Dr. Billy Beck
On-farm woodland and tree resources have potential to add significant value to agricultural enterprises and landscapes through income diversification, livestock and crop protection, soil stability, enhanced water quality, wildlife and pollinator habitat, recreation, aesthetics and mental health b
Woodland owners who want to know the value of their forest or how their forest can be improved oftentimes just need to know where to begin.
That’s the goal behind two new forest resources from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
If you’re considering establishing a new tree planting in spring 2024, late summer 2023 is the ideal time to start planning.
“Drab” displays of early spring hold great value
I had seven years of pent-up tree planting desire and it all erupted in spring of 2022. After years of apartment living (as an adult graduate student) and then derecho cleanup, I was finally able to get some trees in the ground at our new place in central Iowa.
The Iowa Master Woodland Steward Program (MWSP) is primarily intended to serve woodland owners, stewards, and land managers, but may also be of interest to school teachers, loggers, and government employees.
Iowa’s windbreaks have lost functionality
Forests and the invaluable products they provide (tangible and non-tangible) are often an afterthought in Iowa.
An Iowa Nutrient Research Center-funded study that seeks to quantify beaver dam impacts on water quality, hydrology, and stream morphology (i.e., how dams shape the stream itself) has reached the one-year mark.
Prescribed Woodland Fire resource compilation
Prescribed woodland fire is an effective tool that woodland stewards may utilize to achieve a wide range of management goals - from oak regeneration and inceasing wildlife habitat, to controlling pests and invasive species.
As nature begins to awaken from its winter slumber, those looking to identify backyard Iowa trees can consult a new video resource from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach forestry specialist Billy Beck.
Timber harvest season has me reflecting back on one of my woodiest years to date, 2021. For starters, in late winter my ISU Extension colleagues and I were able to film an active salvage harvest in Linn County – the epicenter of the 2020 Midwest Derecho.
Iowa needs a Windbreak Renaissance!
Winter is a hot time for forestry. While a flurry of activity occurs in our woodlands during this time of year (pun intended), timber harvest and storm damage are often at the top of a forester's mind.
Trees hold an incredible power, that being their ability to fix carbon from the atmosphere via photosynthesis and use it to produce a tangible product – wood.
Woodland owners and those with an interest in forestry can network and improve their knowledge during several field days planned this fall across the state.
The derecho that swept across Iowa and the Midwest in August of 2020 caused extensive damage to forests and woodlots – but not all of it was negative.
A recently-funded study is kicking into high gear this spring, intent on investigating the water quality and quantity impacts of certain woody structures that are all-too-familiar to Iowa landowners—beaver dams.
Virtual forestry days will continue to be offered online this fall, with two events scheduled in October. On Oct.
The August 10th derecho produced devastating impacts to Iowa’s agriculture, infrastructure, and forest resources.
The 25th edition of the Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference will draw foresters and landowners from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin to the Highland Community College in Freeport, Illinois, March 14.
Windbreaks and shelterbelts exemplify the value and functionality that trees and forests provide to Iowa agriculture - especially producers in our state's northwest corner.
Hello Iowans! My name is Billy Beck - your new Forestry Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Iowans interested in the care of trees, forests and natural resources should consider attending a forestry field day this fall, held by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and various public and private partners.
