“… forest management should include a balance of wildlife and timber management. From my experience, they always have complemented each other. Thanks to the Maryland Woodland Stewards Program, I have been able to enjoy, with my friends and neighbors, a healthier forest and wildlife population and a better understanding of the habitat we share.”
— A Maryland Woodland Steward
New!
Maryland County Map of Maryland Woodland Stewards
About MWS
2009 Program
Eligibility
Application
Contact
Success Stories
Resources
Be an Informal Educator
The Maryland Woodland Stewards Project (formerly the Coverts Project) is an educational program of University of Maryland Extension and the National Wild Turkey Federation. It teaches sound forest and wildlife management practices to a select group of people each year. In return, participants apply these principles to their own property and actively encourage others to practice good forest stewardship.
Since 1990, 405 people owning 69,693 acres have been trained through this program. Maryland Woodland Stewards across the state have reached out to thousands of Marylanders with information and resources to encourage sound forest and wildlife stewardship.
The Maryland Woodland Stewards Project is looking for people who are, or have the potential to be, informal educators in their communities. If you have the desire to improve your woodland and wildlife habitat, to motivate others to manage their woodland, and can attend the three-day September seminar, you can be part of this valuable statewide network of Maryland Woodland Stewards.
What do Maryland Woodland Stewards do?
Maryland Woodland Stewards agree to:
Develop and implement forest stewardship plans on their properties
Maintain a set of reference materials provided at the training to answer questions from other landowners or to direct them to appropriate professional resources
Work with natural resource professionals, Extension personnel, and local groups to encourage other landowners to implement forest stewardship practices
Advocate sound forest and wildlife management in their communities
“Neighbor helping neighbor with sound forest and wildlife management.”
Education Through Demonstration
Through classroom sessions, Maryland Woodland Stewards learn about:
Maryland forests and how they grow
Wildlife and habitat
Sound forest stewardship to improve the health and productivity of their woodlands while increasing wildlife habitat, diversity, and abundance
The natural resources professionals and organizations that provide information and other assistance to help manage their properties
Classroom learning is reinforced with outdoor sessions that demonstrate how these principles can be applied to individual woodlands.
Sponsor
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, participants are only responsible for a registration fee of $95. This will include a multi-day training with meals, lodging, and reference materials.
Administered jointly by the NWTF, its state chapters and state wildlife agencies, the Hunting Heritage Super Fund is used for projects that support the conservation of the wild turkey and preservation of the hunting tradition. Nationally, NWTF chapters and cooperating partners have raised and spent more than $258 million for wild turkey conservation. Since 1985 over $724,542 has been raised and spent by Maryland chapters on projects within the state.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland, College Park, and local governments. Cheng-i Wei, Director of University of Maryland Extension, University of Maryland.
Equal Opportunity Programs
Maryland Woodland Stewards Training
The 2009 program is complete.
Held September, 2009 at Camp Pecometh in Centreville, MD (14 Participants)
If you would like to be considered for our next program, please contact Nevin Dawson (ndawson@umd.edu). The program targets individuals interested in forest and wildlife management on large or small properties. Since 1990, this program has been reaching out to Maryland’s individual woodland owners, teaching individuals about how forest stewardship can improve wildlife habitat and forest health.
The three-and-a-half day training includes classroom instruction on management practices for wildlife and forest health, as well as field trips to actively manage forest land. Using concepts of “neighbor helping neighbor” and “education through demonstration,” participants use case studies and other materials to learn how to help other landowners reach their goals.
In return for the training, participants, known as “Maryland Woodland Stewards,” agree to develop or improve a forest stewardship plan for their property, and spend 40 hours over the following year in making an active effort to advocate sound forest and wildlife management in their communities.
If you are interested in attending the training workshop, or know someone you would like to nominate for the program, please contact Nevin Dawson at 410-827-8056 ext. 125 or by email at: ndawson@umd.edu
Who is eligible for the Maryland Woodland Stewards project?
Woodland owners, managers of woodlands, educators, land trust representatives, land planners, and others interested in the stewardship of Maryland’s woodlands and wildlife are all eligible for the Maryland Woodland Stewards Project.
How are Maryland Woodland stewards selected?
Applications are to be submitted in June. Selections for the September training are made by July. Priority is given to applicants who live on woodland and are involved in their communities, providing avenues for outreach. See Application Materials below to get started
2010 Application Materials coming soon. Meanwhile, 2009 application materials are still available for preview:
If you would like to talk with a Maryland Woodland Steward in your area or get more information on the Maryland Woodland Stewards Project, contact:
Nevin Dawson
University of Maryland Extension
PO Box 169
Queenstown, MD 21658
(410) 827-8056, ext. 125 ndawson@umd.edu
2006 Maryland Survey Results
Annual Survey
To determine cooperator accomplishments, an annual survey was mailed in November, 2006 to cooperators from 1990 to 2006 (no cooperators were trained in 1996 when the project leader was on sabbatical).
