Polk Small Farms: Florida Land Steward Update 3/17/17

FLORIDA LAND STEWARD UPDATE
March 17, 2017

Have Land? Get a Plan and Stay Connected. Florida Land Steward is your source of assistance, information, events and resources.

News, information and upcoming events below.
Please share this update with your neighbors, colleagues and others that may be interested.

*- Link to the current quarterly Florida Land Steward Newsletter (Winter-Spring 2017, Vol 6, No 1) and back issues -*

News & Info Brief

WELCOME
If you are receiving this update for the first time we welcome you to a robust and growing network of landowners, foresters, natural resource professionals, extension agents and others involved with forest and natural resource management on Florida's private lands. We invite you to take of advantage of the many events, contacts and resources that are available to assist you in your stewardship journey.

GOPHER TORTOISE DAY - APRIL 10, 2017
April 10th is Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida. Gopher tortoises are found in parts of all 67 counties in Florida and are frequently encountered in neighborhoods, along roadways, and in many of Florida's public and private forests. The goal of Gopher Tortoise Day is to increase awareness and appreciation for these long lived, gentle reptiles.

Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species because they dig burrows that provide shelter for 360 other species of wildlife, called "commensals." These commensal species include the gopher frog, Florida mouse, eastern indigo snake, and hundreds of invertebrates like beetles and crickets. Without the gopher tortoise, many of these species would not exist.

You can help celebrate Florida's only native tortoise by hosting an event in your community, asking your local City or County Commission to officially adopt April 10 as Gopher Tortoise Day, and by educating others on the importance of protecting gopher tortoises.

Landowners can earn income by adopting relocated gopher tortoises. Are you managing your land for upland pine habitat? Learn about an opportunity to adopt relocated gopher tortoises. That and other timber income related topics will be covered at this workshop:
May 25, Gadsden County: http://fsp-workshop052517.eventbrite.com/

Learn more about the gopher tortoise by visiting MyFWC.com/GopherTortoise or GopherTortoiseCouncil.org.

More Gopher Tortoise Resources:

Download free FWC gopher tortoise app to either Android and iOS smart phones – http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/gopher-tortoise/app

Gopher Tortoise Council – http://www.gophertortoisecouncil.org or https://www.facebook.com/Gopher-Tortoise-Council-138521712832770/

Celebrate Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida on April 10 – http://gophertortoisedayfl.com

TIMBER TAX INFORMATION
Dr. Linda Wang's annual Timber Tax Tips publication and other related resources are available at the National Timber Tax website: http://www.timbertax.org/.

GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?
Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC?
Check the vast array of extension publications available at the University of Florida IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there's a publication about that?

HAVE AN EVENT OR RELATED NEWS TO SHARE?
Drop a line to Chris Demers, cdemers@ufl.edu

