Foresters for the Birds © Rodney Campbell Thank you Jon, and thanks to everybody for being here today. The Foresters for the Birds program engages private land owners who wish to manage their woods for forest bird habitat. They may wish to simultaneously manage for timber, or other forest products, as an important economic resource. Or, they may simply want to be good stewards to their land and enhance the bird habitat, but lack the technical know how or have financial constraints. The Foresters for the Birds program considers a landowners goals and identifies opportunities to enhance forest bird habitat though sustainable forestry practices. This is important because monitoring programs such as the Breeding Bird Survey and Mass Audubon’s Breeding Bird Atlas have highlighted the conservation need for groups of forest bird species.

Early Successional Habitat Schlossberg and King 2007 Massachusetts >90% decline One group of conservation concern is birds that breed in young regenerating forests, termed early successional habitat, such as the Chestnut-sided Warbler and Eastern Towhee. Broadly defined as areas with an open canopy, and a high density of shrubs and saplings, Massachusetts has lost more than 90% of our early successional habitat since 1950, largely contributing to the decline of many species that require it for breeding.

Chestnut-sided Warbler © Daniel Arndt For example, a mini case study here. Looking at the Chestnut-sided Warbler, the Breeding Bird Atlas shows that we’ve lost this species from breeding in many areas in the southeast and east, were there are downward red arrows, and the Breeding Bird Survey shows an steep decline across the state. They generally breed in areas of ___________, so in other words, early successional habitat, and conditions that can be created through forestry. 5 - 15 year old hardwood forest <30% canopy cover Dense shrubs and saplings

Mature Forest Habitat Low structure High structure On the other side of things, past land use, such as clearing of Massachusetts’ forests for agriculture, and popular forestry practices, has left much of our older, closed-canopy forests in a relatively homogenous condition. A complex vertical structure, such as shrubs and trees in the understory and midstory, as well as gaps in the canopy, provides better habitat for forests birds, which nest and forage within various layers of the forest. Many of our mature forester breeders have also declined. High structure

Wood Thrush Moderate mid-story and understory closure © Sheila Carroll For example, looking briefly at the Wood Thrush. Also conditions that can be addressed with forestry. Moderate mid-story and understory closure Diversity of hardwood tree species 80% closed canopy

Foresters for the Birds Trains foresters to evaluate forest bird habitat Empowers landowners to manage for birds With all this in mind, Mass Audubon partnered with the DCR and the MWI to bring the Foresters for the Birds program to Massachusetts. Originating in Vermont, the program provides technical assistance to landowners by training foresters to evaluate the existing bird habitat, and give recommendations for improvements. This can include creating early successional habitat, or creating a complex structure within older forests. The foresters also helps to outline financial strategies to achieve the management objectives. Thank you for listening, and feel free to get in touch or come see me throughout the day for more information or questions. © Davey Walters

Key Players: organizers

Key Players: consulting foresters

Key Players: landowners

National Woodland Owner Survey Subset of Reasons for Owning Forest (10+ acres) in Massachusetts According to the NWOS, which conducted as part for the FIA by the USFS…. This is just a subset of many reasons why people own forest. Note that each category is not mutually exclusive, so owners can indicate many reasons. Some maybe want to manage for timber and birds. Foresters for the birds –technical assistance to achieve landowner goals. By bringing birds into the discussion this opens minds and properties up to management. 67.8% 17.4% About 26% of landowners have a forest management plan Butler et al 2016

Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively (TELE) www Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively (TELE) www.engaginglandowners.org Woodland Retreat Owners Key Motivations Stewardship ethic Natural beauty and wildlife protection Enjoyment of woods with family (e.g. hiking, camping) Barriers to Management Action Lack of knowledge Perception that the woods should be ‘left to themselves’ Fear of taking action that will cause damage Financial constraints SFFI is a collaboration among Yale, Forest Service, and the Center for Nonprofit Strategies, who put out TELE. Using data gathered in the National Woodland Owner Survey, 4 types of landowners are defined. Family Forest Research Center (FFRC) is a collaborations of Umass Eco and the Forest Service Northern Research Station, they administer the survey WHAT DOES TELE ADVOCATE? TARGETING!

Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively (TELE) www Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively (TELE) www.engaginglandowners.org Woodland Retreat Owners Key Motivations Stewardship ethic Natural beauty and wildlife protection Enjoyment of woods with family (e.g. hiking, camping) Barriers to Management Action Lack of knowledge Perception that the woods should be ‘left to themselves’ Fear of taking action that will cause damage Financial constraints SFFI is a collaboration among Yale, Forest Service, and the Center for Nonprofit Strategies, who put out TELE. Using data gathered in the National Woodland Owner Survey, 4 types of landowners are defined. Family Forest Research Center (FFRC) is a collaborations of Umass Eco and the Forest Service Northern Research Station, they administer the survey WHAT DOES TELE ADVOCATE? TARGETING!

Keep working forests working © Rodney Campbell

Keep forests as forests 50% of landowners >65 years old

Foresters for the Birds © Rodney Campbell Thank you Jon, and thanks to everybody for being here today. The Foresters for the Birds program engages private land owners who wish to manage their woods for forest bird habitat. They may wish to simultaneously manage for timber, or other forest products, as an important economic resource. Or, they may simply want to be good stewards to their land and enhance the bird habitat, but lack the technical know how or have financial constraints. The Foresters for the Birds program considers a landowners goals and identifies opportunities to enhance forest bird habitat though sustainable forestry practices. This is important because monitoring programs such as the Breeding Bird Survey and Mass Audubon’s Breeding Bird Atlas have highlighted the conservation need for groups of forest bird species.