The results reported are for 57 of the cooperators. The survey responses represent cooperators who live in 16 of Maryland's 23 counties, Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Cooperators are involved in organizations that carry out forest- and wildlife-related activities and report that the Coverts Project not only has greatly improved their knowledge and effectiveness in these organizations but also was a stimulus for becoming involved, particularly with county forestry boards.
11 percent of the cooperators prefer to not use email as primary means of communication.
When asked if Coverts Project should be changed to another name, of 54 respondents, 46% preferred Maryland Woodland Stewards, 39% preferred Maryland Forest Stewards, 9% sought no change, and 6% thought the name should be changed to something else. Some other name suggestions included Maryland Preservation of Forests, Maryland Preservation of Trees, and MD Woodland and Wildlife Stewards.
43 percent of those surveyed reported having organized some event that included forestry or wildlife information. Audiences included international forestry delegates, other Coverts Cooperators, 4-H youth, school children, individuals, RGS members, seniors, garden clubs, international forest policy group members, friends, neighbors bird watchers, forestry students, a reporter, landowner association members, and MD Forest and Parks Centennial ceremony attendees.
45 percent had participated in field tours or other activities related to forestry and wildlife.
34% of respondents used some form of media to inform others about forestry/wildlife issues during the past year. 25% of all respondents used newspaper or newsletter articles, 13% wrote in articles/publications, 15% published information on a website, and two people (3%) appeared on TV.
Many items were distributed by cooperators. 23% of respondents reported handing out their Coverts Cooperator business cards, 10% distributed Coverts reference materials, 30% shared Coverts brochures, and 5% shared the Coverts/Natural Resources website.
77 percent of cooperators took steps in managing their own land. These activities included crop tree release, thinning, removal of invasive species, revising and following management plans, planting natives, fencing land to prevent deer browse, clearing fire trails, selective cuts, salvage timber, creation of brush piles, timber stand improvement, improving logging trail and roads, habitat improvement, gypsy moth control measures, pruning, mowing, surveying, creating soft edge, plant food plots, install nesting boxes, harvested firewood, donation to conservation easement, and implement rotational grazing.
Cooperators spent more than 9,000 hours managing their own land or on related activities over the last year.
Cooperators spent over 2,000 hours on outreach to friends, neighbors or community.
20 cooperators reported that other property owners had sought professional management assistance because of their efforts, affecting at least 468 acres.
43 percent were interested in attending a spring refresher course. Some topics they would like to have covered include wildlife management, maintaining new plantings, planting chestnut trees, working with the tree farmer system, renting equipment, selecting and purchasing forest land, forest cycles, controlling invasive species, new laws, educating others, statewide control of gypsy moth, and watershed management.
42 percent are willing to host a field tour on their property, showing practices such as clear cutting, planting trees with shelters, cover crops, windrow slash, erosion and weed control, pre-commercial thinning, crop tree release, providing wildlife habitat, creating trails, protecting riparian buffer, selective cut, natural regeneration, soft edges, food plots, and timber stand improvement.
Success Stories
Used my knowledge to locate other landowners and spread the word about impending legislation that would affect all PG landowners. Also used my knowledge while improving/managing my own property.
My Coverts training is used for everything I do as CEO of WindStar Wildlife Institute
Does being overrun with deer even after hunting season apply as a success story? We not only plant food source near forest for deer, etc. but the forest property beside our property has grown 22 acres of corn for several years that the deer indulge.
I encouraged a person on the Havre de Grace Tree Commission to take the UMD General Forestry Course. She did her tree identification, measurements and other field work at my tree farm. She expressed great satisfaction at what she learned from the course.
Influenced dozens of people to try growing ginseng this year and provided seeds and transplanting stock.
I take the Coverts brochures with me to any outdoor/nature event I go to and give them out to anyone who has an interest.
We are seeing increased numbers of herbaceous plants developing throughout our farm including "running cedar," pink lady slipper, partridge berry, highbush blueberry. We have very steep grade to Hunting Creek but in spite of heavy rain have had no or minimal erosion.
A woman called concerned about some logging in the Emmitsburg watershed. I was able to provide "expert" insight that allayed her concerns over the forestry practices.
Neighbors are not ignoring gypsy moths. We are also grouping together to purchase and plant trees. So, we are no longer acting as individuals, but as a group.
Collected saw tooth oak acorns from trees we grew from acorns - second generation acorns for next generation of trees - gave acorns to visitors.
The program on the condition of pollinators and a program on diseases of trees oaks especially. Awakened an interest in the subject of plant health which was flagging.
Convincing the community to work on being more aware of wildlife management.
The wildlife on our tree farm is 10 fold!
The cuckoo was spotted nesting and two owl species were identified on the property. The DNR person took home a leaf of a plant species she thought was endangered. We have seen several plant species increase since grazing animals are no longer present because of our forest management plan.
Field trip & seminars to the Caribbean nation of Haiti was so successful that we were interviewed by the second largest newspaper on ideas and program. We are currently planning a symposium on forestry and reforestation for next year.
Recommended [someone] to attend a Coverts training which he did in 2006.
The harvesting of large white oak tree from our forest. See Mountain Discoveries fall 2006 issue.
Be an Informal Educator
The 2009 program is complete.