My Woodlot - Care for and enjoy your woods.

Safety

From ticks to thorns and rash-inducing plants, from chainsaw operation to wildlife encounters, MyWoodlot has information that you can use to protect your health and safety in the woods.

Learn About Chainsaw Safety

A chainsaw is a useful tool, but they also send more than 30,000 people to the ER every year. Get the basics on chainsaw safety, and then attend a class for hands-on training.

Widow-makers are broken branches or fallen trees suspended in your woodlot's canopy. They can also be rotten trees on the verge of falling. Widow-makers can fall without warning. Know what to look for so you can avoid these hazardous limbs and trees.

Understand the Hazards of Spring Poles

Limbs and small trees bent by a fallen neighboring tree contain explosive tension. These spring poles can snap back or even shatter if cut haphazardly. Special techniques and training are required to cut them safely.

Understand the Hazards of Up-Rooted Trees

An uprooted tree can be safe when lying on the ground, but it can become a hazard if someone attempts to cut it. The heavy roots, stump and stem contain dangerous crushing force. Special techniques and training are required to cut up-rooted trees safely.

Yikes, poison ivy! Wait…imposter!

Box elder is commonly mistaken for poison ivy.

Treating my Outdoor Wear with Permethrin

Have you ever treated the clothing you wear to the woods with permethrin? I was late to the game with regard to this tick prevention practice, but I was able to treat my deer scouting clothes safely and efficiently one mid-July morning. This blog demonstrates how I did it.

Tips for Safe and Tasty Blackberry Foraging

As summer winds down and kids head back to school, a tasty treat is ripening in many open woodlands. Blackberries are an easy “beginner” foraging crop to look for in your woods, and right now is the perfect time to keep an eye out for them.

The Chainsaw

You didn’t think you were going to take a chainsaw safety class and not fell a 15” tree, did you?

Safety in the Woods

The outdoors can be a source of immense mental and physical health benefits, but they can also cause injury and illness if you aren’t careful. In honor of National Safety Month, here are a few safety tips for when you head out into nature.

Posting the property boundaries at Siuslaw Model Forest

I’ve never been described as a multi-tasker, but that all changed when I went snowshoeing and boundary line posting (both for the first time) at Siuslaw Model Forest.