More and more women are becoming landowners and making decisions about the family woods. Women and Their Woods is a biennial four-day retreat hosted by the Delaware Highlands Conservancy where women can meet other female landowners and discover more about caring for their land.

Master Forest Owners are volunteer landowners. They receive training from Cornell University, then use that knowledge and their own experiences to visit other landowners and offer advice.

Master Naturalist is a science-based training program from Cornell University. It teaches adults about New York’s plants, animals, and natural landscapes, then encourages those students to volunteer in teaching others about conserving nature.

The Catskill Forest Association (CFA) is a non-profit organization for landowners based out of Arkville, New York. Their mission is to provide services and education to landowners to create healthier forests. Learn more about CFA and how to join them in this activity.

The New York Forest Owners Association (NYFOA) is a non-profit group made up of landowners. Their mission is to promote sustainable forestry practices and improved stewardship on privately owned woodlands. Learn more about NYFOA and find out how to join them in this activity.

Have a question about your woods? The MyWoodlot discussion forum is a free, easy way to connect with other landowners and share advice on caring for and enjoying your woods.

Functional and beautiful, you can create a hanging mobile to use as decoration or even as an herb-drying rack.

Peak autumn color only lasts a few days each year. When your woodlot erupts in orange, yellow, and red, be ready to photograph this beautiful season.

The United States Geological Survey has been creating maps since 1884, and they're all available online for free.

Make sure your forester and logger know your expectations for your favorite spots on your woodlot, like a special trail or view.

Beauty isn’t just in what you see. By learning common bird songs and calls, you can tune in to your woodlot’s beautiful sounds as well.

Scenic views. Burbling streams. Old stone walls. Check out these special places on other woodlots to get some fresh ideas for your own.

Free aerial photos and topographic maps can reveal a lot about your property, and a simple hike can turn into a natural history lesson when you can read the woods.

With a chainsaw, safety equipment, and a log, you can make yourself a rustic resting spot even deep in your woodlot.

Nature can move slowly, but with time lapse photos and videos, you can speed up the movements of clouds, sunsets, and blooming flowers to just a few seconds.

If you cut down a tree in your yard, getting rid of the stump can be a real pain. Instead of grinding it up, this project repurposes that stump into a small flowerbed.

Just as people start going to bed, your woodlot is waking up. Many animals are only active at night. Sit outside with your ears open, and you might surprise yourself with what you hear.

In this activity, you’ll use air-dry clay to perfectly preserve the veins and shapes of a leaf in the form of a small, shallow bowl.

Having a georeferenced .pdf map on your phone means you can track your position in the field and mark points of interest, even without cell phone service. We developed the MyWoodlot Watershed mapping tool to help you make your own maps and discover important features on or around your property.

When we travel, we often forget to pause and appreciate what’s right around us. With a sound map, you’ll sit still and translate the sounds around you onto paper.

Have a leftover tree stump from an old yard, firewood, or timber harvest tree? Put it to use by making a rustic end table.

Nature meets technology with this simple build that can turn a cellphone charger into a woodsy work of art.

Create your own nature-themed fabrics for a variety of sewing projects using this kid-friendly technique.

Bring the outdoors inside any time of year with this simple, decorative craft that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike.

Which plants on your woodlot most catch your eye? Create a list and take pictures of the flowers, bushes, or trees you enjoy the most. You can encourage, showcase, and add more of these plants over time.

Like to draw? Like to paint? Try doing them outside! Painting or drawing outside, also known as “plein air” art, can improve your nature observation skills and deepen your connection with the land.

Light painting is night photography with a twist. It involves moving a light source like a flashlight or glowstick during a long-exposure photo to light up a dark subject or create dazzling designs.

One advantage to owning a woodlot is that you have a chance for really dark nights without city lights to interfere with the stars. Use that darkness to get beautiful “astrophotography” shots of the moon, stars, and Milky Way galaxy.

Trees possess beauty that is sometimes obscured by nature itself. Pruning dead limbs and sculpting a form will enhance a tree's natural beauty and health.

Winter landscape photography can be a challenge on you and your camera, so review this advice from the pros before you head out in the cold.

Your woodlot is more than a retreat from the fast-paced modern world. It's also an escape from the bight city lights that obscure the heavens. Pick a clear, moonless night and enjoy the show.

Birds can be some of the hardest nature subjects to photograph. They’re small, fast, and fly away when you approach. With practice and these tips, you can take great bird photos even if you don’t have a gigantic lens.

