General forestry course available this fall

The University of Maryland Extension will offer the General Forestry Course for the fall 2016 semester. Both the paper and online version will be offered. The course begins Sept. 1 and runs until Dec. 15.

Registration opens June 1. To register, go to http://extension.umd.edu/forestry-course.

This is a non-credit course. As there are no formal classes, participants work from home using their own woodlot, a friend’s or a public forest. Participants will learn how to protect trees from insects, diseases and fire; step-by-step procedures will walk participants through a forest inventory and stand analysis; and the details of the forestry business are presented, including tax nuances and the sale and harvest of forest products. Ultimately, the course exercises help participants develop the framework for a stewardship plan for a forest.

The cost for this forestry course is $300. Included in the cost are copies of the supplemental readings (A Sand County Almanac, The Woodland Steward, American Forests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery, a small pamphlet entitled What Tree Is That? and Common Native Trees of Virginia Tree Identification Guide).

The paper version text and appendices are in binder form. Online users receive a flash drive of the paper version of the text and appendices. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed.

For more information, contact Nancy Stewart at the University of Maryland Extension, Wye Research and Education Center, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD, 21658; phone 410-827-8056, ext. 107; or email nstewar1@umd.edu.