Macphail Woods hosts forest workshop

Good opportunity to learn more about woodlands

Gary Schneider will host a Forest Restoration presentation and walk Saturday on the grounds of the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead in Orwell.

Activities begin at 2 p.m. in the Nature Centre.

There is no admission fee and registration is not required. The workshop is part of an extensive series of outdoor activities at Macphail Woods. For more information on this or upcoming tours and workshops, call 902651-2575, check out website at macphailwoods.org, or check Facebook.

Forest restoration is attracting more and more attention these days as people work to reverse the degradation they see happening all across the region.

The workshop will look at the concepts behind restoring our native Acadian forests, no matter what state they are in. Participants will walk the trails and discuss ways to improve different types of woodlands.

As part of its work on restoring the native Acadian forest, the Macphail Woods project has been using a variety of silvicultural techniques to improve and enrich stands of old field white spruce or low-value hardwoods. The thinnings and small patch cuts are generally followed with plantings that incorporate a mixture of native trees and shrubs to improve diversity, enhance wildlife habitat and add value.

Rare plants such as hemlock, red oak, white ash, ironwood, witch hazel and hobblebush have been planted throughout the forest, though more common plants such as yellow birch, white pine, sugar maple and striped maple have also been added. Each area of woodland is looked at as a separate unit to assess what plants will do best in the area and what cutting practices would actually improve forest health.

The walk will provide an excellent opportunity to not only learn more about woodlands but also to share your knowledge.

While walking through the various forest types, participants will discuss the variety of techniques that can be used to improve the sites, which may involve cutting and/or planting.

Bring ideas and your forest problems - there will be plenty of time for discussion.