This week we talk with Dr. Jessica Outcalt one of the creators of the Forestry for the Birds program in Indiana about how Hoosier conservationists are leveraging the connections between people and birds to help encourage landowners and foresters to provide better homes for Indiana’s forest birds.

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Dr. Jessica Outcalt - https://extension.purdue.edu/cdext/about-us/our-team/profile/jessica_outcalt/jessica-outcalt.html

 

Saving Indiana Songbirds Starts in Our Forests - https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/forestry-for-the-birds/

 

Forestry for the Birds Pocket Guide: https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/Forestry-for-the-Bird-Pocket-Guide-April2022.pdf  

 

Forestry for the Birds Silviculture Guide: https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/TNC-Forestry-for-the-Birds-Silviculture-Guide.pdf

 

Forestry for the Birds Virtual Tour: https://extension.purdue.edu/pondwildlife/forest-management.html

Interested in improving your property for ruffed grouse or American Woodcock? Tune in as we travel north and chat about all things grouse and woodcock with Jon Steigerwaldt, Great Lakes and Upper Midwest Region Forest Conservation Director from the Ruffed Grouse Society. 

Topics include: grouse ecology and habitat, woodcock ecology and habitat, grouse as bellwethers for healthy forests, forest ecology of the Great Lakes states, forestry, forest management, habitat management for grouse and woodcock, grouse and woodcock habitat fundamentals, boutique forestry, and more.

Jon Steigerwaldt - https://ruffedgrousesociety.org/author/jon-steigerwaldt/ 

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Adam and Jarred are joined in this episode by award-winning instructor, Dr. Liz Flaherty, to chat about teaching undergraduate students all about habitat management. Dr. Flaherty is an Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology & Habitat Management at Purdue University. Take a listen to learn about the insights you can take from a college classroom and apply on your own property.

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Dr. Liz Flaherty - https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/Pages/profile.aspx?strAlias=eflaher

The research Jarred mentioned about the value of CRP fields based on their distance from bobwhite populations. Private land conservation has landscape-scale benefits for wildlife in agroecosystems - https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1365-2664.13136

How can prescribed fire be used creatively to create and enhance habitat for wildlife? Dr. Marcus Lashley, Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist at University of Florida and host of Fire University, joins the podcast to tackle this question, and we take a deep dive into prescribed fire as a habitat management tool.

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Dr. Marcus Lashley  - @DrDisturbance - @ufdeerlab 

Resources discussed in the episode

Fire University Episode 3 – Where to get information, experience, and collaborators to meet prescribed burning objectives - https://fireuniversity.libsyn.com/episode-03-where-to-get-information-experience-and-collaborators-to-meet-prescribed-burning-objectives

Fire University Episode 4 – Patch-Burn-Grazing as a strategy to manage grassland communities - https://fireuniversity.libsyn.com/episode-04-patch-burn-grazing-as-a-strategy-to-manage-grassland-communities

Natural Resources University - https://naturalresourcesuniversity.libsyn.com/

Southern Fire Exchange - https://southernfireexchange.org/

Coalition of Prescribed Fire Council - http://www.prescribedfire.net/

Prescribed Burn Associations - https://research.cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/southeast-fire-update/prescribed-burn-associations/

Enroll now in our free wildland fire course. Available to all!

This podcast is supported by listener donations - thank you for being a part of this effort.

How can the axe – or forestry – be used as a habitat management tool? Jarred talks with Jordan Nanney, a Wildlife Forester with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, about how he uses forestry to creatively manage wildlife habitat. As you’ll learn in the episode it can really be a balancing axe {act}.

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Resources discussed during the episode:

Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment - https://heeforeststudy.org/

Short-term response of breeding birds to oak regeneration treatments in upland hardwood forest

Managing your Woods for White-Tailed Deer

Creating a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan for Landowners

A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan

Iowa’s Forest Birds

Often, the term “clearcut” is viewed as a 4-lettered word when it comes to forest or wildlife management. But, can clearcuts provide vital resources for songbirds – including those species typically associated with mature closed canopy forests? Join us for our conversation with Dr. Patrick Ruhl as we explore his research into songbird use of clearcuts in Indiana.

 

Dr. Patrick Ruhl - https://ruhlresearch.wixsite.com/patrickjruhl

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UEACzAEAAAAJ&hl=en

 

Resources mentioned in episode:

 

Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment - https://heeforeststudy.org/

 

Confirmation of Successful Chestnut-sided Warbler Breeding in South-Central Indiana - https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/ias/article/download/23245/22567/37006

 

Ecological factors explain habitat associations of mature-forest songbirds in regenerating forest clearcuts - https://doi.org/10.1676/1559-4491-132.1.145

 

Characterization of Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum) breeding habitat at the landscape level and nest scale - https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/1677/

 

Roost preference, postfledging habitat use, and breeding phenology of adult female Worm-eating Warblers (Helmitheros vermivorum) on the breeding grounds - https://doi.org/10.1676/16-222.1

 

Using stable isotopes of plasma, red blood cells, feces, and feathers to assess mature-forest bird diet during the post-fledging period - https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjz-2019-0109

 

View from a clearcut

 

Relationship between Scarlet Tanagers and Ripe Blackberries

Join Jarred from the Bluegrass State as he talks with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Private Lands Coordinator, Jacob Stewart, and Small Game Coordinator, Cody Rhoden. Listen in as Jacob and Cody discuss their philosophy on private lands conservation and how Kentucky is trying to make wildlife a by-product of everyday land management.

