Education is the fundamental component of WWOA’s foundation. For over 30 years, WWOA has been working to bridge the gap between woodland owners and natural resource professionals through education.

 

WWOA offers year-round educational opportunities for novice and experienced private woodland owners who want to become better stewards of their land. Below are a number of ways WWOA educates its members.

If you own and care for forest land, you probably have strong feelings about leaving your land in good condition for the future. A big part of preserving the legacy is passing the land to your successors. Yet, effective transition is harder than most forest landowners realize. A smooth transfer takes not only passion, but preparation and planning beyond an estate plan.

Most landowners do not have a succession plan for the forest property they have worked so hard to develop and maintain. One reason for this: passing property from one generation to the next is legally and emotionally challenging. Ties to the Land is designed to give landowners the tools to make a successful transition.

 

Ties to the Land is a workshop that focuses on ways to maintain family ties to the land from generation to generation, building awareness of key challenges facing family forest ownership, and motivating families to address those challenges. The workshop is a mix of presentations and practical exercises to help families develop techniques needed to address these issues. Check the Calendar of Events for a listing of scheduled workshops or contact Executive Director Nancy Bozek for more information.

 

Hosted by WWOA members throughout the state, Field Days provide invaluable, onsite learning opportunities. Comprised of wood walks, discussions, presentations and demonstrations, these workshops provide a crucial link between woodland owners and natural resource professionals. Check the Calendar of Events for a listing of scheduled workshops. 

 

Located on 131 acres of forest, fields, prairie and wetlands in southeast Wisconsin’s rolling kettle moraine country, the Seno Woodland Education Center strives to provide educational opportunities while demonstrating sustainable forest management. A project of the WWOA Foundation, the Seno Center is used by educators, students, landowners and the general public as an educational resource for workshops, training and seminars. The Center instills a value and appreciation of the outdoors in all who visit. For a listing of Seno events, check the Calendar of Events or visit Seno’s website: www.senocenter.org.

 

The WWOA Annual Meeting provides a prime opportunity for woodland owners to meet with each other and forestry professionals to share ideas, learn new practices and have some fun. The meeting is held every September in Wisconsin. The 2011 meeting is slated for September 15-18 in Eau Claire.

 

WWOA’s quarterly and award-winning magazine is included in WWOA membership. The magazine contains articles on timely topics of interest to woodland owners, hands-on practical information for managing your woodland, and regular columns such as It’s the Law, Sharing Experiences, Board Highlights, Seno Center News and TreeHouse.

 

For a sample copy, contact the WWOA office at 715-346-4798.

 

Twice a year, WWOA partners with the Wisconsin Tree Farm Committee to produce a newsletter. The publication contains valuable information for woodland owners, while informing non-WWOA members what the Association has going on and coming up. It also serves as an outreach tool to WWOA members who have not yet joined the American Tree Farm System. The newsletter is published in the spring and fall.