The 2019 Getting to Know Your Woodlands Webinar Series: A Primer for Beginners was targeted at Kentucky’s private woodland owners and designed to assist private woodland owners in the management of their woodlands as well as those with an interest in forests and wildlife. It was a partnership of UK Forestry Extension and numerous Forestry Extension Units from other nearby universities and the Southern Region Extension Forestry team that was hosted by county extension offices with county extension agents/staff serving as local hosts. The program was web-based using the Blackboard Collaborate and ZOOM webinar systems and offered five evenings of educational programming broadcast to each hosting county extension office.  

Spencer County was a host site and had a total of 10 attendees during the sessions.  Sessions included:  “Getting to Know Your Woodlands,” “Managing Your Woodlands,” Identifying and Managing Woodland Threats,” “Wildlife and Woodlands,” “Forestry and Wildlife Assistance in Kentucky.”  There are a total of 53,041 forested acres in Spencer County, of which 88% is privately owned.

                After each session, attendees completed surveys and for each one hosted in Spencer County, all attendees increased their knowledge on the specific subject of the evening and knew who to contact if they had any other questions.  Also, those in attendance represented 120 acres of local forested land and after the meeting was completed, the landowners said that they would have the Kentucky Division of Forestry survey their land for possible timber sales.  The long-term impacts from this program will result in participants’ enhanced ability to address a variety of woodland related issues, resulting in increased revenue, increased woodland productivity, and improved woodland health. These benefits occur to the individual, their county, and our Commonwealth.