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Resources from the episode:

KDFWR Private Lands Program - https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Improve-Your-Land-for-Wildlife.aspx

KDFWR Bobwhite Restoration Plan 2020 - https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Documents/QuailPlan2020.pdf 

Your Bluestem Grazing Resource - https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/bluestem.aspx

 

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Welcome to Habitat University! In this introductory Episode, Habitat University co-hosts Jarred Brooke and Adam Janke discuss the vision for the podcast and how it fits into the new collaborative science-based podcast series called Natural Resources University. Jarred and Adam share information about their background, what they do as state wildlife extension specialists, and where they plan to take this new podcast exploring the in’s and out’s out of wildlife habitat management and conservation in the U.S.

From large bulldozers to small ATVs, habitat management often necessitates the use of heavy machinery. And safely transporting and using that equipment ensures we protect the people and the land engaged in this critical work! In this episode, the fourth in our Habitat Safety Miniseries, Adam visits with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Heavy Equipment Manager for Region 3 in the upper Midwest, Clint DeMenge. Clint shares his knowledge from a career operating and training others to safely operate all kinds of heavy equipment to help habitat managers think about safely transporting and operating equipment! 

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Resources mentioned in the show:

Determine if you need a CDL and how to get one by searching your state DOT. Here’s the page from Iowa: https://iowadot.gov/mvd/cdl/How-to-get-a-CDL/Do-I-need-a-CDL

Ritchie Brother’s equipment specs to learn your load size: https://www.ritchiespecs.com/ 

811 Call Before You Dig: https://call811.com/811-In-Your-State

Logging safety videos from Minnesota OSHA: https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/workplace-safety-and-health/mnosha-wsc-logging-safety-videos

Clint mentioned “safety walk arounds” and suggested you Google it. Here’s one we found! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIZcC_NRoOE

This week we shift our inquiry from the U.S. Department of Agriculture into the Department of the Interior where we find a litany of wildlife biologists working to conserve wildlife habitat on private lands through various programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In this episode, Adam interviews biologist Gwen Kolb from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in New Mexico and Kraig McPeek from the Ecological Services Office in Illinois. Kraig and Gwen provide a detailed overview of how the USFWS works with private landowners throughout the country to help conserve a diversity of wildlife species and help landowners and managers achieve their own goals!  Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

 

Resources and references mentioned in the episode:

Learn more about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, including state contacts, at this website: https://www.fws.gov/program/partners-fish-and-wildlife 

Find a U.S. FWS office near you with this link: https://www.fws.gov/visit-us?type=%5B%22Conservation%20Office%22%5D

Learn more about federally endangered species here: https://www.fws.gov/program/endangered-species 

Learn what species are listed in your state here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/species-listings-by-state-totals?statusCategory=Listed 

Learn more about Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA’s) here: https://www.fws.gov/service/candidate-conservation-agreements 

Learn more about the Topeka Shiner conservation success story in this article from NRCS featuring interviewee Kraig McPeek!: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ia/newsroom/stories/nrcs142p2_008651/

Learn more about the Rio Grande Cutthroat (https://westernnativetrout.org/rio-grande-cutthroat-trout/) from the Western Native Trout Initiative. 

Prescribed fire is crucial for managing fire-adapted ecosystems worldwide. To ensure this tool remains effective, the safety of those who use it and those nearby is essential too. In this episode, Adam talks with Jennifer Fawcett from North Carolina State University. Jennifer is the Prescribed Fire Work Group Coordinator for the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) and a forestry educator at NCSU. She assists landowners and foresters in the Southeast and beyond in managing their properties using fire. Listen along as Jennifer outlines practices and considerations to make sure you can keep using fire as the critical tool it is for years to come!

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Resources mentioned in the show:

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group is the main resource for agency professionals doing prescribed fire. You can check out their website here: https://www.nwcg.gov/

·       Watchout Situations: https://www.nwcg.gov/publications/pms118/18-watch-out-situations-pms-118   

·       Incident response pocket guide (IRPG) - https://www.nwcg.gov/publications/pms461

o   You can buy one here: https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/p/49218/39770/incident-response-pocket-guide?%26itemnum= 

Asynchronous Online courses to learn about prescribed fire:

·       eFIRE Equipment Videos – The eFIRE site guides prospective burners through the process of planning, conducting, and evaluating prescribed fire. The Equipment site includes videos about options for various parts of PPE.

