Photos of WOCC events stored at
http://s1092.photobucket.com/home/woodlandownerscc/
 and
http://s926.photobucket.com/albums/ad101/lmd24/

Next Membership Meeting
Please see Whispers from the Forest page for our activities

March 13--7PM Foxdale Meeting Rm
Bryan Swistock- Forest Water

May 12 Laurel Haven, Julian, Work Day
9:30 kryba@beasd.org for info

June 7 Annual Picnic Ag Progress Grounds Special Events Bldg 6:00
Margaret Brittingham Professor of Wildlife Resources 

It Takes a Village to Raise a Tree Farmer
When my father passed away in 2006 as his Executrix I thought I had things under control.  Then my family voted me manager of our forest and suddenly I wasn’t so sure.  

Dad left us in better shape than many forest property estates.  We had a family limited partnership that had been operating for several years prior to his death and he had a will.  We had a PA forest stewardship plan and were working with the plan.  We had a consulting forester who was doing and continues to do a fantastic job helping us manage our forest.  We had a logger who prided himself in doing an excellent job of timber harvesting.  Before he died Dad and I discussed management of the property, so I knew his wishes going forward.

While I was honored that my family trusted me to manage not only Dad’s estate, but also the property, I felt concern over my ability to do so.  I realized I needed more information on forest management to properly care for the property our family holds dear.

So I began to educate myself in forest management.  I researched forest management on the internet.  I discussed my questions and concerns with my forester.   I joined the PA Forestry Association and the National Association of Woodland Owners and subscribed to their magazines.  I attended Penn State’s Forest Landowner Conference and subscribed to Forest Leaves.  It was in Forest Leaves that I found out about the Woodland Owners of Centre County and joined them.  I learned about forest certification and with the help of our forester we became an American Tree Farm System Certified Family Forest.  I subscribed to Tree Farmer magazine.  I met with our DCNR forester who provided me excellent information about various subjects, and continues to do so.  I took an online course for forest landowners.  I joined the Quality Deer Management Association and learned about deer herd management and the importance deer herd management plays in forest management.  I became a trained PA Forest Steward.  But more important than all of these, I kept a promise to my Dad and walked our property.  I became familiar with its wildlife, its water and its trees.  I found beautiful spots and new wildflowers and learned about vernal pools and butterflies and literally found the home for my soul.  

As I reflect on becoming a tree farmer, I realize how blessed I was that Dad had things set up to ensure smooth management transition at his passing.  My promise to him to walk the property and learn it was inspired as it gave me a deeper appreciation for the uniqueness of the property and the breadth of knowledge required to manage it properly.  I continue to look at information from many different sources.  You never know where you will find that critical tidbit of information to help you make an important decision.  Finally I have been very blessed in the people I have come to associate with through the various forestry organizations I joined.  People in the forest community are a breed apart.  They are knowledgeable and helpful.  The friends I have developed in this special “village” have brought a new richness to my life and have helped to “raise” this tree farmer.  

Note:  Susan Benedict submitted this for publication in Women and Their Woods, Issue 4, Winter 2011.

