The Aldo Leopold Foundation

Woodland School

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“Acts of conservation without the requisite desires
and skills are futile. To create these desires and skills, and the community motive, is the task
of education.”
— Aldo Leopold

The Aldo Leopold
Foundation
P.O.Box 77
Baraboo, WI 53913
608.355.0279
608.356.7309 fax
mail@aldoleopold.org

Calendar

Game of Logging

Mastering the basics of chainsaw safety is essential for woodland owners who want to be more active on their land. The “Game of Logging” is a four-level series designed to increase safety and efficiency of chainsaw use. Hands-on training gives participants the opportunity to fell at least one tree with supervision. Read more.

Level I: Sat. Oct. 11 or Sat. Feb. 28 – $75 ($65 members)
Level II: Sun. Oct. 12 or Sun. Mar. 1 – $85 ($75 members)
Level III: Sat. Dec. 6 – $100 ($90 members)
Level IV: Fri. Feb. 27 – $100 ($90 members)

Instructor: Ken Lallemont, Timber Resources. Location: Leopold Center, Baraboo. Class Limit: minimum 10, maximum 15. Register.

Conducting a Successful Timber Harvest

Saturday, Nov. 15, 9am-5pm. Woodland owners will work with professional foresters to learn how to plan and execute a successful timber harvest on their property. Learn about planning needs, tree selection, the role of silviculture, and marketing and contracting for best results. Understand how different logging equipment and logging operators can help you accomplish a successful timber harvest. We’ll visit several field sites to view harvests before and after. Cosponsored by Master Woodland Stewards.

Instructors: Rick Livingston and Paul Kloppenburg, Sauk County Foresters. Location: Leopold Center, Baraboo. Cost: $55 ($45 members). Class Limit: 25. Register.

Wildlife Management for your Woodland

Saturday, January 17, 9am-4pm. Become familiar with basic ecological concepts as they relate to wildlife ecology. Learn basic wildlife management techniques. Learn how to identify, inventory, and monitor the wildlife species living on or visiting their land. Understand the relationship between various land use decisions and wildlife populations. Cosponsored by Master Woodland Stewards.

Instructors: David Drake, Jamie Nack, and Scott Craven, University of Wisconsin. Location: Leopold Center, Baraboo. Cost: $45 ($40 members). Class Limit: 25. Register.

Winter Sleuths: Dormant Season Tree and Plant Identification

Saturday, Jan. 24, 9am-12pm. Winter is an ideal time to read the forest landscape! Learn to identify trees and shrubs in winter using bark, leaf scars, buds, branch form, and fruits as clues. Sharpen your plant identification skills and be better able to answer questions about where your woods is headed, management options, and what species to encourage or discourage. Wear your winter gear–the class will take place even with some snow, and we’ll warm up at the end with snacks and a discussion around a fire!

Instructors: Brad Hutnik, Wisconsin DNR; Gigi La Budde, Community Forestry Resource Center. Location: LaBudde-Whaley property, Spring Green. Cost: $25 ($20 members). Class Limit: 25. Register.

Introduction to Prescribed Fire as a Tool for Grassland Management

Thurs. March 26 - Fri. March 27, 8:30am-5:30pm, Leopold Center, Baraboo OR Thurs. April 2 - Fri. April 3, 8:30am-5:30pm, Taliesin Preservation, Spring Green. Learn about fire ecology, fire behavior principles, and how to begin planning for using fire in managing prairie and savanna ecosystems. You will operate basic fire management tools, learn to prepare fire unit, and, weather permitting, conduct a fire. This course will not prepare students to serve as a burn boss or conduct burns on their own. Read more.

Instructors: Steve Swenson, Jeannine Richards, and Alanna Koshollek, Aldo Leopold Foundation. Cost: $100 ($75 members). Class Limit: 24 per session. Register.

Out of the Woods: Chemical and Mechanical Control of Invasive Plants

Saturday, April 25, 9am-12pm. Battling invasive plants but just can’t seem to get ahead? This workshop will help you! Invasive plants change the character of your land and threaten the composition and structure of native communities. Learn the best herbicides and mixes for each species, and when mechanical control is most effective. We will discuss buckthorn, autumn olive, non-native honeysuckle, Japanese barberry, garlic mustard and others, but bring questions about your own problem species and we’ll help you figure out new, safe, and integrated strategies for control.

Instructors: Rick Schulte, UAP Timberline; Gigi La Budde, Community Forestry Resource Center. Location: Leopold Center, Baraboo. Cost: $25 ($20 members). Class Limit: 25. Register.

Trees to Trillium

Saturday, May 2, 9am-12pm. Developing a hands-on ability to identify plants is both fun and rewarding, and can help landowners better answer questions like: “What will my woods look like in 10 or 20 years?,” “Are there any species on my land that are a problem?,” and “Which species should I encourage, protect, discourage, or introduce?” This class is geared for novices and will focus on user-friendly methods of plant identification. Participants will learn tricks for identifying local flora, and some natural history and folklore, as well. Come enjoy the fleeting beauty of woodland spring ephemerals at McGilvra Woods State Natural Area.

Instructors: Gigi La Budde, Community Forestry Resource Center; Alanna Koshollek, Aldo Leopold Foundation. Location: McGilvra Woods State Natural Area, Baraboo. Cost: $25 ($20 members). Class Limit: 25. Register.

Birding the Important Bird Area

Saturday, May 9, 7:30am – 3:30pm. Come experience the ornithological diversity of the Leopold-Pine Island Important Bird Area! Learn to identify birds by sound, and develop your understanding of bird-habitat relationships. We’ll start with a short outdoor listening session early in the morning, then head to the classroom to learn bird identification by sight and sound, connect certain birds to specific habitat types, and discuss conservation and management for specific habitats and/or birds. After lunch, we’ll take a hike through the IBA to practice your new skills.

Instructors: Mike Mossman, Wisconsin DNR; Yoyi Steele, Wisconsin Important Bird Area Coordinator. Location: Leopold Center, Baraboo. Cost: $45 (members $40) Class Limit: 20. Register.

Your Land, Your Vision

Saturday, May 17, 9am-5pm. Writing a management plan but don’t know where to start? We’ll begin by looking at the regional context of your land and the specific history of your own property, then relate it to the surrounding landscape. We will help you refine your own land ethic into pragmatic goals for your property that you can achieve with help from a variety of informational and financial resources.

Instructors: Buddy Huffaker, Jeannine Richards, and Steve Swenson, Aldo Leopold Foundation; Serge Koenig, Sauk County Land Conservation Department. Location: Leopold Center, Baraboo. Cost: $60 (members $50). Class Limit: 20. Register.

Click here to see the courses we have offered in the past.