·       Online course: https://campus.extension.org/ (search “prescribed fire”)

·       Rx Fire Training online course: https://ifas-cesrxfire.catalog.instructure.com/courses/wildland-fire-training 

Learn more about prescribed burn associations here: https://go.ncsu.edu/pba

Guidebook for Prescribed Burning in the Southern Region has tips for planning, implementing, and follow up on a prescribed burn that applies nationwide: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1560&title=guidebook-for-prescribed-burning-in-the-southern-region  

Smoke Management Guidebook for Prescribed Burning in the Southern Region: https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/18519.pdf

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Prescribed Burn  Equipment Fact Sheet summarizes the different parts of prescribed burn equipment, including PPE: https://ucanr.edu/sites/forestry/files/283877.pdf

 

3-part blog post series on “Prescribed Fire PPE: Practical Options for Landowners”

o   Part 1: The first post in this series highlights practical personal protective equipment (PPE) pant and shirt options for landowners conducting prescribed fires. https://sites.cnr.ncsu.edu/southeast-fire-update/2019/09/09/ppe-for-landowners-practical-clothing-options/ 

o   Part 2: This post discusses options for other PPE items including head coverings, face coverings, and eye protection. https://sites.cnr.ncsu.edu/southeast-fire-update/2021/06/11/ppe-for-landowners-practical-clothing-options-part-two/ 

o   Part 3: This post addresses boots and shoes, gloves, and overall considerations for choosing PPE items.https://sites.cnr.ncsu.edu/southeast-fire-update/2021/06/29/prescribed-fire-ppe-practical-options-for-landowners-part-three/ 

 

Kestrel tool to take weather readings on site for a safe burn: https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/p/89574/38050/kestrel-3500fw-fire-weather-meter 

 

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center: https://lessons.fs2c.usda.gov/ 

 

Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council has a bunch of resources on fire, including a nice practitioner-contributed section on “Lessons Learned” that are available on their website: https://www.nefirecouncil.org/

 

Aldo Leopold’s defined his 5 tools of game management when he wrote Game Management over 80 years ago. But what tools did he miss, or what tools have been developed in the 88 years since the book was published? Join Adam and Jarred as they share their thoughts on the habitat management tools that should be added to the list. What tools would you add to Aldo’s list? Also, listen as Jarred tries to convince Adam that his toolbox analogy isn’t complete nonsense.

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Hartzler, R. G. (2010). "Reduction in common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) occurrence in Iowa cropland from 1999 to 2009." Crop Protection 29(12): 1542-1544. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219410002152

Rathfon, R. A., S. M. Greenler, and M. A. Jenkins. n.d. Effects of prescribed grazing by goats on non-native invasive shrubs and native plant species in a mixed-hardwood forest. Restoration Ecology n/a:e13361. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rec.13361

 

Marzluff, J. M. and K. Ewing (2001). "Restoration of fragmented landscapes for the conservation of birds: A general framework and specific recommendations for urbanizing landscapes." Restoration Ecology 9(3): 280-292. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1526-100x.2001.009003280.x

Safely operating a chainsaw, from the moment you start the engine to the moment you turn it off, is a critical piece of safe habitat management in many ecosystems. In our final episode of our 5-part Habitat Safety Miniseries, forestry educator and chainsaw expert Chris Evans from the University of Illinois takes Adam through every step of safe chainsaw maintenance, operation, and use. 

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey:

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Resources mentioned in the show:

 You can learn more about the wildland fire chainsaw class (S212) Chris mentioned at this link: https://www.nwcg.gov/training/courses/s-212-wildland-fire-chainsaws-2012/administration

Safety and Woods Workers training resources: http://sawwtraining.com/index.html

Chainsaw safety video series from Husqvarna: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0VcazyXHqErUd8ib-OKs6sZkfGFQ5shu&si=LwGG9mEA1Un-3kSE

Chainsaw safety tips from Penn State Extension: https://extension.psu.edu/chainsaw-safety-tips

Chainsaw safety tips from Missouri Extension: https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g1959

 

 

 

 

Our tour of Aldo’s Tools comes to a close in this episode as we consider the last tool: the gun. From controlling certain game populations to engaging hunters in habitat conservation efforts in their own backyard or across the continent, Patt Dorsey, Director of Conservation Operations in the west for the National Wild Turkey Federation, breaks down how the gun does a lot of good for habitat in this wide ranging discussion with Adam. Patt’s long career in conservation and life-time passion for hunting offer insightful, and often humorous, perspectives on how the gun is a critical tool for wildlife habitat management! 

National Wild Turkey Federation: https://www.nwtf.org

Learn more about the Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program Patt, Adam, and Jarred all participate in to teach natural resource professionals and students about hunting: https://clft.org/

More on “PR Program” or more formally the “Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program” as discussed in the show: https://www.fws.gov/wsfrprograms/home.html

Hug a Hunter video from Colorado Wildlife Council: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FTuNGX-VvY

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When it comes to getting boots on the ground for private lands conservation, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever is a leader. This episode we are joined by Quail Forever Tennessee State Coordinator, Brittney Viers, to discuss all the work PF & QF does for wildlife on private lands. From Farm Bill Biologists to Precision Ag & Conservation Specialists, tune in to learn about the wide-ranging roles of PFQF employees, and how they work to create and enhance habitat on private lands.

