Forest Health

As summer yields to fall, deciduous trees throughout the mid-Atlantic states lose their leaves in an often-spectacular display of color. However, not all hardwood trees participate in this pageantry, and decide to hang onto their leaves until spring. This is called "marcescence." Why it occurs is another question.

As I am about to retire after 32 years as a University of Maryland extension forester, I want to take this opportunity to share some thoughts with you, the readers of Branching Out, and others who have benefited from the Woodland Stewardship Education program.

Read the "Woodland Wildlife Spotlight," the "Invasives in Your Woodland," the MD-DE Logger of the Year, and take the Brain Tickler challenge.

Read our "Woodland Wildlife Spotlight" and "Invasives in Your Woodland," and take the Brain Tickler challenge. There's also an introduction to two new members of the Woodland Stewardship Education program team, and an announcement about the fall 2018 Maryland Woodland Stewards workshop.

Read the "Woodland Wildlife Spotlight" and "Invasives in Your Woodland," a new invasive insect you should know called Spotted Lanternfly, and the Brain Tickler challenge.

"The Woods in Your Backyard" program has assisted thousands of property owners across the region learn how to get more from their natural areas.

The News and Notes roundup for this issue features a way to get caught up on this fall's Woodland Wildlife Wednesday webinars, a way to remove adult Spotted Lanternflies using an empty water bottle, how to have your business listed in our new Natural Area Management Services Providers Directory, and how to order seedlings for spring planting projects from the Maryland State Nursery.

Learn about the "blue paint law" that will make marking your woodland boundaries less time-consuming. There's news about two recent awards for the Woodland Stewardship Education program, and information about the native Southern Pine Beetle. Our regular features include the "Woodland Wildlife Spotlight," "Invasives in Your Woodland," plus the events calendar, the Brain Tickler challenge, and the News and Notes section.

The Asian Longhorned beetle (ALB), native to eastern China and Korea, is a wood-boring pest which feeds on a number of hardwood trees, eventually killing them, impacting both urban trees and forested sites. Wildlife habitat will be impacted due to loss of forest shelter and food sources. Industries such as such as lumber, maple syrup, nursery, commercial fruit, and tourism will feel an economic impact.

News and Notes items for the Winter 2021 issue of Branching Out