becoming active after the long pause of winter. Most mature flowering plants produce some sort of flower structure, but some are more noticeable than others. Some of the earliest among native Indiana trees are red and silver maple, the elms, serviceberry and Ohio buckeye. Some of the showiest blooms are found on redbud, flowering dogwood, tuliptree and magnolias. Keeping a journal of when first blooms are sighted or taking date-stamped photos is a good way to track this sign of spring from year to year and give you a hint of when future blooms may happen.

There is also a substantial show on the forest floor. Early-blooming wildflowers emerge and bloom before trees and shrubs expand leaves, allowing them access to sunlight in early spring. Some plants to look for include spring beauty, trilliums, Dutchman’s’ breeches, and bloodroot. Tree, shrub and plant field guides as well as plant ID apps can help you learn the ID features and life histories of these native plants.

Check out our Purdue Extension YouTube Channel to learn from Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester.  In this Purdue Extension-FNR “YouTube Shorts” video below you will learn about early blooming trees in the spring time.

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)
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Against Invasives, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive)
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Common Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry)
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Aquatic Invasive Species, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store

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

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In this edition of ID That Tree, we’re going to introduce you to yet another native Indiana elm found in the far southwest corner of Indiana, and that is winged elm. It’s named for its prominent corky ridges that we see extending off the main stems and twigs. It has alternate leaf arrangement, simple leaves, and doubly serrated margins.

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:
Winged Elm, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel (Invasive White Mulberry, Siberian Elm, Tree of Heaven)
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, Callery Pear, Multiflora rose)
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Against Invasives, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive)
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Common Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry)
How long do seeds of the invasive tree, Ailanthus altissima remain viable? (Invasive Tree of Heaven), USDA Forest Service
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Aquatic Invasive Species, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
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
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester 10+acres of woodlands, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

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

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In this edition of ID That Tree, we’re going to introduce you to yet another southern Indiana oak species. This one is a member of the broad white oak group and it’s called post oak. It’s called that because it’s a very rot resistant and hard wood that used to be used for fence posts. It has rounded lobes, no bristle tips, and typified by a cruciform shape of leaf.

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:
Post Oak, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel (Invasive White Mulberry, Siberian Elm, Tree of Heaven)
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, Callery Pear, Multiflora rose)
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Against Invasives, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive)
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Common Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry)
How long do seeds of the invasive tree, Ailanthus altissima remain viable? (Invasive Tree of Heaven), USDA Forest Service
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Aquatic Invasive Species, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
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
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester 10+acres of woodlands, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

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

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