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Resources from the episode:

Find your local Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever Biologist: https://quailforever.org/Habitat/findBiologist.aspx

Contact a Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/Conservation/Precision-Agriculture/Contact.aspx

What distinguishes a forest, woodland, and savanna? How does wildlife and plant diversity differ between them? How do we restore woodlands and savannas? Join Jarred as he talks with Dr. Andy Vander Yacht about his research into restoring oak woodlands and savannas and the wildlife that thrive within in.

In part 2, we discuss how birds and bats responded to restoration treatments (thinning and fire), and how Andy’s research can inform oak woodland restoration on public and private land.

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey:

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Research & Resources discussed in the episode

Dr. Andy Vander Yacht - https://www.esf.edu/faculty/vander_yacht/index.php

Ecology and Management of Oak Woodlands and Savannahs - https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/PB1812.pdf

Bat response to prescribed fire and overstory thinning in hardwood forest on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112715005435

Avian occupancy response to oak woodland and savanna restoration - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jwmg.21097

When you’re managing habitat for wildlife do you think more about plants than wildlife? Yeah, us too. So who better to chat with than one of the nation’s leading researchers and educators on plant-wildlife interactions? In this episode, Jarred and Adam chat with author and University of Tennessee Extension Wildlife Specialist Dr. Craig Harper. Tune in for a masterclass on the importance of plants and plant id for all habitat managers. But, don’t worry, you don’t have to be a botanist for this episode; Craig gives some helpful tips for anyone interested in learning more about plants, wildlife, and habitat management on their land. 

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Learn more about this week’s guest, Dr. Craig Harper: https://fwf.tennessee.edu/craig-harper/

Wildlife Food Plots and Early Successional Plants by Dr. Harper: https://nocsopublishing.com/

American Wildlife and Plants book quoted in the episode, a great resource, and where we sorta borrowed the title of this episode from! - https://bookshop.org/books/american-wildlife-and-plants/9780486207933

Flicker color and honeysuckle study: https://www.audubon.org/news/mystery-solved-invasive-berries-blame-turning-flickers-feathers-pink   

2020 paper titled “Seeding is not always necessary to restore native early successional plant communities” that Dr. Harper referenced in the episode: https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13249

In this episode, Jarred and Adam explain the Wildlife Habitat Education Program, which engages kids from throughout the country in wildlife habitat management through 4-H and FFA. Adam and Jarred first discuss the structure of the program and how it’s implemented in states across the country, and then they explore the national competition, including featuring voices of competitors from the 2022 National Competition in Kentucky.

If you’re interested in starting a WHEP club in your community, you should reach out to your local or state 4-H or FFA leaders. Learn more about the program and how to get involved at the link below. 

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Resources from the episode:

Learn more about WHEP at: https://www.whep.org/

In this episode we talk with Dr. Mark McConnell, Assistant Professor of Upland Birds at Mississippi State, about wildlife conservation in agricultural landscapes and his research into creating win-win solutions for wildlife and agricultural producers. We cover a variety of topics in this episode from reacting to Adam’s new mustache, Mark’s use of memes to help wildlife student engage with farmers, and using precision conservation to delivery economically targeted conservation.

Themes in the episode: meeting farmer where they are, building your conservation team, economics and Precision Agricultural/Conservation. Targeted Conservation Delivery, Economically Targeted Conservation, Wildlife-Friendly Farming

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey:

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Research & Resources discussed in the episode

Research on who farmers trust when making decisions about agricultural practices - https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/fnr-488-w.pdf

Personal outreach to landowners is vital to conservation program success (article about Lutter et al 2018 paper). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180405093305.htm

Bridging the gap between conservation delivery and economics with precision agriculture (McConnell 2021) - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wsb.995

Economically targeting conservation practices to optimize conservation and net revenue using precision agriculture tools (Meng et al. 2022) - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11119-022-09890-7

Farming and the fate of nature (Green et al. 2005) - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1106049

Wildlife-friendly farming benefits rare birds, bees and plants (Pywell et al. 2012) - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22675140/

Crop Advisors as Conservation Intermediaries (Eanes et al. 2019) - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837718310238

Creating Environmentally Resilient Agriculture Landscapes Using Precision Agriculture Technology: An Economic Perspective (McConnell 2019) - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2019-1334.ch007

CRP Menu Tool - https://crpmenu.gri.msstate.edu/ 

What distinguishes a forest, woodland, and savanna? How does wildlife and plant diversity differ between them? How do we restore woodlands and savannas? Join Jarred as he talks with Dr. Andy Vander Yacht about his research into restoring oak woodlands and savannas and the wildlife that thrive within in.

