Extension Webcast ‘From the Woods Today’ Offers a Topics Salad to Interest Everyone
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 3, 2021) — This month, “From the Woods Today” offers a summer salad of topics, touching on trees, both beneficial and destructive insects, mushrooms and native plants. The University of Kentucky Forestry and Natural Resources Extension’s weekly webcast offers relevant information about woodlands and wildlife each Wednesday at 11 a.m. EDT.
The program streams on Zoom, Facebook Live and where podcasts are available. Hosts Billy Thomas and Reneé Williams, UK extension forester and information specialist, respectively, welcome UK specialists and special guests who share their knowledge of Kentucky’s forests and the creatures that call them home.
June’s episodes include:
June 2: Jacob Muller, assistant professor of hardwood silviculture and forest operations, brings another video episode of “InTreegued,” which focuses on the stories trees tell and why woodland-loving folks are determined to be good stewards. Ellen Crocker, assistant extension professor of forest health, will continue sharing information about pesky plants, and Alexandra Blevins of the Kentucky Division of Forestry will discuss cedar-quince rust, a fungal disease. UK extension forester Laurie Thomas will present the Tree of the Week.
June 9: UK tree improvement specialist Laura DeWald, whose research focus is on white oak genetics, will talk about the White Oak Improvement Project. UK entomologist Jonathan Larson will introduce viewers to “Bugs That Suck,” the sap-feeding insects of summer.
June 16: State apiarist Tammy Horn Potter will discuss the importance of bees in the forest ecosystem and what to do if you see a swarm. Megan Buland, UK forest health technician, will enlighten viewers about Kentucky’s mushrooms.
June 23: UK extension water quality specialist Amanda Gumbert will discuss the relationship between farmers and woodland owners and their watersheds. Crocker will ask and answer the important question, “What’s bugging my tree?” and Laurie Thomas returns with the Tree of the Week.
June 30: Susan Fox, agriculture and natural resources extension agent in Lyon County, will discuss native alternatives for woodlands and landscapes. Thomas and Crocker will continue the Tree of the Week and Pesky Plants segments, respectively, and Billy Thomas will wrap the month up with a look at upcoming programs.
The link to the Zoom sessions, a list of topics and archived episodes are available at www.FromTheWoodsToday.com. Participants will receive a prompt to install Zoom, if they haven’t already done it. When asked for an identification number, sign in as a guest. Anyone can join a session, regardless of their location. The episodes are also available on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/ForestryExtension/.
The UK Cooperative Extension Service is part of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. With its land-grant partner, Kentucky State University, UK Cooperative Extension brings the university to the people in their local communities, addressing issues of importance to all Kentuckians.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.