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2011 PA Forest Stewards Annual Meeting at Park Farm
by Ruth and Bill Park
PA Forest Stewards (PAFS) is a Volunteer Group that has received two weekends of training in sustainable forestry practices.  In turn for this free education they are expected to better manage their own woodlands and to motivate other woodland owners to become actively involved in the future of PA’s forest resources.  Each year there are 2 additional in- service trainings that may be attended and an annual meeting and picnic at one of the member’s forest.  We had taken the training in 2000 and 3 of our 4 offspring have subsequently done so.
  This year our daughter had invited the PAFS to the Park Farm in the NE corner of Columbia Co. for the meeting. This farm of about 50 acres of forest and the rest of the 73 acres in crops has been in the Park family since 1846 and our 4 adult children are the current and 5th generation of owners.
  Fortunately all the details about this meeting are taken care of by Penn State Forestry Extension by Jim Finley and Allyson Muth.  Our main chores were getting our tenant farmer to mow the hay in a field we were using for parking and we mowed the field to be used for the two large tents and porta potties and in addition to make sure our trails thru the woods were passable.  We had fenced in about 13 acres in 2005, as we have a large deer herd, so needed some additional trails to be cut in that area.
  Friday July 15th was an in-service day with the topic of trail design.  Due to the large group attending they were split into 3 groups and we were rotated thru them during the day.  One session was given in the tent where we were told to think about a story to tell when laying out a trail.  Why go that way and what features were we trying to show and see while on that trail.  The 2nd session given by a service forester was on using GPS (Global Positioning System) in trail design.  He explained that older hand held units were not good under the tree canopy, but the newer units were much better.  He had several new and old units that were distributed to the attendees for use and explained how to use them to mark important features, which were saved in memory so that one could easily return to that spot in the future.  He also explained the use of measuring acreage by walking around a field to close the loop and the unit would then calculate that area.  This hands on demonstration was very effective.  The 3rd session took place within our deer exclusion fence of 13 acres and is very wet as it is in the lowest area of the farm.  There is very dense growth since the fence erection in 2005.  We learned a bit about how to stabilize the soil better on the trails and that it may be time to start releasing some of the best trees.  We felt it was a good educational day and 70 folks and presenters seemed to enjoy themselves.
  Saturday July 16th the weather was as wonderful as the day before with sunny skies, high 70’s and a light breeze.  Including presenters there were 156 people attending.  There were 12 sessions planned but one could only attend 3 during the day. So in registering, everyone had to decide what they wanted to see along with a couple of alternatives.  Forestry Extension then made the assignments.  The 12 possibilities were:  Deer Exclosure Fence- 6 years later; Hemlock Woolly Adelgid-what do you do; Small-Scale Logging and Sawmill; Lumber Grading; Intergenerational Land Inheritance; “Tick Scaping”; Cost Share Programs; Early Successional Wildlife Habitat; Pine Plantations-What do you do; Competitive Plant Control; PA Natural Diversity Index (PNDI)-I’ve got a Hit! Now What; My Stands are Thick! It’s Time to Thin.
  Between us only attending 6 sessions, we cannot speak for the other sessions, but everyone we talked to said that they had learned something from each tour and talk.
  Forestry folks are wonderful, all different backgrounds but our common interest is in the sustainable forest.  We have made a large group of good friends over the years.  

Next Board Meeting
 
Future Board Meetings:  April 10, October 9, 2012 
All Board meetings are at Foxdale Village at 7:00

William H. 'Bill' Park
March 2, 1929 -September 9, 2011 William Harold (Bill) Park, 82, of State College, died Sept. 9, 2011. He was born March 2, 1929, in Carlisle, son of the late Harold and Ruth Park. Bill attended Carlisle public schools, graduating in 1947. In June of 1952, he received his B.S. degree from The Pennsylvania State University. After a year in industry with Sanders And Thomas Inc. of Pottstown, he joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at Penn State and began work on an M.S. which he received in 1959. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1966. He has been married to Ruth Dorsey Park for 57 years and they have four children. As an educator at Penn State, he challenged his many students to perform to the high University standards. While on sabbatical for one year, he helped install Ford Motor Company's first hybrid computer. He was a "gadget" man and a problem solver. He was on the team of researchers from the colleges of engineering and medicine that developed the heart-assisted pump in 1976. It was the first surgically implantable, seam-free pulsatile blood pump to receive wide-spread use. He officially retired in 1987 but continued to challenge his mind by sharing his mechanical engineering knowledge as an expert witness for the industry. With his resonant bass voice, he was active in choirs his entire life that included: Penn State Choirs, Glee Club, the Hi's and Lo's, and the Chapel Choir. He continued his singing at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. He started the entire family on the first of many life-long adventures in 1965 when he bought a "how to" book and built a boat and then, taught the family to sail. In 1972, he started Centre Marine, a small boat sailor's store serving the local community. He learned by example and lead by example. His work ethic and unbiased nature came from his grandfather who had eight children and only enough money to send four to college. His great-grandfather sent his daughters to college and told his sons they could make it on their own. He joined the Forest Stewardship program in 1988 and has been an active forester who now leaves a fourth generation legacy tree farm and homestead to the fifth generation of the Park Family. Community was so important to him. He served and lead on many boards, and has been a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church for over 50 years. He was President of the Board during the church reconstruction 1988. An avid sailor and windsurfer into the mid-1970s, Bill was Commodore of the Lake Glendale Sailing Club from 1976-77. He was a father and husband more interested in his children and wife's happiness than anything else. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Dorsey Park; sons Steve and Jim; daughters Mary and Carol; grandchildren Andrew, Katherine, Evan, Gregory, and Christopher; and great- grandchildren Trenton, Dylan, and Jonathan. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 109 McAllister, State College. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Park Endowment Fund for St. Paul's United Methodist Church, or The Forestry Stewardship Endowment Fund c/o Penn State University, One Old Main, University Park, PA 16802. Arrangements by Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences may be made at www.kochfuneralhome.com.
Published in Centre Daily Times on September 11, 2011