ECOFA May Newsletter

ECOFA was founded to provide information to the members and the general public about multiple use management of forestland

The Annual meeting and Banquet was held at St. John’s Church, Dover.  The banquet was brought to order by President Kathy Myers.  The meal blessing was given by Glen Groh before the 67 attendees.  The wonderful meal of swiss steak and baked chicken breast, with all the trimmings, and delicious pie, was prepared by the volunteers of St. John’s Church.

Keith Dasher, forest technician of Clum Forestry Consultants, gave an overview of an app they use to assist in finding boundary lines.  The onXmaps app was designed for hunters to find public and private boundary lines.  There are various “layers” available with this app, including landowner names and addresses, topography, roads and trails, and lakes and streams, just to name a few.  Keith said it is very easy to use, and can be used on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or home/business based computer.  It is available for about $30.  They find it extremely helpful in their applications.  When in the woods, a little blue dot indicates your location on the map.  Never get lost again! As landowners, you can mark certain areas and save them for future use in planning your woodland.  It is even possible to save maps, so when in areas that are offline, you still have the map and the layers, and your location.  Thank you, Keith, for informing us of this very valuable tool!

Jeremy announced, and congratulated, Alan Walter as one of the two finalists in the American Tree Farm System’s Regional Forester of the Year.  Alan received the Ohio Tree Farmer of the Year for 2015. 

 There were 51 silent auction items and 32 items in the live auction.  Many of the items were handcrafted by ECOFA members, friends and family.  Jeremy Scherf did a fantastic job, as always, as auctioneer.  The lively, fun-filled auctions brought in over $2600 for the education fund, which mainly goes for Ohio Forestry Camp sponsorships.  Auction items included a Poplar bench, an ECOFA themed wood-burned artwork centerpiece, tree-quilted wallhanging, star-quilted center pieces, home-brewed honey wine, a jar of Ohio honey, 2-time international  winning maple syrup, a gorgeous picture frame, chestnut picture frames, chestnut wood, a wooden basket filled with home baked goodies, wood-duck nesting box, and that is just an overview.  So many wonderful items made generously and will be enjoyed by many.  The most fun item was the “Pig in the Poke”, a wrapped mysterious item, that ended up just that….a pig, made out of wood by our own Glen Hoerger!  And, we cannot forget the wonderful homemade delights made by Ellen and Janet.  A huge “Thank You!” to all who provided auction items.  It wouldn’t be possible without you!  “Thank You!” also to Alan Walter and Brian Werner for doing an onsite data entry, thus enabling a quick exit for all after the auction.

   At the May 4, 2016, 7:00 PM meeting of the East Central Ohio Forestry Association (ECOFA) John Quimby, past director of the Forest Health Program for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and ECOFA Member, will talk about "Biological Control and Patience".  His goal is to encourage us to use bio control to deal with pest (insects, plant diseases, and invasive "weeds") problems with alternatives to pesticides.  In many cases bio control can actually be less expensive, and more effective than spraying a pesticide.  One of costs, however, is that one must study the options through resources other than the local hardware store.  One also has to be patient. During John’s 30 year career, biological control was the primary focus of every pest problem he dealt with. Sometimes the best plan of action is to do nothing. What a wonderful resource, to have someone with so much experience help us solve our pest issues!

Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, and Jefferson, Counties

    Jeremy Scherf

   2050 East Wheeling Ave.

   Cambridge, OH 43725-2159

   Phone 740-439-9079

   Toll free 1-866-274-0102

   Fax 740-432-7711

   Office day is Wednesday

Erie, Lorain, Huron, Medina, Ashland, Richland, Wayne, and Holmes counties  John Jolliff

    950 ODNR Mohican Rd. 60

    Perrysville, OH  44864

        Phone   419-938-6222

Carroll, Columbiana, Mahoning, Stark and Tuscarawas Counties

    Dan Bartlett

    3601 New Garden Road

    Salem, OH  44460-9571

    330-222-1486

    Office day is Wednesday

Coshocton, Muskingum, Noble and Monroe Counties

    Adam Komar

    6665 Cutler Lake Rd.
    Blue Rock, OH 43720-9740

    740-961-0194
    office day Wednesday

Knox, Morrow, Licking, & Perry Counties

    Andy Sabula

     8995 E. Main St

   - Plant Industry Building

     Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

     614-425-7767

Upcoming Seminars and classes

There are some listed in the meeting notes on previous pages

Capturing Nature’s Wonders

Saturday, May 7, 2016    Workshop:9:00am – 5:30pm  Field Trip: 6:30pm – 8:30pm

A full day class plus evening field trip on how to take outdoor photography to the next level. Intensive classroom preparation and ‘real time’ instruction in the field is planned to learn simple steps that make the difference between ordinary snapshots and extraordinary photos.  Please see attached brochure for details of how to prepare and what to bring to the class as well as what you will learn.  Class includes both lunch and dinner.  Go to jimdoty.com for more photographs of the instructor.  This workshop is being held at the OSU Mansfield campus and the cost is $90. Please call Call 614-688-3421 for questions

Second Friday Series

Spring Edible Plant-

When Fri, May 13, 9am – 6pm

Where Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Township Hwy 6, McArthur, OH 45651, United States (

Also noted on this page and since some of our members also are active with this organization:

Ohio Chapter of NWTF Awards $1000 to Support A DAY in the WOODS!