This is a two-part series. In part 1, we discuss the historical context of forests, woodlands, and savannas in the eastern US, and Andy’s research into how fire and thinning influence plant composition and diversity. 

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey:

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Research & Resources discussed in the episode

Dr. Andy Vander Yacht - https://www.esf.edu/faculty/vander_yacht/index.php

Vegetation response to canopy disturbance and season of burn during oak woodland and savanna restoration in Tennessee - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112716311513

Litter to glitter: promoting herbaceous groundcover and diversity in mid-southern USA oak forests using canopy disturbance and fire - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42408-020-00072-2

Reversing Mesophication Effects on Understory Woody Vegetation in Mid-Southern Oak Forests - https://academic.oup.com/forestscience/article/65/3/289/5232699

Restoration of oak woodlands and savannas in Tennessee using canopy-disturbance, fire-season, and herbicides - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112717307776

Fuel dynamics during oak woodland and savanna restoration in the Mid-South USA - https://www.publish.csiro.au/wf/wf18048

Webinar: Litter to glitter: releasing the herbaceous groundlayer potential stored in oak forest floors - https://vimeo.com/493748345

On this episode Adam is joined by Bill White and Lisa Potter from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Join them for a wide-ranging conversation about the MDC private lands program and how 80+ biologists work to get wildlife conservation done on private land. 

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Resources from the episode:

Missouri Private Lands Program - https://mdc.mo.gov/your-property 

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Enroll now in our free wildland fire course!

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Everything from grasshoppers to a bison graze and can have drastic impacts on vegetation on which many other wildlife species depend. Unsurprisingly, many wildlife managers are therefore interested in understanding and using grazing animals to create the unique places where animals, or in the case of the blowout penstemon, unique plants, thrive. In this wide-ranging discussion, Adam talks to The Nature Conservancy’s Marissa Ahlering about how grazing impacts wildlife and how we can creatively use grazing to manage wildlife habitat.

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More on Marissa Ahlering: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/our-people/marissa-ahlering/

Find Dr. Ahlering’s research here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=86moVcEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Including her research on cattle grazing and grassland birds. - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jwmg.1049

More on blowout penstemon - http://outdoornebraska.gov/blowoutpenstemon/

More on patch burn grazing from our friends at Fire U: https://fireuniversity.libsyn.com/episode-04-patch-burn-grazing-as-a-strategy-to-manage-grassland-communities

Not sure what to get the habitat manager on your list this holiday season? Have no fear! In this episode, Adam and Jarred chat about what’s on their holiday habitat wishlist. Take a listen and you are sure to find the perfect gift idea. You will also get a sneak peek about what’s coming up on Habitat University in 2022.

You can find Adam and Jarred’s wishlist below along with some helpful links.

Adam’s WIshlist

1. Native Plants - https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/about/native-plants
2. Field Guide (Adam’s Favorite) - https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/lawrence-newcomb/newcombs-wildflower-guide/9780316604420/
3. Woodworking for wildlife - https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/wildlife/woodworking-wildlife
4. Cellular Trail Camera - https://www.trailcampro.com/collections/cellular-trail-cameras
5. Good Books (Adam’s recommendation) - https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass

 

Jarred’s Wishlist

1. Drone or UAV - https://extension.purdue.edu/uav/natural-resources/
2. Invasive control tools (Backpack sprayer or pulling tool) - https://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/pdf/ABH_Tool_Info.pdf
3. Gift certificate or registering for an in-person or online wildlife/habitat management course - https://www.deerassociation.com/steward/
4. Chainsaw or Prescribed Fire PPE - https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/C%201148_1.PDF https://research.cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/southeast-fire-update/2019/09/09/ppe-for-landowners-practical-clothing-options/
5. Drip torch - https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/products.php?mi=15801&itemnum=85022

 

Disclaimer

Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of any kind by Purdue Extension. Persons using such products assume responsibility for their use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer.

Ahead of a forthcoming mini-series on forest management for birds, Adam and Jarred discuss a paper reviewing the state of the science examining bird responses to forest management in the eastern U.S. The paper published last year by Michael Skresh and colleagues presents a compelling case for the importance of managed disturbances in eastern forests to benefit birds of conservation concern. Jarred also foreshadows some conversations he has planned in the coming episodes.

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey:

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Research & Resources discussed in the episode

Here's the paper we discussed: Akresh, Michael E., David I. King, Savannah L. McInvale, Jeffery L. Larkin, and Anthony W. D'Amato. 2023. “ Effects of Forest Management on the Conservation of Bird Communities in Eastern North America: A Meta-Analysis.” Ecosphere 14(1): e4315. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4315

Here’s a paper Adam’s written about forest management for birds: https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/15963 h

Here’s the episode we mentioned with Marcus Lashley and fire disturbance regimes: https://habitatuniversity.libsyn.com/episode-03-aldos-tools-getting-creative-with-prescribed-fire

Nothing is more important in habitat management than the people doing habitat management! That’s why this month we’re focusing on the basics of habitat safety with a series of episodes featuring experts in the field. In this first episode, Adam and Jarred set the stage for the mini-series. Then Adam interviews Rich Gassman from Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Iowa. Rich sets the stage for the series and challenges us to think about who we’re being safe for. Stay tuned for four more episodes in the mini-series coming this month.