You can see a lot from your trails, but sometimes the best places are stumbled upon by accident. Get off the beaten path and explore your woodlot with the help of a map, compass, GPS unit, or smart phone.

Understanding how a timber harvest changes the way your woodlot looks and what can be done about it is the first step in reducing a harvest's visual impact.

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.

Ice storms are the most dangerous winter weather for trees. The added weight of ice on branches can break limbs and topple trees. But ice storms can also increase tree growth if the damage is minor and even create new nesting sites for animals.

Though the northeastern US is sometimes called "the asbestos forest" for its fire resistance, the region's fire towers are evidence of its wildfire history. Be especially vigilant during the region's main fire season of March through May.

It doesn't take a tornado or hurricane to break limbs and uproot trees. Every woodlot is vulnerable to damage from windstorms. Learn how to make your woodlot more resistant to wind damage and what to do when a windstorm hits your land.

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.

Old-growth forests once dominated New York. Now they're among the rarest habitats. New old-growth forests can't be created, but the large standing dead trees, downed logs, and gaps in the canopy created by storms are a great starting point for restoring old-growth characteristics to your woodlot.

A natural event affecting a large portion of your woodlot can be overwhelming. Safety, access or the value of your timber are a few examples of things to consider. Contact a professional forester to explore your options and start reclaiming your land.

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.

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.

As the years after a natural disaster pass, your woodlot will change. You’ll see new trees, shrubs, and animals. Set up a few photopoints, then take pictures over the seasons and years to capture nature’s subtle recovery work.

For properties with especially high deer numbers and impacts, you can obtain special state permits that allow antlerless deer hunting beyond standard limits.

Different land types can support different numbers of deer. You can find out whether deer are harming your woodlot with this browse assessment.

Invasive plants thrive in the sunlight. Cutting vines that threaten to kill your trees will help keep your woodlands shaded and slow the spread of invasive plants.

Deer are what’s known as a “keystone species,” meaning they have a major impact on the woods. Understanding the changes deer cause to a woodlot is the first step in learning how to live with them.

Moving firewood, say from your woodlot to a campsite, is the #1 way dangerous forest pests spread. State law restricts when and how far you may transport firewood.

If you’re reducing deer populations on your land, you may wind up with more venison than you can use. Donating that venison to a local food bank is a great way to put that meat to good use while improving the health of your woods.

How many deer visit your property? You can find out using this “pellet count” survey method.

Buying your firewood from a local source and cutting firewood off your woodlot are excellent ways to prevent the spread of insects and disease.

Once you know how to spot common and emerging invasive plants, you can head out to your land to try to locate them.

Young trees, both newly planted and naturally growing, will benefit from protection from deer. Deer protection can be as wide-ranging as fencing off an area of your woodlot or as specific as tubing individual trees.

Dying trees don't mean the end of your forest as long as there are baby trees to replace them. Installing a deer fence is a good way to prevent deer from eating the seedlings that will become your future forest.

Even after native plants are established, don’t let your guard down. Keep up your prevention, location, and control efforts to hold invasive plants at bay.

Many invasive plants were brought here intentionally for use in landscaping. One of the best ways to prevent new invasive infestations is to use only native plants in your landscaping. These plants can also be attractive and benefit wildlife like pollinators.

Pull it by hand? Mow it? Spray it? Different invasive plants require different control techniques. Before you put in a ton of work, figure out the best techniques for the plant you’re dealing with.

To locate invasive plants on your land, you first need to know what to look for. It would be overwhelming to learn every invasive plant, so focus on common ones to help you spot these invaders sooner.

Invasive plants are always on the move. Learning to identify these invasives that aren’t common yet—but could be in the near future—will help you locate these plants on your land before they become a problem.

The spotted lanternfly is an emerging invasive insect that can damage many trees and fruit crops. Learn to identify this pest so you’re ready when it reaches your land.

Asian longhorned beetle is an invasive insect that kills many kinds of trees, including maples. Discover how to identify these beetles and the signs they leave behind.

Emerald ash borer is considered the most devastating invasive insect in North American forests. It attacks ash trees. Discover how to identify these dangerous insects and the signs they leave behind.

Hemlock wooly adelgid attacks hemlock trees, which commonly grow on steep slopes near streams. Discover how to identify this insect and the signs they leave behind.

To slow the spread of forest pests, state law restricts when and how logs can be moved from a woodlot to a sawmill. Make sure your logger is up to speed on the latest wood quarantines.

If you just finished your invasive inventory, you may feel overwhelmed with the number of invasive plants on your land. Rather than try to deal with them all at once, focus your efforts to get the best chance of success.