Lee Crocker and the National Wild Turkey Federation have been a huge part of A DAY in the WOODS since it launched in 2012.   The Ohio Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation just announced that they will support A DAY in the WOODS and the 2nd Friday Series with $1,000 in funding through their 2016 Super Fund Project .   This funding will allow us to continue to offer quality, innovative programming for woodland owners and enthusiasts in Southeastern Ohio at an affordable price! Thanks to  Lee and the Ohio Chapter of NWTF!

Wild Wednesday at Deerassic Park

April 27^th 6 to 7 pm…Trophy Catfishing It’s time to kick off the fishing season! Mark Meeker and Chris Dyer will teach you everything you need to know on how to successfully land the big one! No fishing tales during this presentation. Learn the different types of fishing, where and when to fish, what type of equipment to use, and tips and techniques to catch the biggest catfish in the state!To register, please call 740-435-3335 or
email brooke@deerassic.com

2016 Forestry & Wildlife Conservation Camp - June 12-17, 2016

When to Prune

This depends to a large extent on why you prune. Light pruning and the removal of dead wood can be done anytime. Otherwise, here are some guidelines, but recognizing that individual species may differ is important to remember.

Winter Pruning

Pruning during dormancy is the most common practice. It results in a vigorous burst of new growth in the spring and should be used if that is the desired effect. It is usually best to wait until the coldest part of winter has passed. Some species, such as maple, walnuts and birches, may “bleed”—when the sap begins to flow. This is not harmful and will cease when the tree leafs out.

Summer Pruning

To direct the growth by slowing the branches you don’t want; or to slow “dwarf” the development of a tree or branch, pruning should be done soon after seasonal growth is complete. The reason for the slowing effect is that you reduce the total leaf surface, thereby reducing the amount of food manufactured and sent to the roots. Another reason to prune in the summer is for corrective purposes. Defective limbs can be seen more easily, or limbs that hang down too far under the weight of the leaves.

Pruning Flowering Trees to Enhance Flowering

If your purpose for pruning is to enhance flowering:

    For trees that bloom in spring, prune when their flowers fade.

    Trees and shrubs that flower in mid- to late summer should be pruned in winter or early spring.

When Not To Prune: Fall

Because decay fungi spread their spores profusely in the fall and healing of wounds seems to be slower on fall on cuts, this is a good time to leave your pruning tools in storage.

Keys to Good Pruning

Begin visual inspection at the top of the tree and work downward. Use The ⅓ and ¼ Rules of Pruning. Never remove more than ¼ of a tree’s crown in a season. Ideally, main side branches should be at least ⅓ smaller than the diameter of the trunk. For most deciduous (broadleaf) trees, don’t prune up from the bottom any more than ⅓ of the tree’s total height. Where possible, try to encourage side branches that form angles that are ⅓ off vertical that form “10 o’clock” or “2 o’clock” angles with the trunk. For most species, the tree should have a single trunk. Identify the best leader and later branches before you begin pruning and remove defective parts before pruning for form.

   Don’t worry about protecting pruning cuts. For aesthetics, you may feel better painting large wounds but it doesn’t prevent or reduce decay. Keep tools sharp. One-hand pruning shears with curved blades work best on young trees. For high branches use a pole pruner. A major job on a big tree should be done by a professional arborist.   For larger branches, cut outside the branch bark and ridge collar (swollen area). Do not leave a protruding stub. If the limb is too small to have formed a collar cut close. When simply shortening a small branch, make the cut at a lateral bud or another lateral branch. Favor a bud that will produce a branch that will grow in desired direction (usually outward). The cut should be sharp and clean and made at a slight angle about ¼ inch beyond the bud.

Annual Tree Pruning Steps from Planting to Maturity

Tree pruning, trimming, or cutting is an ongoing process throughout the life of your tree. After selecting the right tree and carefully planting it, early pruning is the most important thing you can do for a young tree. Proper pruning will save you money and give you a safer more beautiful, healthier, and easier-to-maintain tree. Remember what you do to your tree in its first few years of life will affect its shape, strength, and even its life span.

Tree Pruning Steps at Planting. Leave as much of the entire leaf surface as possible to manufacture food that will build a larger root system. Roots will be larger after one year if left unpruned. Do prune the following and trim close to the trunk:  broken branches, branches competing with the leader, swollen branches from insect eggs or stings, and remove tree tags.

Note: This article was from Arborday.org

ECOFA

PO Box 486

Carrollton, OH  44615