Discover Woodland Wildlife at Ohio State Mansfield May 9

MANSFIELD, Ohio -- The Ohio Woodland Stewards Program, run by Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), will hold a “Wildlife in Your Woods” workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 9 in Room 100, Ovalwood Hall, on the university’s Mansfield campus, 1760 University Drive.

Birds, mammals and amphibians -- frogs, toads and salamanders -- will be the focus. Among the topics will be improving habitat to attract more wildlife, removing invasive species to increase biodiversity and monitoring wildlife with trail cameras.

The workshop also will include a walk to explore a woodland and vernal pool. Vernal pools are temporary, springtime pools of water that provide crucial breeding sites for woodland amphibians.

“Vernal pools are gems in a woodlot. They’re often teeming with life,” said Marne Titchenell, one of the instructors and a wildlife specialist in the college’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR).

“Last year in May, we found egg masses from frogs, spotted salamanders and Jefferson’s salamanders in the pool” to be visited during the workshop, she said.

• Related story: Ohio’s Salamanders: 24 Good Things to Know (and What They Can Tell You)

Kathy Smith, CFAES forestry specialist and head of the Stewards Program, will teach the workshop along with Titchenell.

The agenda:

• 9 a.m., Introduction to Managing Your Woods for Wildlife.
• 10:30 a.m., Forest Bird Habitat Management.
• 11:15 a.m., Woodland Wildlife ID and Monitoring, including identifying bird and frog calls and using trail cameras.

“Trail cameras are an excellent tool for a landowner interested in the wildlife living in their woods,” Titchenell said. “I’ve been using one for five or six years now. I’ve ‘captured’ very curious deer, squirrels, rabbits, coyotes rolling around and raccoons foraging for food.”

• 1 p.m., Invasive Plant ID and Management.

“Invasive plant species can degrade the diversity of plants in a woodland and have negative impacts on wildlife,” she said. “Part of managing for wildlife includes managing and removing invasive species.”

• 1:45 p.m., Outdoor Wildlife Habitat Walk.

Registration costs $35 and includes lunch and a copy of Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio. Participants can register online at go.osu.edu/e8d.

The workshop brochure, which includes a mailable registration form, can be downloaded at go.osu.edu/e8g.

The registration deadline is May 3.

The workshop includes indoor and outdoor sessions, so participants should dress accordingly.

• Related story: Mansfield Campus Ideal Place for Environmental Studies

The workshop qualifies for five credit hours for landowners participating in the Ohio Forest Tax Law program.

For more information, call 614-688-3421, go to go.osu.edu/e8b or email ohiowoods@osu.edu.

The Stewards Program is part of SENR and is carried out by the college’s outreach arm, Ohio State University Extension.

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