Overabundant deer often contribute to invasive plant spread by eating the native plants. Installing a deer fence to keep deer out of an area where you removed invasives can sometimes be enough to get native plants growing back all on their own.

When dealing with small infestations, mechanical control techniques like hand-pulling, cutting, or brush hogging can be effective. These techniques require more work, especially for long-term control, but they can reduce or eliminate the need for herbicide.

In the long term, the only way to keep invasive plants at bay is to make sure you have healthy native plants growing. If you’ve just controlled invasive plants in an area, planting some natives from a nursery can help them get a jumpstart on resprouting invasives.

If you've lost a lot of trees to an insect infestation, you might be able to salvage some income from them if you contact a forester soon after the trees die.

The invasive insect spotted lanternfly is a new arrival in the northeastern US. Follow these tips to slow its spread and limit the damage it causes not only on your land, but in forests and woods throughout the region.

It is illegal to feed wild deer in New York State. You might think you’re giving them a helping hand by putting out corn, or maybe that if you feed them they’ll leave your plants alone. But in reality, you’re harming both the deer and your plants.

Even small measures can make a big difference in keeping invasives off your land. Try to incorporate these simple steps into daily life on your woodlot.

Treating your ash trees may be a good option if you have a few select trees that you want to save. Treatments can be expensive, so this is more suitable for trees near your home or cabin than in the woods. Contact an arborist to discuss treatment options.

Treating your hemlock trees may be a good option if you have a few select trees that you want to save. Treatments can be expensive, so this is more suitable for trees near your home or cabin than in the woods. Contact an arborist to discuss treatment options.

Spotted lanternfly doesn’t directly kill trees, but it weakens them and makes them more likely to die from other causes. Reducing the insect’s numbers on your land can lower the stress they put on your trees.

For areas overrun with invasive plants, a strange but surprisingly effective technique is to rent goats. The goat farmer sets up portable fencing around the treatment area, and you pay by the day to let goats chomp through the invasives.

Sometimes there’s no other way to control an invasive plant than to apply herbicide. Used in low quantities and with proper application techniques, herbicide can address many invasive plant problems with minimal side effects on the surrounding environment.

When you build a home or cabin on your land, you only get one chance to site it the way you want it. Work with natural features like trees and topography to save yourself time and money and to help your new home become the getaway of your dreams.

Your woodlot is a great place to bond with your family. A picnic is a fun, easy way to create some family memories and expose your kids or grandkids to nature.

Land surveys can be expensive, but they're helpful if you're concerned about neighbors encroaching on your land or of timber theft. They're also important if you want to build a new structure, install a fence, or just know where your boundaries are so you can mark them.

Lower the visual impact of a timber harvest by having your logger use these techniques near your home, pond, and road frontage.

Appropriately marked property lines are the best defense against trespassing and timber theft, and they reduce boundary disputes with neighbors. Painting your boundaries is a relatively inexpensive, visible way to mark your property line without injuring your trees.

When you're at your home or cabin in the woods, you don't want to be reminded of civilization. Planting trees between your home and roads or neighbors can give your property a more secluded feel.

Most trespassing is accidental, because people often don't know they've crossed a property line. You can stop a lot of trespassing just by marking your boundaries. Posted signs are more expensive than painting your line, but they state the rules of how others may use your land.

Just as people start going to bed, your woodlot is waking up. Many animals are only active at night. Sit outside with your ears open, and you might surprise yourself with how much wildlife you hear.

Our lives are so busy that we rarely slow down to appreciate what's around us. In a five senses hike, you'll slowly walk your trails and stop occasionally to explore what you're seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, and even tasting. This is a great activity to do with kids.

Nature centers often mark their trails to help hikers get around. You can do the same thing on your woodlot. Blazes give your trails a professional look and aid your travel around your land.

Campfires can be a lot of fun, but they can get out of control if not handled safely. Learn how to safely make, maintain, and put out a campfire.

You don’t need to be a hunter to experience the excitement of calling back and forth with a turkey in the spring.

Spending relaxing time in the woods, sometimes called shinrin yoku or forest bathing, is a proven way to reduce stress, improve mood, and lower blood pressure.

Even if a tick bites you, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get sick. For a fee, labs exist that will test a tick you send in to see if it carries any illnesses it could have transferred to you.

Don’t let winter stop you from exploring your woodlot. Strap on a pair of snowshoes to see your land in a new and healthy way.

Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. If you find a tick on you, knowing what it is can help you know if you need to see a doctor.