 

Resources mentioned in the show:

Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH)

Twelve centers for agriculture safety in the U.S. are linked at this website. Find the one nearest you to explore their resources and programs: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/extramural-programs/php/about/ag-centers.html

National Farm Safety and Health Week is led by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) – Learn more about the 2024 week here: https://www.necasag.org/nationalfarmsafetyandhealthweek/

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

State wildlife resource agencies are often on the front lines of wildlife habitat management and conservation on private lands by providing technical expertise and custom-tailored programs to help wildlife and people. But each state has its own unique approach. To learn more about these approaches, we’re going to be taking a tour of state-led private land programs around the country in the next few episodes! To get us started, Adam visited with Ray Aberle, the private lands program manager with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the director of the Private Lands Working Group of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Ray shared some really interesting insights about the approaches states use across the country for private lands work and then discussed the specific programs he oversees in Colorado.  

Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm 

 

Resources and references mentioned in the episode: 

Learn more about AFWA and the Private lands working group here: https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-acts/afwa-committees/private-lands-working-group  

Learn more about the variety of private lands programs in Colorado that Ray mentioned here: 

https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/PrivateLandProgramsResources.aspx 

Ray mentioned Rick Knight at Colorado State University—find his work here: https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/richardknight/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/02/CV.pdf  

 

Ray mentioned the Meadowlark Initiative in North Dakota. Learn more here: https://gf.nd.gov/meadowlark-initiative  

How can forest management be used to improve habitat for various songbird species? And what resources are available to help guide landowners, managers, and foresters to help be intentional about creating songbird habitat through their forest management? Listen in as we chat with Steve Hagenbuch from Vermont Audobon about a program called Foresters for the Birds. 

 

Steve Hagenbuch - https://vt.audubon.org/contact/steve-hagenbuch

 

Audubon Vermont - https://vt.audubon.org/

 

Resources mentioned in episode:

 

Foresters for the Birds: Vermont - https://vt.audubon.org/conservation/foresters-birds

 

Foresters for the Birds Demonstration Sites - https://vt.audubon.org/conservation/forestry-birds-demonstration-sites

 

Foresters for the Birds: Birder’s Dozen - https://vt.audubon.org/sites/default/files/static_pages/attachments/birdersdozen.pdf

 

Forest Bird Habitat Assessment - https://vt.audubon.org/sites/default/files/assessment-guide.pdf

 

Birds with Silviculture in Mind - https://vt.audubon.org/sites/default/files/bird-guide.pdf

 

Silviculture with Birds in Mind - https://vt.audubon.org/sites/default/files/silviculture-options_0.pdf

 

Bird Friendly Maple Project - https://vt.audubon.org/conservation/working-lands/landing/bird-friendly-maple-project

What do baseball and wildlife habitat management have in common? Take a listen to this week’s episode as Adam and Jarred discuss what Adam calls “the Moneyball problem” of habitat management. They chat about how lessons learned from the best-selling book (and movie) - Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game – can be applied to habitat management.

Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

Resources mentioned:

Moneyball: The art of winning an unfair game, by Michael Lewis - https://bookshop.org/books/moneyball-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/9780393324815

Read a synopsis on the book from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball

The famous, Van Horne paper, Density as a misleading indicator of habitat quality: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3808148

“Streetlight effect” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetlight_effect

Moneyball and Shorebirds - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/moneyball-for-shorebirds-how-precision-analytics-are-changing-habitat-conservation/

Rosy retrospection hypothesis - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_retrospection

Article about University of Tennessee white oak and fertilizer research project - https://www.deerassociation.com/for-more-acorns-dont-fertilize-oak-trees-maybe-cut-some-down/

Herbicides can be a critical tool for habitat management, especially when it comes to invasive species. But their use does not come without risk to the applicator or the environment. In this episode, Adam visits with Dr. Fred Whitford, clinical engagement professor and director of the pesticide programs at Purdue University. Fred talks through the critical steps of making sure you’re using the right tool at the right time to confront the right challenge and then how to do it safely for you and the environment! 

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

 

Resources mentioned in the show:

You can learn more about Integrated Pest Management from regional hubs indexed at this site: https://www.ipmcenters.org/

 Basic PPE for Pesticide use article from Iowa State: https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/Basic-PPE-for-Pesticide-Use

 Fred mentioned state certification manuals – Here’s resources from his unit at Purdue: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/extension/ppp/resources/training-manuals/ Search online for those in your states too.

