Are you interested in learning more about how you can help birds and other wildlife while managing your woodland? Typically, you’d be able to take part in an in-person workshop introducing you to our Forestry for Maine Birds program. But prompted by coronavirus restrictions, Maine Audubon, the Forest Stewards Guild, Maine Forest Service, and Maine Tree Farm have created a series of videos filmed in the woods that walk you through the essence of our in-person workshops. Topics include an introduction to Forestry for Maine Birds and why Maine is so important for birds; an introduction to the habitat features birds need; a conversation with a Maine Forest Service forester and private consulting forester; and links to more resources and funding opportunities to help you manage your woodland “with birds in mind.”
Here are some details about each of the videos in the series:
Part 1: What is Forestry for Maine Birds?
Join a wildlife ecologist and two professional foresters to learn about the international significance of Maine’s forests for breeding forest birds, and how to manage your woodland “with birds and other wildlife in mind.”
Part 2: What Forest Habitat Features Do Birds Use?
Watch forester Amanda Mahaffey introduce you to 10 important habitat features that are important to breeding forest birds and other wildlife. Learn how to do a “handy habitat assessment” of your own woodland to find out how many you have.
Watch forester Andy Shultz discuss in detail the five live habitat features of a Maine forest that are important to breeding forest birds and other wildlife.
Part 4: The Importance of Dead Wood
Join wildlife ecologist Sally Stockwell as she extols the virtues of dead wood, and showcases why dead standing and down wood is important for breeding birds and other wildlife.
Part 5: Putting Your Forest Management Plan into Action
Hear from three professional foresters about how to get the help and advice you need to put together and pay for a management plan that meets all your goals for the future of your woodland.
Bonus Episode 1: Taming Invasive Plants in My Woodland
Hear from two professional foresters about what resources are available to help you identify, contain, and limit the spread of nonnative, invasive plants in your Maine woodland, including color booklets, invasives experts, and funding.
Bonus Episode 2: Landowner Services
Interested in having your woodland certified as being sustainably managed to provide wood, wildlife, water, and recreation? Learn how to join the Maine Tree Farm program. Also learn about how the Maine TREE Foundation is helping educate youth and adults about the value of family woodlands and forest products.
Bonus Episode 3: Tips for Towns: How to manage your community forest
Take a tour of one of Falmouth’s community forests and see firsthand how it is being managed with Town Forester Paul Larrivee.
EXTRAS!
For those wanting to dive in even deeper, and especially for professional foresters, we have two additional longer videos you may be interested in.
Forestry for Maine Birds Tutorial – How to Complete a Habitat Assessment
Join Sally Stockwell from Maine Audubon, Andy Shultz from the Maine Forest Service, and Amanda Mahaffey from the Forest Stewards Guild to learn how to assess your forest for birds and other wildlife in this tutorial video. Sally, Andy, and Amanda will walk you through how to complete each different section of the Habitat Assessment Form.
Forestry for the Future: Lessons in Sustainable Management from Maine
Tour the U.S. Forest Service Penobscot Experimental Forest and see how different kinds of silviculture and harvesting have changed the forest over the past 60 years. Learn from experts at the University of Maine, Maine Forest Service, Maine Audubon, and others around the state about how to manage your woodland for the future, considering timber production, wildlife habitat, climate change, pests and disease. Written and produced by University of Maine forestry graduate student Maren Granstrom.
You can find all these videos, plus many other resources for loggers, landowners, and foresters on Maine Audubon’s Forestry for Maine Birds webpage: www.maineaudubon.org/ffmb.