Animals have better senses than we do, and they can be skittish when they know a human is nearby. A well-placed trail camera can take pictures of elusive wildlife without you needing to be there.

Woodlots have lots of kinds of trees. Install low-cost tree ID signs along your trails to educate you and your family about the remarkable diversity on your land.

ATV's help you haul heavy loads and visit remote areas, but they can also be dangerous. Take time to learn about ATV safety before you head out for your next ride.

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.

Many plants cause skin irritation. In most cases these irritations are mild, but a few can be severe. Be aware of these plants so you can avoid them or respond with appropriate treatment.

The U.S. has more than 70,000 wildfires and 100,000 thunderstorms every year. If you're caught in your woodlot when one of these disasters strikes, you're at risk for severe injury or death. Know how to avoid these conditions and survive them if you can't get away.

Almost all wildlife encounters that end in human injury or death are caused by human actions. Protect yourself by knowing what to do when a wild animal gets too close.

Lyme disease is the most well-known tick-borne illness, but it isn’t the only one. Discover why it’s so important to be aware of ticks and how to prevent them from making you sick.

Protect yourself against Lyme disease by avoiding tick bites and checking yourself for ticks after coming in from the outdoors.

Cross-country skiing not only gives you the chance to see your woods in winter, it’s also one of the best cardio and full-body workouts available.

In addition to buying new pretreated tick-repellent clothes, you can send in your current outdoor wear and get it treated to repel ticks.

If you have a lot of trails, you might not know where all of them are or how they connect to one another. Make a map of your trails to learn what you have and make your hikes easier.

Seeing wildlife on your woodlot is more than fun; it can also be a way to protect those animals in the future. These websites let you share your wildlife sightings with others and help scientists learn how our critter neighbors are doing.

Nature journaling will help you hone your nature observation skills and keep track of what you experience in your woods. Don’t worry if you aren’t a writer, artist, or naturalist; you can still keep a great nature journal.

You don’t need remote wilderness to get the mood-boosting benefits of time in nature. If you have 4 minutes, you can take a mini nature vacation right where you are.

Hiking is likely the most common way you’ll experience your woodlot. Learn about essential items to bring to make your hike a safe, enjoyable time.

If you’re looking for a more rigorous way to experience your woodlot, mountain biking offers a thrilling ride.

You don’t need to consider yourself a writer to find relaxation in expression. Find a place to sit and see what thoughts flow.

The best way to learn about the life on your woodlot is get out there and see it for yourself. Learn what to look for, where to find it, and how to increase your chances of seeing it.

Women Owing Woods- Catskill | Hudson Valley (WOW) is a group of women landowners and natural resource professionals from the Catskills and Hudson Valley regions of New York. The Watershed Agricultural Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, and the Columbia Land Conservancy organize this group of professionals and landowners as a way to foster learning experiences and discussions about forest property.

Get an overview of climate change impacts in the Northeast, including effects on the woods in our region.

Climate change affects different trees in different ways. Use the tools below to learn which trees on your property are predicted to do well, poorly, or stay the same in the face of climate change. Then step back and envision your future woods and consider how to best prepare for it.

Find out what phenology is all about and how observing seasonal changes helps to track climate change.

Pick a plant that interests you and that you can easily observe on your property. Spring is a great time to start because plants change quickly so there’s lots to see. Keep it simple by recording your observations in a notebook or take it to the next level by using prepared datasheets and even uploading your data online to share with scientists.

Climate change adds stress to your forest, so minimizing other sources of stress from pests, vines and diseases can help your woods to be more stable in an unknown future.

Rain storms are getting heavier and more frequent, which can mean more flooding and damage to streams. At the same time, our summers are getting warmer and drier, which can cause periods of drought and stress on trees and stream ecosystems. Explore these resources to help prepare your property for this increase in severe weather.

Keeping fallen trees on the forest floor and in streamside areas can slow runoff, filter water, and improve stream habitat for wildlife.

Installing BMPs on your existing trails and woods roads will reduce flooding and erosion during heavy rainstorms and help you preserve access to your woods.

View the maps of New York State and the US below to better understand your risk of wildfire.

Check out the resources from Firewise New York that provide information about wildfire safety and prevention.

Forests are a big part of the carbon cycle. Trees sequester, or actively absorb, carbon dioxide from the air and then store some of that carbon in their wood. Explore the links below to get a better sense of how carbon moves through the forest and wood products.

You can manage your property to increase the carbon potential of your woods. A passive approach favors carbon storage in your woods while an active approach prioritizes sequestration.