Learn more about the unit Fred works in here: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/extension/ppp 

 

 

 

 

For as long as people have been interacting with wild animals, they have been manipulating the places where wild animals live. So, is habitat management the oldest job in the world? Join Adam and Jarred as they chat about the history of wildlife habitat management, dig deep into the central premise of habitat management – plant succession – and introduce the five tools for habitat management that Aldo Leopold described in his 1933 book, Game Management.

Learn more about plant succession and its relationship to wildlife habitat by checking out the resources below:

Iowa’s Forest Birds - https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/15963

Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer - https://edustore.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=FNR-596-W

Grassland Successional Chart - https://extension.purdue.edu/pondwildlife/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/GrasslandSuccession_wFNR.png

Wildlife Habitat Education Program - https://fwf.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2020/07/1_2020-WHEP-Intro-Acitivites.pdf

There is A LOT of private land in the U.S. and that means there are A LOT of challenges and opportunities for wildlife habitat conservation there! This season, Adam and Jarred will be joining guests from across the country to admire these challenges and opportunities thoroughly. In this first episode of Season 2 of Habitat University, they set the stage for the season and discuss what some of these challenges and opportunities will look like and how they’ll be exploring them in the episodes to come!    

Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

 

Resources and references mentioned in the episode:

 

Morgan et al. (2019) study that reports area of private land and numbers of private lands wildlife biologists in each state.

Morgan, J. J., Rhoden, C. M., White, B., & Riley, S. P. (2019). A state assessment of private lands wildlife conservation in the United States. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 43(3), 328-337. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.997

 

Overview of private lands wildlife conservation in the U.S. with reference to the 71% private land ownership statistic.

Burger, L. W., Evans, K. O., McConnell, M. D., & Burger, L. M. (2019). Private lands conservation: A vision for the future. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 43(3), 398-407. doi:10.1002/wsb.1001

 

National Woodland Owner Survey from the U.S. Forest service with information on family forest ownership: https://www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos/ The dashboard shows customized information for each state, including those shared in the episode: https://ffrc.shinyapps.io/NWOSdashboard/  

 

Report on landownership statistics in Iowa.

Zhang, W. A. Plastina, and W. Sawadgo. 2018. Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey 1982-2017: A Thirty-five Year Perspective, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, FM 1893. https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/6492

 

Macaulay study that shows the impact of wildlife associated recreation on private lands management in the U.S.

Macaulay, L. (2016). The role of wildlife-associated recreation in private land use and conservation: Providing the missing baseline. Land Use Policy, 58, 218-233. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.06.024

 

USFWS Report showing the impacts of CRP on private lands in the northern US on breeding duck production.

Drum, R. G., Loesch, C. R., Carrlson, K. M., Doherty, K. E., & Fedy, B. C. (2015). Assessing the biological benefits of the USDA-Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for waterfowl and grassland passerines in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States: Spatial analyses for targeting CRP to maximize benefits for migratory birds. Final Report for USDA–FSA Agreement. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/EPAS/PDF/drumetal2015_crp_prr_final.pdf

We are joined this week by Matt Ross from the National Deer Association to chat about the importance of private lands and private land management for America’s favorite game species, the white-tailed deer. We discuss how whitetails can be a catalyst for private lands habitat management and all the work NDA does to assist private landowners.

Resources discussed:

National Deer Association – https://deerassociation.com/

2023 Deer Report - https://deerassociation.com/2023-deer-report/

Deer Steward Program - https://deerassociation.com/steward/

Land Certification Program - https://deerassociation.com/land-certification/

Cooperative Program - https://deerassociation.com/coop/

Golden, K. E., M. N. Peterson, C. S. DePerno, R. E. Bardon, and C. E. Moorman. 2012. Factors shaping private landowner engagement in wildlife management. Wildlife Society Bulletin 37:94–100. https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wsb.235

Macaulay, L. 2016. The role of wildlife-associated recreation in private land use and conservation: Providing the missing baseline. Land Use Policy 58:218–233. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837716306159

Mitterling, A. M., B. A. Rudolph, and D. B. Kramer. 2021. The Influence of Private Land Deer Management Cooperatives on Harvest Outcomes and Hunter Satisfaction. Wildlife Society Bulletin 45:456–464. https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wsb.1209?af=R

Pruitt, H. P., B. B. Boley, G. K. D’Angelo, and M. D. McConnell. 2022. Deer management cooperative members’ likelihood of engaging in conservation initiatives: an importance-likelihood analysis. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 0:1–20. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10871209.2022.2077483

Through large expanses of the U.S., wildlife live alongside, or are strongly influenced by, the footprint of crop production practices; what Leopold was referencing when he spoke of ‘the plow.’ In this episode, Adam talks to Ryan Heiniger from Pheasants Forever about the challenges and opportunities for wildlife habitat conservation with ‘the plow’ and how a more precision imagining of its utility and place can be good for the farmer AND wildlife. Ryan is the Director of Agriculture and Conservation Innovations for Pheasants Forever, a farmer himself, and nuts about wildlife and wildlife conservation. From food plots to autonomous tractors, this conversation covers it all!

