Conserving Wildlife in Ag. Landscapes: Creating win-win solutions for wildlife and farmers | #25

Release Date: 02/28/2024

Habitat Safety – Part 5: Chainsaw Safety | #37

Habitat University

Safely operating a chainsaw, from the moment you start the engine to the moment you turn it off, is a critical piece of safe habitat management in many ecosystems. In our final episode of our 5-part Habitat Safety Miniseries, forestry educator and chainsaw expert Chris Evans from the University of Illinois takes Adam through every step of safe chainsaw maintenance, operation, and use. Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: Resources mentioned in the show: You can learn more about the wildland fire chainsaw class...

Habitat Safety – Part 4: Equipment Safety | #36

Habitat University

From large bulldozers to small ATVs, habitat management often necessitates the use of heavy machinery. And safely transporting and using that equipment ensures we protect the people and the land engaged in this critical work! In this episode, the fourth in our Habitat Safety Miniseries, Adam visits with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Heavy Equipment Manager for Region 3 in the upper Midwest, Clint DeMenge. Clint shares his knowledge from a career operating and training others to safely operate all kinds of heavy equipment to help habitat managers think about safely transporting and...

Habitat Safety – Part 3: Herbicide Safety | #35

Habitat University

Herbicides can be a critical tool for habitat management, especially when it comes to invasive species. But their use does not come without risk to the applicator or the environment. In this episode, Adam visits with Dr. Fred Whitford, clinical engagement professor and director of the pesticide programs at Purdue University. Fred talks through the critical steps of making sure you’re using the right tool at the right time to confront the right challenge and then how to do it safely for you and the environment! Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling...

Habitat Safety – Part 2: Prescribed Fire Safety | #34

Habitat University

Prescribed fire is crucial for managing fire-adapted ecosystems worldwide. To ensure this tool remains effective, the safety of those who use it and those nearby is essential too. In this episode, Adam talks with Jennifer Fawcett from North Carolina State University. Jennifer is the Prescribed Fire Work Group Coordinator for the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) and a forestry educator at NCSU. She assists landowners and foresters in the Southeast and beyond in managing their properties using fire. Listen along as Jennifer outlines practices and...

Habitat Safety – Part 1: Staying safe with Rich Gassman | #33

Habitat University

Nothing is more important in habitat management than the people doing habitat management! That’s why this month we’re focusing on the basics of habitat safety with a series of episodes featuring experts in the field. In this first episode, Adam and Jarred set the stage for the mini-series. Then Adam interviews Rich Gassman from Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Iowa. Rich sets the stage for the series and challenges us to think about who we’re being safe for. Stay tuned for four more episodes in the mini-series coming this month. Resources...

Grouse and Woodcock Habitat Management in the North Woods | #32

Habitat University

Interested in improving your property for ruffed grouse or American Woodcock? Tune in as we travel north and chat about all things grouse and woodcock with Jon Steigerwaldt, Great Lakes and Upper Midwest Region Forest Conservation Director from the . Topics include: grouse ecology and habitat, woodcock ecology and habitat, grouse as bellwethers for healthy forests, forest ecology of the Great Lakes states, forestry, forest management, habitat management for grouse and woodcock, grouse and woodcock habitat fundamentals, boutique forestry, and more. Jon Steigerwaldt - Give us...

Forestry for the Birds: Indiana | #31

Habitat University

This week we talk with Dr. Jessica Outcalt one of the creators of the Forestry for the Birds program in Indiana about how Hoosier conservationists are leveraging the connections between people and birds to help encourage landowners and foresters to provide better homes for Indiana’s forest birds. Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: Dr. Jessica Outcalt - Saving Indiana Songbirds Starts in Our Forests - Forestry for the Birds Pocket Guide: Forestry for the Birds Silviculture Guide: ...

Foresters for the Birds: Vermont | #30

Habitat University

How can forest management be used to improve habitat for various songbird species? And what resources are available to help guide landowners, managers, and foresters to help be intentional about creating songbird habitat through their forest management? Listen in as we chat with Steve Hagenbuch from Vermont Audobon about a program called Foresters for the Birds. Steve Hagenbuch - Audubon Vermont - Resources mentioned in episode: Foresters for the Birds: Vermont - Foresters for the Birds Demonstration Sites - Foresters for the Birds:...

Thick and Juicy: Cover and food drive mature forest songbirds use of clearcuts | #29

Habitat University

Often, the term “clearcut” is viewed as a 4-lettered word when it comes to forest or wildlife management. But, can clearcuts provide vital resources for songbirds – including those species typically associated with mature closed canopy forests? Join us for our conversation with Dr. Patrick Ruhl as we explore his research into songbird use of clearcuts in Indiana. Dr. Patrick Ruhl - Resources mentioned in episode: Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment - Confirmation of Successful Chestnut-sided Warbler Breeding in South-Central Indiana - Ecological factors...

From Litter to Glitter: Restoring oak woodlands and savannas with fire and thinning (Part 2/2) | #28

Habitat University

What distinguishes a forest, woodland, and savanna? How does wildlife and plant diversity differ between them? How do we restore woodlands and savannas? Join Jarred as he talks with Dr. Andy Vander Yacht about his research into restoring oak woodlands and savannas and the wildlife that thrive within in. In part 2, we discuss how birds and bats responded to restoration treatments (thinning and fire), and how Andy’s research can inform oak woodland restoration on public and private land. Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: ...

More Episodes

In this episode we talk with Dr. Mark McConnell, Assistant Professor of Upland Birds at Mississippi State, about wildlife conservation in agricultural landscapes and his research into creating win-win solutions for wildlife and agricultural producers. We cover a variety of topics in this episode from reacting to Adam’s new mustache, Mark’s use of memes to help wildlife student engage with farmers, and using precision conservation to delivery economically targeted conservation.

Themes in the episode: meeting farmer where they are, building your conservation team, economics and Precision Agricultural/Conservation. Targeted Conservation Delivery, Economically Targeted Conservation, Wildlife-Friendly Farming

Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey:

https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

Research & Resources discussed in the episode

Research on who farmers trust when making decisions about agricultural practices - https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/fnr-488-w.pdf

180405093305.htm

Bridging the gap between conservation delivery and economics with precision agriculture (McConnell 2021) - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wsb.995

Economically targeting conservation practices to optimize conservation and net revenue using precision agriculture tools (Meng et al. 2022) - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11119-022-09890-7

Farming and the fate of nature (Green et al. 2005) - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1106049

Wildlife-friendly farming benefits rare birds, bees and plants (Pywell et al. 2012) - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22675140/

Crop Advisors as Conservation Intermediaries (Eanes et al. 2019) - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837718310238

Creating Environmentally Resilient Agriculture Landscapes Using Precision Agriculture Technology: An Economic Perspective (McConnell 2019) - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2019-1334.ch007

CRP Menu Tool - https://crpmenu.gri.msstate.edu/

Personal outreach to landowners is vital to conservation program success (article about Lutter et al 2018 paper). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180405093305.htm

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