Your woods naturally combat climate change by absorbing and storing carbon. The emergence of a carbon market means that there are companies that might pay you for the work your woods do. Explore some of the carbon markets that are available to landowners in your region.

Dig a little deeper into woodland health to discover how resilient your woods may be in the face of our changing climate.

Farming the Woods is the definitive resource on woodland crop options for landowners in the eastern United States.

Easements can protect your land from future development and often have financial benefits, but they aren’t for everyone. Learn more about them before starting down the road of getting one.

Hummingbird feeders with a sugar-and-water solution can provide supplemental food for hummingbirds and enjoyment for humans. Maintained properly, feeders won’t harm hummingbirds and will give them the energy they need to go after their real desired food: insects.

Spotting erosion problems before they grow makes it cheaper and easier to fix them.

480-a offers the potential for you to save substantially on your property taxes, but it also requires a commitment to managing your woodlot for the next 10 years. Consider the benefits and obligations carefully before you enroll.

Ramps, also known as wild onions or wild leeks, are edible woodland plants that grow in the spring throughout the Northeast, Appalachia, and Great Lakes regions. If you like garlic, you’ll probably like ramps too. This activity demonstrates where you might expect to find ramps and how you can sustainably harvest them. Whether you are a recreational forager or thinking about growing ramps in your woods as a cash crop, this activity is for you.

Before getting an easement, it’s a good idea to talk to other landowners who have them and learn from their experiences. If you don’t know someone locally with an easement, the links in this Activity will let you hear firsthand from easement landowners

The best way to help pollinators is to provide more of the food that they need to survive. Native plants can support hundreds more species of pollinators than non-native ornamentals, so as much as possible, incorporate native plants into your garden and landscaping.

Understanding how water damages your trails is the first step in protecting them.

If you own a woodlot in the New York City Watershed, the Watershed Agricultural Council provides money to help you enroll in 480-a. The New York City Watershed includes portions of eight New York counties: Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.

This “lost fruit” is edible, native, and gaining more attention in the woodland owner and general agroforestry circles.

Most easements are held by local non-profit groups called land trusts. The first step in getting an easement is to meet with your local land trust to see if you and they will be good fits for each other.

Overuse of pesticides, particularly insecticides called neonicotinoids, is a major cause of pollinator decline. Limiting or stopping your use of these chemicals can help keep more pollinators alive.

Make sure your forester and logger know your expectations for your favorite spots on your woodlot, like a special trail or view.

480-a requires you to have and follow a management plan for your woodlot written by a professional forester. Choosing the right forester for you will help not only during plan creation, but also when you decide to harvest timber.

Conservation easements stay with the property even after you no longer own it, so involve your family, especially potential heirs, in your choice of whether or not to ease your land.

More than 4,000 species of bees are native to North America, and most don’t form hives and rarely sting. You can help bees by building or buying a wood or bamboo nesting house for them. Note: due to fungal infestations, replace your bee nesting houses every 2-3 years.

Best Management Practices (BMP's) are techniques you or your logger can use on your trails to control the flow of water.

Maple syrup is the classic woodland crop in the northeastern US, and there are a host of resources, organizations, and maple producers available to help you get started.

Once you have a written management plan, you must submit that plan and the required forms to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation in order to enroll in 480-a. Be sure to enroll by December 31 to receive your tax break for the coming year.

You don’t need to tap hundreds of trees to make maple syrup. Even tapping one tree can net you enough syrup to last several months.

As with buying or selling a house, you’ll need to know the value of your land to determine the value of your easement and any potential charitable deductions.

The first and most important step when taking on a tree-planting project is to choose the tree species that will meet your needs as well as have a good chance of surviving in the spot you intend to plant them.

If you were previously approved for Watershed Agricultural Council cost-share funding, you can receive your payment once you've enrolled in 480-a. Send a copy of your 480-a certificate of approval, management plan, and work schedule to the Council, and your check will be mailed within 30 days.

Dig a little deeper into woodland health to discover how resilient your woods may be in the face of our changing climate.

If you want to make maple syrup just for personal use, consider the turkey fryer-and-stovetop method over large equipment.

Easement contract language can be confusing. Get a second opinion on your potential easement agreement by showing it to an attorney or estate planner familiar with land laws.

Sometimes you won't be able to identify a tree or plant on the spot. Other times you may want to keep a leaf or flower to appreciate later. A plant press preserves leaves, twigs, flowers and buds so you can look at them whenever you want.

Planting a tree isn’t as simple as digging a hole. Proper planting technique can mean the difference between life and death for a baby tree.

