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(95) Effective Watershed Based Forestry Education
Jesse Schomberg, University of Minnesota Sea Grant, Duluth, MN
Mike Reichenbach, University of Minnesota Extension, Cloquet, MN, Tim Byrnes, South St Louis Soil and Water Conservation District, Duluth, MN, and Mindy Granley, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program, Two Harbors, MN
Session: Poster session
Effective Watershed based forestry education is focused within a watershed on a specific goal, for example on increasing riparian forest cover. It engages people in conversation and encourages thought about a sense of place on their land, and within their watershed. Finally, it provides landowners with ideas for addressing issues of concern and empowers them to address those issues.
Keeping Your Forest Healthy Into the Future, a training held for Landowners along the Sucker River was held on March 15th 2006. Landowners were told that “Forests are critical to keeping the Sucker River in good shape, especially the forest near any of the creeks and streams in the watershed.” The South St Louis Soil and Water Conservation District partnered with Minnesota Sea Grant and the University of Minnesota Extension Service to provide free trees to landowners in the watershed if they participated in the program.
The goal was to increase forest cover, particularly in riparian areas of the watershed. With the guidance of a volunteer or forester, land owners chose tree planting sites that provided optimum benefit for protecting the river. Participating landowners purchased and planted trees based on the guidance provided.
This project involved a number of partners, including volunteers and it created a linkage between participation in a forest education program to action on the ground and protecting an important local resource. Post-class evaluations were positive, and participation in tree planting after the educational meeting was high. Based on the success of this project the concept is being expanded in two more watersheds.
Jesse Schomberg
University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program
2305 E 5th St
Duluth, MN, 55812, USA
Phone: 218-726-6182
Fax: 218-726-6556
E-mail: jschombe@umn.edu