Branching Out - Winter 2022 | University of Maryland Extension

Screenshot of Jonathan Kays on Voice of America

Image captured from Extension Forester Jonathan Kays' interview on Voice of America. See "News and Notes" below.

Updated: November 5, 2024

By Andrew Kling , and Jonathan S. Kays

In our Winter 2022 issue...

Read some "parting thoughts" from Extension Forester Jonathan Kays prior to his retirement. Registration for the spring session of "The Woods in Your Backyard" online course is now open. The deadline to submit comments about managing selected Maryland state forests is March 4. Our regular features include profiles of the red fox in the Woodland Wildlife Spotlight, and Canada thistle in Invasives in Your Woodland, as well as our events calendar and the Brain Tickler challenge.

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Parting Thoughts

Jonathan Kays, Forestry Specialist, University of Maryland Extension

As I am about to retire after 32 years as a University of Maryland extension forester, I want to take this opportunity to share some thoughts with you, the readers of Branching Out, and others who have benefited from the Woodland Stewardship Education program.

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Registration is Now Open for the Spring Session of “The Woods in Your Backyard” Online Course

Registration is now open for the Spring 2022 session of “The Woods in Your Backyard” online course. Our course is designed primarily for small-acreage property owners who want to learn how to care for or expand existing woodlands, or to convert lawn space to woodlands. The self-directed, non-credit online course runs for ten weeks, from March 28 to June 6.

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Share Your Views on how Maryland Manages State Forests

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is inviting public comments on proposed fiscal year 2023 annual work plans for four state forests: Chesapeake/Pocomoke, Green Ridge, Potomac/Garrett, and Savage River.

The comment period closes March 4, 2022 for these work plans, which will go into effect with the start of the 2023 fiscal year in July.

The annual work plans, according to the DNR, “help the department identify priorities within the scope of the forests’ long-range management. They address composition, establishment, growth, health, and quality, along with construction and maintenance projects.”

Maryland Forest Service Acting Director Anne Hairston-Strang notes that public comments are an essential part of managing the health of the state’s forests. “We are dependent on the public’s input to help us develop the most comprehensive and effective management practices for the forested lands and tracts.”

Comments can be provided online at the DNR website or emailed to stateforests.dnr@maryland.gov.

Gray fox in tree. Photo © Todd Fitzgerald, iNaturalist.org

Woodland Wildlife Spotlight: Gray Fox

Andrew A. Kling, Faculty Associate

It comes as a surprise to many that Maryland is home to a second species of fox. However, the gray fox is indeed native to the state and the region, and can be found throughout most of North America. In fact, this successful species can also be found throughout Central and northern South America as well.

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Invasives in Your Woodland: Canada Thistle

Andrew A. Kling, Faculty Associate

Canada Thistle is also known as creeping thistle, as well as green or perennial thistle, depending on the source. Others express their opinion about it by calling it hard thistle and cursed thistle. Canada thistle is an aggressive and colonial perennial, with both male and female plants. It is considered a noxious weed in Maryland and many other areas across the U.S.

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Canada Thistle flowers. Photo by Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

News and Notes

The News and Notes roundup for this issue features Extension forester Jonathan Kays' interview on Voice of America, a look at why people get lost in the woods, the potential benefit of ghost forests for certain birds, and a new urban tree grant program from the Maryland Department of Transportation.

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American beech tree in winter. Photo by Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation.

The Mystery of Marcescence

Andrew A. Kling, Faculty Associate

As summer yields to fall, deciduous trees throughout the mid-Atlantic states lose their leaves in an often-spectacular display of color. However, not all hardwood trees participate in this pageantry, and decide to hang onto their leaves until spring. This is called "marcescence." Why they do it is another question.

Learn more >>

Man in straw hat standing in front of rows of growing plants.

This Issue’s Brain Tickler...

For this Brain Tickler we’re providing a photo and the individual’s identity. This is John S. Ayton, pictured in 2004. What important role did Ayton play in the management of Maryland’s woodlands?

We have a correct answer! Check back in our next issue to learn more.

In the Fall 2021 issue, we asked you to identify the particular species of tree from which the pictured nut came. Congratulations to Kate Ellis for correctly identifying it as a mockernut hickory.

Events Calendar

March 3, 4, & 5, 2022
Women Woodland Owners Virtual Conference
Online
The National Women Owning Woodlands Network will be holding a virtual conference focusing on forging connections between women and forest stewardship. Registration closes March 2nd. Visit this link to register.

March 10, 17, & 24, 2022, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Natural Area Management Services Webinar Series: Case Study
Online
This 3-part webinar series from The Woods in Your Backyard Partnership aims to inform and equip green industry professionals with knowledge and skills to provide additional services to clientele while improving ecosystem health. The program provides in-depth instruction related to the management of a small-acreage property from start to finish through our case-study scenario. This series will increase your knowledge and skills so you can gain an edge over the competition and grow your business by providing additional services for your clients. To learn more and to register, visit this Eventbrite link.

March 16, 2022, 12 noon-1 pm
Woodland & Wildlife Wednesday Webinar: “HealthyWoods App Helps Landowners Assess Woodland Health”
Online
Assessing the health of a woodland property when you don’t have a lot of knowledge about how it grows and what to look for is a challenge. The use of new mobile apps makes exploring your woods fun and educational. HealthyWoods is a collaborative effort between forest specialists from Kentucky and other hardwood-producing states in the Appalachian region, including Maryland, and provides woodland owners with a convenient tool to scout the health of their woods. It is suggested participants download the HealthyWoods app and become familiar with it prior to the webinar at https://healthywoodsapp.org/.

To register: go.umd.edu/woodlandwildlife