If you enroll your land in the New York State 480-a Forest Tax Law Program, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) requires you to update your management plan every 5 years. How do you go about getting that update done?

If you want to produce syrup commercially, you’ll need hands-on, in-woods advice.

Conservation easements have tax implications, such as possible charitable deductions, income tax credits, and reduced property and estate taxes. Review your potential easement with a tax accountant to ensure you get the best tax treatment and that you’re prepared in case of an audit.

Young woods don’t stay young. Old fields and shrublands gradually give way to older forest. You can maintain these important habitats with periodic mowing and brush hogging.

Young trees, both newly planted and naturally growing, will benefit from protection from deer. Deer protection can be as wide-ranging as fencing off an area of your woodlot or as specific as tubing individual trees.

Agricultural assessments can reduce your property taxes for land actively used for farming. Many farm products qualify, but the program has acreage and earnings thresholds and time commitments. Consider the benefits and obligations carefully before you enroll.

Many existing syrup makers are happy to show off their setup. Get to know other syrup makers to learn how to start or expand your operation.

When you’re satisfied with all the easement’s terms and ready to sign, close on your easement to have it go into effect.

Not every property has rare plants or animals, but some do. It’s important to know if your land supports any of these species, because it can influence when and how you can do other activities like cutting firewood, selling timber, and growing crops.

A successful rain garden takes planning. Factors like location, size, and what you plant all affect how expensive the garden will be and how effectively it will reduce runoff.

The best place to start when seeking an agricultural assessment is the tax assessor for the town where your woodlot is located. Your assessor can confirm your eligibility, help you fill out a program application, and provide directions for next steps.

With careful planning, you can promote growth of sugar maple trees to improve their sap production and net you more syrup.

Having a family conversation about the future of your land can be difficult and emotional, but it will help everyone be on the same page about what you desire.

Plants, mushrooms, insects, and all sorts of other interesting critters make a living on fallen logs. Peek under a log to discover this fascinating woodland world.

Hiking, ATV's, and horseback riding need different Best Management Practices. Match the techniques you use to the traffic your trails receive.

You can subtract the value of the timber when you first purchased or inherited your woodlot – your "basis" – from your taxable income when you have a timber sale. This reduces your taxable income. If you don't know your woodlot's basis, a consulting forester can help you determine it.

There's no substitute for in-person gatherings on the family land. Getting your family outside and walking together lets each person reflect on what your land means to them.

New York's bluebird population has dropped 90% due to pesticides, shortage of natural nesting cavities, and competition from sparrows and starlings. You can help! Install a bluebird nesting box on your woodlot so these colorful songbirds can raise their families.

Even with protection, newly planted trees need your tender loving care to help them survive. Use the information in this activity to help give your trees the best chance for long-term success.

Once you've worked with an assessor to begin your application, contact the Soil and Water Conservation District office for the county where your woodlot is located. They will map the soils on your property, and your assessor will use that information to calculate your tax break.

If you’d like to venture into the world of maple production but aren’t quite ready or interested in a full sugaring operation, you can sell raw sap to other producers in your area.

Like a real estate agent in selling a house, a consulting forester walks you through the challenges of harvesting trees. Call before you cut and find the right forester for you and your woodlot.

Is your land a priceless heirloom, something valuable only as a financial asset, or somewhere in between? This family activity will help you learn how different members see the family land.

Bats freak out some people, but they’re actually remarkable creatures that can catch as many as 1,000 mosquitoes every hour. You can help give bats a safe, warm place to raise their young by hanging a bat box from your house or a freestanding post.

The first step in caring for your streamside area is to understand what and where they are.

Submit your soils map, completed application, and lease agreement (if leasing land to a farmer) to your local assessor. Your assessor must receive all these documents before March 1 for you to receive your agricultural assessment and have your taxes lowered.

Once you've selected a forester, have him or her meet with you to discuss what you want from your harvest. Your forester will then mark the trees that should be cut to meet your goals for your woodlot.

Estate planning is complex and emotional. But you can do it! These landowner stories—many in their own words—can provide ideas and inspiration for your own journey.

Like many outdoor activities, wildlife tracking requires practice and patience. If you already have a basic understanding of wildlife tracks, these resources will help you take your tracking skills to the next level.

Require your logger to reduce soil erosion by including Best Management Practices in your written timber sale contract.

How you report income from logging and how much tax you owe depend on which of 3 tax classes your woodlot falls into. You can determine your woodlot's tax class by answering a few simple questions about why you own it and how you use it.

