Chris Burnett
Forester & Ecologist
Marquette County Conservation District
Marquette
chris.burnett@macd.org

Theodore Roosevelt said,
"You only conserve what you love.
You only love what you understand.
You only understand what you are taught."

As a Conservation District forester my first priority is to encourage people to conserve their forests by teaching them to understand and love them. My favorite way to do this is by showing them how to participate in natural cycles of their land in fun and productive ways. Here are a few examples of how I have spent some of my weekend days over the past couple of years helping landowners become more attached to their land, more rooted.

Apple Tree Workshop - This very popular workshop covers both the planting and care of young apple trees and the rejuvenation of older and neglected trees. The workshop takes place at a different private landowner's property each year.

Woodland Mushroom Cultivation Workshop - This workshop, conducted at my own homestead, includes hands-on training in various methods for growing several species of edible woodland mushrooms. Participants mix soil and sawdust to culture native species. Techniques for growing exotic species on thinned logs are also demonstrated.

Bat Conservation Workshop - Despite a lot of bad press, more and more people are learning to appreciate bats for their insect control capabilities and their fascinating life styles. There is a regular demand for bat programs for kids and adults. Besides the thrill of touching live bats, participants are anxious to know how to build bat houses that will attract bats and how to keep bats out of their own houses.

Sugarbush Management Workshop - There are a few commercial scale and many hobby maple syrup producers in our area. Managing for syrup can go hand-in-hand with timber production, but there are some major differences, too. The only way to really understand these are to get out in the woods and talk about it. I explain how to tap sugar maples for sap so that the trees will remain healthy and productive.

Wild Blueberry Management Workshop - Here's another case where management for recreation, wildlife, and timber can work together. This workshop, conducted at the Marquette County Fairgrounds, includes plots that demonstrate how mowing can be used as a substitute for burning to increase wild blueberry production.