UK Forestry Extension hosted a forestry field day and walk at the Berea College Forest on June 2nd, 2022 for County Agents and Staff. Our entire Forestry Extension team was on-hand to provide information on woodlands and forestry, why it's important, and ways that Extension can help landowners begin managing their woodlands and forestlands. We introduced forest health, wildlife management, forest management planning, timber markets, and tree ID! This 4-hour event kicked off with an introduction to forestry and the Berea College Forest. Following lunch, we headed out on a short walk where our Forestry Extension team provided hands-on training and on-the-ground examples of forest management and ways that County Extension Agents could engage with woodland owners.

We had over 30 Extension Agents and Staff from all over the state attend this field day, along with our entire Forestry Extension team. This effort is part of a broader effort to help train county-level professionals on woodland management and forestry. In the upcoming year, we will be developing and implementing a forestry certificate program to do just that, train Agents on forestry and related natural resource topics. Based on the feedback we received from the forestry field day, there is a strong interest in this particular certificate training.