With a buyer chosen and a contract signed, you're ready for a logger to start cutting. Your forester will monitor the harvest periodically to ensure that the contract terms are carried out.

In a perfect world, what would you want to see happen with your land when you're no longer around to take care of it? Write these wishes down, then share them with a spouse or the rest of your family.

Food plots are an excellent way to attract animals to your property. Not just for hunters, food plots increase wildlife viewing opportunities and make animals healthier.

Clean out your Best Management Practices annually to keep them working. This maintenance often avoids the need for costly heavy equipment later on.

If you're like a lot of landowners, logging doesn't happen often on your woodlot. Rather than risk audits and penalties, consider hiring a tax professional when you have timber-related income.

A written contract is essential to a good timber harvest. It lays out who will do what, which trees will be cut, how the work will be done, how much you'll be paid, how clean up will occur, and what should happen if something goes wrong.

Estate planning is for every landowner. Deciding what happens to your land after you're gone is the most important step you can take as a landowner.

Just like your doctor runs tests to determine your health, you can find out the health of your woodlot by hiking your land and looking at several indicators.

Foresters typically bid timber out to multiple sawmills to get the best price. Work with your forester to choose a responsible bidder.

An estate planning attorney is critical to an effective legacy plan. These specialized lawyers can help you with legal documents such as wills, trusts, and LLCs.

Wild apple trees are an important food for wildlife, but overcrowding within a tree and between neighboring trees can reduce the number of apples they produce. Prune branches and clear around wild apple trees to help them grow more fruit.

The areas where your trails and streams meet are the spots most likely to cause water quality problems. Protect your streams when crossing them by using an appropriate crossing structure, like a temporary bridge.

When the cutting finishes, your woodlot can look like a mess. Under direction from your forester, your logger should clean up the site in accordance with your timber sale contract and best practices to protect your woodlot and water quality.

Information about your land's value is crucial for appraisals and other planning tasks. A forester can help you determine what natural resources you have and how much they're worth.

Find out if your streamside areas are healthy and what to do to care for them with this easy-to-use self-assessment.

Mushroom identification in the woods is fun for all. Explore these resources and networks to build a new skill and gain confidence.

Mushrooms are one of the most common crops grown in the woods. Of the many kinds available, research suggests shiitake mushrooms have the most profit potential.

Having a firm grasp of your finances is important to reducing end-of-life expenses and taxes. A CPA can help you consider different strategies to make your legacy plan happen.

The Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative provides landowners along streams in the New York City Watershed with assistance and financial support to protect streams from damage.

Young trees, both newly planted and naturally growing, will benefit from protection from deer. Deer protection can be as wide-ranging as fencing off an area of your woodlot or as specific as tubing individual trees.

Most hunters rely on private land to access game. If you don’t mind limiting your own ability to hunt, leasing your land to hunters can be a way to earn some money and manage local deer numbers.

There is no "one size fits all" estate plan. From wills to trusts to conservation easements, a variety of tools exist to give you and your heirs flexibility in meeting your goals.

With your plan in place, it’s time to actually put in your rain garden. Depending on the garden’s size, it can be helpful to work with a contractor when installing a rain garden.

Planting a tree isn’t as simple as digging a hole. Proper planting technique can mean the difference between life and death for a baby tree.

The woods are a great place to grow mushrooms like shiitake. Whether you grow a few for yourself or make it a business, mushroom farming can be a rewarding venture.

Once you install your rain garden, you aren’t done. Maintenance plays an important role in ensuring the garden’s long-term health and usefulness.

Even with protection, newly planted trees need your tender loving care to help them survive. Use the information in this activity to help give your trees the best chance for long-term success.

Harvesting wild American ginseng is heavily restricted in New York, but you can grow your own for sale.

The first and most important step when taking on a tree-planting project is to choose the tree species that will meet your needs as well as have a good chance of surviving in the spot you intend to plant them.

Learn the regulations around harvesting wild American Ginseng in New York State. Plus, find out what makes a good ginseng site, whether your woodlot might be a suitable home to this rare plant, and how to grow and harvest it.

The best way to learn about the life on your woodlot is get out there and see it for yourself. Learn what to look for, where to find it, and how to increase your chances of seeing it.

Silvopasture deliberately integrates livestock, trees, and forage on the same land. This type of management is considered one of the five temperate agroforestry practices recognized by the USDA. It can be done in existing woodlots or by bringing trees into pasture settings. The systems are managed for both short and long-term income sources. There are many variations and options for systems and the resources below offer some starting points.