More about Ryan: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/Newsroom/2017-June/Pheasants-Forever-Quail-Forever-Promotes-Ryan-Hein.aspx

Pheasants Forever: The Habitat Organization: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/Habitat/Why-Habitat.aspx

Pheasants Forever’s Precision Agriculture program: https://pheasantsforever.org/Conservation/Precision-Agriculture.aspx

Link to the Iowa Geographic Map server with historical aerial images of farms back to the 1930s: https://isugisf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=47acfd9d3b6548d498b0ad2604252a5c

Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

 

Ask anyone what they’re doing for wildlife habitat and you’re sure to hear mention of the challenges of invasive species. From aquatic invasive species that restructure entire food webs of Great Lakes to carpets of exotic grasses changing fire regimes in the west, invasive species are everywhere. In this episode, Jarred and Adam first dig in on the science of invasive species and discuss the challenges they present for wildlife and wildlife habitat. Then, we feature short discussions with Dawn Slack of The Nature Conservancy in Indiana to hear about her team’s hand-to-hand combat with invasive plants and Bronson Strickland to get the scoop on invasive feral pigs in the southeast.    

 

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This episode's guests included Dawn Slack from the the Nature Conservancy in Indiana (https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/) and Dr. Bronson Strickland from Mississippi State University (http://extension.msstate.edu/wildlife-fisheries-aquaculture/dr-bronson-strickland).

From our discussion of invasive plant definitions, USDA’s definitions (https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ct/technical/ecoscience/invasive/?cid=nrcs142p2_011124) and Grace College’s definition (https://lakes.grace.edu/native-non-native-invasive-species/).

Learn more about the idea of the “Invasion triangle” we discussed in the episode with this paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.47

Download the paper from Iowa that discusses the characteristics of exotic invasive woody plants in Iowa: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=ncrpis_pubs

References mentioned in the discussion with Dawn Slack:

Indiana Invasive Species Council - https://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/index.html

Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasive Management - http://www.sicim.info/

Find a Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area - https://www.invasive.org/cismas/

Invasive and Exotic Species of North America - https://www.invasive.org/

Learn more about invasive pigs here: https://www.wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/index.php

Midwest Invasive Plant Network: https://www.mipn.org/

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council: https://www.se-eppc.org/index.cfm

University of Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health - https://www.bugwood.org/index.cfm

Iowa State resources: https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/invasives

In the final episode of our second season, Jarred and Adam review the conversations we’ve had on the theme of private lands habitat conservation, discuss some things “left on the bone,” and share with the listeners where Habitat University is heading in the new year! Be sure to check out the previous episodes in the podcast, including those from Season 2 discussed in this episode, and Season 1 if you haven’t already! And as always please help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Bird friend coffee: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly

Bird friendly beef: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/ranching

Learn more about the Land sparing and land sharing debate with this article: https://e360.yale.edu/features/sparing-vs-sharing-the-great-debate-over-how-to-protect-nature

For a much more thorough treatment of the history of Native peoples’ relationships to much of what we today know as private land, check out the exceptional book: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

In this episode, we wrap our mini-segment on approaches to private lands habitat management with a visit to a state with only about 30% private land: Idaho! Sal Palazzolo is the State Wildlife Habitat Program Manager for the Idaho Department of Fish & Game. He works with staff and partners to manage habitat throughout the state on private and public lands and took Adam on a tour of the state and its diversity to admire their unique challenges and share some of their successes!

Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm 

Learn more about private land programs in Idaho here: https://idfg.idaho.gov/wildlife/lands

What do you picture when you hear “habitat”? Habitat is one of the most important concepts in wildlife management, but what does it actually mean? Join Adam and Jarred as they define “habitat” and discuss why its use is a “panchreston problem.” We’ll explain what the heck “panchreston” means and discuss why we should be careful about how we talk about habitat to minimize confusion and clarify objectives. Jarred and Adam will also explore why defining and using habitat correctly is important in helping landowners and managers construct and achieve their management objectives.

Learn more about habitat as a panchreston problem in Kirk et al. 2018. Our use, misuse, and abandonment of a concept: Whither habitat.Ecology and Evolution 8:4197–4208. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5916312/).

CRP, EQIP, WRE, ACEP, CP, SAFE, MA, FRPP.....OK you get the point –there are A LOT of acronyms when it comes to federal programs for conservation work on private lands in the U.S. The Natural Resources Conservation Service –NRCS –is integral in the implementation of many of these programs. So this week, Jarred and Adam visited with Indiana’s NRCS State Wildlife Biologist Brianne Lowe to get the skinny on all these acronyms and how the programs they represent can be used to create habitat for wildlife on private lands!

Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

Resources and references mentioned in the episode:

Find a library of the “CP’s” or “Conservation Practices” under the CRP here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/crp-practices-library/index

Learn more about the ACEP program here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/easements/acep/

Find your local NRCS office here: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

 

We apologize for the technical difficulties associated with this episode and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.