BENTON SMALL WOODLANDS ASSOCIATION SPRING MINI TOURS
The BSWA is offering opportunities to get out into forests this Spring.
We will be compliant with the COVID regulations by enforcing mask usage, distancing and limiting the number of attendees.
There will be four tours, spaced through March, April and May. Each tour will be limited to 10 attendees. We ask that you sign up for just one of the tours so participation can be spread over more members.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. To make your reservations, please call the OSU Benton County Extension office at 541-713-5000. The office is lightly staffed, so leave a message if you do not get through. Include name, desired tour, email and phone number for each individual. You will receive tour details later. When you make your reservation, have a second choice in mind in case your first choice has filled. If your plans change and you cannot come, please tell us ASAP so another person can take your place.
Contact person for tours is Pat Boren at Borenwood99@gmail.com
The Girl Scout Camp Whispering Winds Forest – March 13, 9:00 to Noon
The 225 acre Camp Whispering Winds, located near Kings Valley, hosts hundreds of Girl Scouts and other campers every year. Join Matt Fehrenbacher of Trout Mountain Forestry to learn more about thinning, patch cutting and Oak restoration efforts that have been integrated into camp use and the overall management strategy for the property.
Matt Fehrenbacher gave a great tour. Trout Mountain has been managing the camp for more than a decade. Tour participants had the opportunity to see how forest esthetics for the campers were preserved while harvesting timber by patch cutting.
Castle Family Forest- April 17, 9:00 to Noon
This diverse 20 ac forest, located near Wren, was donated to the Philomath Foundation for the use by the Philomath High School Forestry Dept. Van Decker will tell the history of the property and plans for the future. There will be a walking tour. Van will also cover “Establishing a Growth Plot” and Timber Cruising for those interested.
Wild Flowers of the Forest-May 8, 9:00 to Noon
Mike Albrecht will lead a tour and identification of the many wild flowers that make their home in our forest. This will be a walking/hiking tour at a location to be announced.
Birds of the Forest, May 15th, 8:00- Noon
Join Joel Geier on Ehlers’ J2E Tree Farm in Hoskins for a bird walk, as we take a leisurely stroll through the woods listening, calling and viewing our local bird population. Joel has been keeping track of bird sightings in Linn, Benton and Polk counties for most of the past two decades with the Audubon Society of Corvallis. He also is regional editor for the Annual National Audubon Christmas Bird Count in Oregon and Nevada. We will share practices and strategies to encourage birds on your property. Details to follow.