Perhaps the best known visual signs of old-growth forests are their truly enormous trees. You can accelerate large tree growth in your woods by finding your healthiest “legacy trees” and removing competing trees around them so the big trees can grow faster.

Christmas trees take about 10 years to grow from planting to harvest. Plan ahead to give your operation the best chance for success.

Proper planting for Christmas trees means more than sticking them in the ground. Follow the advice in this activity to help your baby Christmas trees get a good start.

You may not always see wildlife in your woods, but by learning how to interpret their tracks, you can learn a lot about the animals on your land and their behavior.

Christmas trees need annual maintenance both to help them survive and to gain that classic, cone-shaped Christmas tree form.

Wondering what that pretty flower is? There are a variety of resources to help you figure it out.

Learn how big your trees are, how quickly they're growing, and whether your woods could use a thinning using these simple tree-measuring techniques.

We hear a lot about how valuable old-growth forests are for wildlife, but what makes them such great places for animals? Once you know that, you can mimic those same traits in your own woods.

You may think your dead and fallen trees are eyesores that need to be cleaned up, but a few dead trees benefit your woodlot in lots of ways.

You can cut the lower branches of some trees to increase their value. Discover what species it makes sense to prune and how to prune them successfully.

If your property is entirely wooded, your only option to create some young forest may be through careful timber harvesting methods, such as patch cuts.

With public campsites increasingly crowded, urban and suburban residents are often willing to pay landowners to let them camp on their property for a weekend getaway.

If your woods are short on snags (standing dead trees), you can create some of this valuable wildlife habitat by girdling trees. Girdling kills a tree while leaving it standing so it can become a snag.

This friendly competition organized by the New York Forest Owners Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension encourages landowners to grow the best quality trees possible on their property. Landowners in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania are eligible.

Huge lawns have little wildlife value. If you have an expansive lawn on your property, save yourself some mowing and let part of that lawn transition to young woods.

Tree species, size, and quality all affect how much a logger will pay for your timber. Like weeding a garden, you can boost the future income of your woodlot by cutting poorly growing trees to give higher-value ones more room to grow.

Just setting up a bird nesting box isn’t enough to keep birds using it. Periodic cleaning will reduce nest parasites and improve the health of both adult and baby birds.

A written plan by a forester provides professional guidance for managing your woodlot over 10-15 years. If you own a lot of land or you intend to harvest trees regularly, a plan may be helpful for you (Requires a Professional Forester).

Most ducks nest on the ground, but wood ducks nest in tree cavities. You can attract these beautiful waterfowl to your pond by building and installing a simple nest box for them.

When you’re ready to cut Christmas trees, these resources will help make sure all the effort you’ve put in over the last 10 years will be rewarded in a beautiful tree that makes it through the holiday season.

The flute-clear notes of a wood thrush. The aerial acrobatics of an American woodcock. Your woodlot can support an astonishing variety of birds, but different birds have different needs. If you want to see more birds, create greater variety on your property.

Master Forest Owners are landowners trained by Cornell University to help you care for your woodlot. They visit landowners, walk the land with them, and share knowledge and experiences all without charge.

Old fields, shrublands, and brushy areas of young trees may lack the majesty of older forests, but they’re important food and cover sources for many birds and other wildlife.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has foresters who will visit your property for free and provide personalized advice about harvesting your trees.

True old-growth forests have greenery at every level from the forest floor to the top of the canopy. You can start some new growth on the ground using small patch cuts, which remove every tree from an area less than an acre.

Trees mark the changing seasons, protect our water, and clean our air. You can figure out which tree is which by spotting differences in leaves, bark, and even where a tree is growing.

If you spend enough time in nature you will likely find injured wildlife. Learn what to do – and what not to do – when the time comes.

Experience the joy and excitement of discovery with these fun nature scavenger hunts. You can do one of these, or make up your own! This is a great activity to do with children.

Tree cavities and dead trees are important wildlife habitats that are often missing in many woodlots. Locate these features in your woods to find out if you have enough of these wildlife havens.

Macroinvertebrates—creatures without backbones but that you can see with your naked eye—live in streams and are important food sources for larger wildlife. These critters are easy to find and identify by turning over rocks and sifting the streambed through a net.

Vernal pools are unique wetlands that only have water part of the year. Though often hard to spot, vernal pools provide critical breeding habitat for amphibians. Learn to recognize vernal pools and discover what you can do to protect yours.

Trees provide food, dens, and nest sites for wildlife, but some trees are more useful to animals than others. Once you find trees that provide the most value to wildlife, you can cut adjacent trees to give the remaining ones more room to grow.