Missouri woodland owners learn from the best at the annual conference

MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – Woodland owners and natural resource professionals gathered Oct. 3-4 in Mountain Grove for the Missouri Woodland Owners Conference, hosted by the Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri (FWAM) in partnership with University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Walnut Council, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Society of American Foresters and the Missouri Tree Farm System.

“This annual event is an excellent way for landowners to learn how to better manage their woodlands,” said Laurie Wilson, FWAM executive director.

The conference provided hands-on learning through three field tours, said MU Extension state forester Hank Stelzer. The Missouri Walnut Council sponsored a tour of the Boone Creek Farm near Licking and its black walnut plantation to learn how soil characteristics affect tree growth. The tour also discussed pruning and thinning strategies. Missouri Society of American Foresters sponsored a tour of Smith Flooring in Mountain View that offered insights into the hardwood flooring industry and its connection to managed forests. Missouri State University offered a tour of its fruit experiment station in Mountain Grove. Stelzer said attendees at all tours gave the afternoon glowing reviews.

Friday evening featured a recognition ceremony for Max and Lois Schmollinger, who were honored as Missouri Tree Farmers of the Year. “Not only were they the top Tree Farm in Missouri, but they also made the ‘Elite Eight’ of this year’s national competition,” Stelzer said. “To be recognized as one of the top eight privately managed woodlands in the country is quite an honor.”

Missouri Tree Farm Committee chair Matt Jones said, “One of the greatest benefits of the American Tree Farm System is to recognize woodland owners who are committed to sustainably managing their woods. Max and Lois took abused unproductive property and turned it into a healthy woodland resource for their family’s enjoyment.”

The evening concluded with a presentation by Robbie Doerhoff, forest health program coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation. “Her talk focused on how Missouri’s increasingly erratic weather patterns over the past two decades are negatively impacting trees across the Show-Me State,” Stelzer said.

On Saturday, the Schmollingers welcomed more than 60 woodland owners and natural resource professionals to their property for a field tour that looked at all phases of oak management, from new seedlings sprouting under the shelter of a mature oak canopy to older trees fighting for available sunlight.

Selection and release of future crop trees was discussed to improve tree growth and forest health. Participants learned about establishing and caring for shortleaf pine and the importance of developing markets. The tour ended with a discussion on the decline in health of post oak trees and emerging theories about this new threat to Missouri’s woodlands.

“FWAM and MU Extension offer many opportunities for landowners to engage and learn about their woods,” said Brian Schweiss, MU Extension sustainable forestry specialist. Visit the Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri or MU Extension Forest Ecology and Management websites, and sign up for MU Extension’s monthly Natural Resources Newsletter to stay in touch.

Photo

Schmollingers
Lois and Max Schmollinger shared their story of turning a neglected piece of Ozark ground into a productive and sustainable woodland at the annual Woodland Owners Conference, Oct. 3-4, in Mountain Grove. Photo courtesy of Hank Stelzer.