NTRES 3250 - Forest Management and Maple Syrup Production

Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Priority given to juniors, seniors and graduate students. Limited to 22 students. Field lab participation required; often involves strenuous walking in all weather conditions.

P.J. Smallidge.

This course is designed to give students a practical and experiential exposure to private lands forest management and maple syrup production in New York and the Northeast. As a result of the class, students should be able to articulate the attributes of sustainable forest management practices on private woodlots. Student learning will emphasize field-based concepts and applications rather than theories and policy. All weekly labs are outdoors, and students will need appropriate winter clothing and potentially snowshoes.

Outcome 1: Be able to describe the inter-relationship of the various tools and concepts necessary to sustainably manage a private forest.

Outcome 2: Be able to discuss forest management with others who do, and do not, have a background in forest management.

Outcome 3: Anticipate how forest management interacts with the management of other natural resources.

Outcome 4: Be able to articulate the utility (and limitations) of using forest management as a tool to achieve specific landowner objectives.

Outcome 5: Be able to demonstrate skill with: orienteering, tree identification, silvics, woodlot inventory, and maple sap collection and processing.