More news and info at the Florida Land Steward Blog

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EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south)
April 5-7	Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society 2017 Spring Meeting (link) , Orlando Hilton Garden Inn - SeaWorld, 6850 Westwood Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32821. Early registration price ends March 15. See link above for details and registration.
April 12–14	2017 FL Exotic Pest Plant Council Annual Conference: The Walking Weeds (link),Crowne Plaza Oceanfront in Melbourne, FL. See link for details and registration.
April 21	Invasive Exotic Species and Control Workshop (pdf link), 9 am to 3 pm, UF/IFAS Marion County Extension Auditorium, Ocala, FL. Join us to learn about identifying and controlling some of the most troublesome invasive exotic plants like cogongrass, Japanese climbing fern, Old World climbing fern, Chinese tallowtree and others. We'll also address exotic animals, such as feral hogs, that are causing big headaches for forestry and agricultural producers. Earn pesticide applicator CEUs and forestry CFEs and connect with partnership and assistance opportunities! Presented by the Big Scrub Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area and Florida Forest Stewardship Program. Register at https://fsp-workshop042117.eventbrite.com/ or call Marion County Extension at (352) 671-8400 to reserve a space.
May 3-5	66th Annual Florida Beef Cattle Short Course (link), Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center, 2142 Shealy Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611. See link above for details and registration.
May 8-11	2017 Aquatic Weed Control Short Course (link), Coral Springs, FL. Join us for the largest and most inclusive training for Florida Pesticide Licensing and CEUs. Become a more qualified professional, engage with your industry, and network with your peers! The Short Course is designed to benefit both new and experienced applicators alike. Register by February 27 at the early rate of $245, and save $50! See link above for details and registration. Questions? Call Mandy Stage, Short Course Coordinator, (352) 392-5930, mstage@ufl.edu
May 12	Forest Stewardship Tour at Camp E-How-Kee, Hernando County (pdf link), 9 am to 2 pm ET. Join us to learn about integrating timber production and wildlife habitat management on diverse habitats. Take this opportunity to meet your County Forester, County Extension Agent, Landowner Assistance Biologists, and other resource partners that can provide management assistance, cost-share opportunities, forest certification and many other resources. $10 fee. Register at https://fsp-tour051217.eventbrite.com/ or call Hernando County Extension at (352) 754-4433 ext. 6 to reserve a space.
May 18	Managing for Diversity Across Florida's Unique Landscapes 2017 (link), 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, Morningside Nature Center, 3450 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32641. Provided by Natural Areas Training Academy. $225 fee. See link above for details and registration.
May 18-21	37th Annual Florida Native Plant Society Conference (link), Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo, 3200 River Ranch Boulevard, River Ranch, FL 33867. The conference will address the biological and ecological connections important to the Kissimmee River Basin and beyond. See link for details and registration.
June 13	S-131 Firefighter Type 1 Training (link), 8 am - 5 pm ET, Doyle Conner Building in Gainesville, FL. Provided by Natural Areas Training Academy. Cost is $75. Topics include fireline reference materials, communications, and tactical decision making. Register by May 15, limited capacity. See link above for details and registration.
June 14-15	S-215 Fire Operations in the Wildland/Urban Interface (link), 8 am - 5 pm ET each day, Doyle Conner Building in Gainesville, FL. Provided by Natural Areas Training Academy. Cost is $100. Provides students with the skills and knowledge to size-up a wildland/urban interface fire incident, evaluate the potential situation, order and deploy the necessary resources, and apply safe and effective strategy and tactics to minimize the threat to life and property. Register by May 15, limited capacity. See link above for details and registration.
WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west)
March 21	Quail Management Workshop (pdf link), 9 am to 1 pm CT, Piney Woods Plantation, Walton County, FL. Join us to learn about quail habitat from wildlife biologists, how to help Southeastern American Kestrels, use prescribed burns and available cost share assistance. Presented by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Florida Forest Service. Lunch provided by Farm Credit of Northwest Florida. Free workshop includes lunch, preregister by March 17. Contact Walton County Extension Office at (850) 892-8172.. Directions: From DeFuniak Springs, travel north on Hwy 331 approximately 12.2 miles and turn east on Hwy 2A about 2.6 miles to Gus Andrews Road on the left.
April 18-20	Longleaf Academy: Gopher Tortoise 301 (link), Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center in Andalusia, AL. Provided by the Longleaf Alliance. See link for details or contact Casey White, (334) 427-1029.
May 22-25	GIS Workshop: Applied Geospatial Solutions in Natural Resources (link), Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312. See link above for details.
May 25	Forest Stewardship Workshop: Sell Your Timber for what it's Worth (pdf link), 9:00 am to 3:00 pm ET, UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Rd, Quincy, FL 32351. Join us to learn the necessary steps to get the best return on your timber investment and meet your forest management objectives. We will also discuss income opportunities from the FWC's Gopher Tortoise Relocation Program. $10 fee covers lunch and materials. Register at https://fsp-workshop052517.eventbrite.com/. You can also call UF/IFAS NFREC, (850) 875-7100 to reserve a space.
June 12-15	Advanced GIS Workshop: Python scripting and GIS Programming (link), Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312. See link above for details.
September 28	Invasive Exotic Species and Control Workshop, 9 am to 3 pm CT, UF/IFAS Okaloosa County Extension Office, Crestview, FL. Join us to learn about identifying and controlling some of the most troublesome invasive exotic plants like cogongrass, Japanese climbing fern and others. We'll also address established exotic insects and other animals, that are causing land management problems. Earn pesticide applicator CEUs and forestry CFEs and connect with partnership and assistance opportunities! Presented by the Six Rivers Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area and Florida Forest Stewardship Program. Details and registration information to be posted.
WEBINARS, REGIONAL EVENTS
March 22	ProNR Webinar: Silvicultural Aspects of Longleaf Pine (link), 1 pm ET, See link for details and to join.
March 22	Forestry Webinar: Determining Seed Zones for the Southern Pines: Past and Future (link), 11 am ET, See link for details and to join.
March 29	Forest Health Webinar: Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (link), 1 pm ET, See link for details and to join.
April 4	Science and Technology Webinar: Considerations for Transitioning Perennial Production to Organic (link), 3 pm ET, See link for details and to join.
April 4	Climate Webinar: Drought and Forest Ecosystems (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details and to join.
April 6	Climate Webinar: Automated Access to free NOAA Weather Data for use in Ag Decision Models (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details and to join.
April 11	Conservation Webinar: Soil Health for Non-Operator Landowners (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details and to join.
April 19	Forest Health Webinar: Southern Pine Beetle (link), 1 pm ET, See link for details and to join.
April 27	Conservation Webinar: Neonicotinoid Insecticides: Efficacy, Non-target Effects, and Best Management Practices (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details and to join.