You are invited to attend the Ontario Woodlot Association’s 19^th annual general meeting and woodlot conference, Our Forests – Caring for the Forest, to be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012 in Peterborough, ON.

Conference Details

This year’s conference will feature topics that are relevant to woodlot owners and managers from all walks of life.  We’ve invited presenters who will capture your imagination and provide you with a range of information about managing your woodlot.

Here are some of the features of this year’s event.

Silent Auction – The auction will provide you with a chance to bid on an array of wood products, forest products, books about trees and other forest-related items.  Show your support for your association and local chapter by taking part in the silent auction.

Conserving Forest Bird Habitat in Woodlands: A Guide to the Guide
Ken Elliott, RPF, Forestry Specialist, Ministry of Natural Resources
After spending a number years evaluating current practices and testing some new silvicultural methods in a scientific environment it became obvious that we needed a method of getting our messages to the woodlot owners and their managers.  This talk will introduce A Land Manager's Guide to Conserving Forest Bird Habitat in Southern Ontario to our most important audience: woodlot owners.  We will explain the rationale behind this document, its format, design and general contents and finally we will provide some examples of the content and our hopes for the future

Turtles and Timber
Brad Steinberg, Management Biologist, Algonquin Park
Most of Ontario’s turtles are Species at Risk, and protecting them and their habitat presents challenges and opportunities for forest management.  In Algonquin Park both research and mitigation are used to protect turtles at risk and wood supply. Join Brad to learn about these techniques.

Beech Bark Disease
Dr. Richard Wilson, Forest Program Pathologist, Ministry of Natural Resources
Dr. Wilson’s presentation will address the biology of the invasive scale insect and fungus, range, and impacts of beech bark disease

Making Tracks, Making Waves – Innovation in the Forest
David Lemkey, General Manager, Canadian Forestry Association
Dave has been instrumental in the publishing of the histories of the West & Peachey Steam Warping Tugs “Alligators of the North” and most recently “Destination Algonquin Park – tracks to Cache Lake and Highland Inn” with a chronology of J.R. Booth’s Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway.  In his presentation, Dave will speak to the publishing of the two books, as an example of a new move afoot to capture our important forest history, and discuss the colourful and creative elements of the progress made by the two companies – J.R. Booth and West & Peachey.

Invasive Species and Your Woodlot
Fraser Smith, Terrestrial Invasive Species Liaison, Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters
This talk will focus on the identification of high-priority invasive species, prevention and control measures, limiting spread, as well as current projects of interest to woodlot owners.

You must register and pay in advance by cheque, Visa or Mastercard, prior to March 12, 2012 ($25.00 for members and $30.00 for non-members). Your registration fee includes a hot meal and refreshments during program breaks.

To register, or to get more information, please call Rhonda at 1-888-791-1103 ext. #221.

Supporters of this year’s conference include: