wisdom in the woods artistic creations inspired by the...

August/September 2011 1

Wisdom in the Woods

Woodlot owners know better than anyone that there is beauty and inspiration to be found in their forested lands. But professional artists are seeing it, too.

More than 200 people turned out to “explore the forest through the eyes of an artist” as part of the province’s first Art in the Forest exhibit and workshop at Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre on August 20, 2011.

The event was a collaboration between the Manitoba Forestry Association and Pinawa Art 211, an association of visual artists in Pinawa and area. MFA education director Andrea Swain said the event was inspired the United Nations declaration of 2011 as the International Year of the Forest.

“We knew we wanted to celebrate the forest in a new and interesting way,” said Swain. “After meeting with Irene Friesen of Pinawa Art 211, we knew we wanted to celebrate the forest through art, and the idea for Art in the Forest was born.”

Friesen is president of Pinawa Art 211 and is also a potter. She was one of the six professional artists living in forest communities who developed an original piece of art inspired by the forest.

“The forest,” said Friesen, “gives us four gifts—renewal, sanctuary, community and wildness. We saw these four gifts throughout in the Art in the Forest event.”

The other artists included sculptor Walter Keller, painter Vivian Thomson, photographer Anita Drabyk, potter Jenefer Cavers and fibre artist Maureen Carefoot.

The artists’ work is being presented in a special exhibit at the Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre in Hadashville on Sunday, September 25 from 3:00-5:00 pm. The pieces will then be moved to Pinawa for the winter, and then be returned to the Discovery Centre next summer.

Artistic creations inspired by the forest

Chainsaw artist Walter Keller, a former forester, carved the face of a bearded man into a tree trunk during the Art in the Forest event in Hadashville.

• WAM FALL BBQ Saturday, October 8, page 7

• NATIONAL FOREST WEEK Events, page 5

2 The Manitoba Woodlot

The Manitoba Woodlot is published six times annually as a service to the membership of The Woodlot Association of Manitoba (WAM).

WAM seeks to promote an understanding of sustainable woodlot management, increase income and employment potential for the woodlot sector, promote the use of woodlot products in the place of non-renewable and imported products, and develop human resources in woodlot management.

WAM represents the interests of our members within the Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners (CFWO). The CFWO makes those interests known to forestry ministers at both levels of government.

WAM also has a representative to the Manitoba Model Forest, another organization that promotes sustainable management of Manitoba’s wooded areas.

WAM is a non-profit organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors, which meets monthly. Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held each year before the end of March and is open to all members in good standing.

The WAM directors for 2010/2011 are as follows: •Len Riding, President, (204) 347-5082 •Mike James, Past President •Allan Webb, Secretary-Treasurer, (204) 467-8648 •Bob Austman, Director •Tom Dykstra, Director •Jeff Lord, Director •Daryl Neustater, Director •Bruce MacLeod, Director •Irene de Graaf, Director •Ken Fosty, Director •Andrea Kraayeveld, Technical Advisor

Funding for The Manitoba Woodlot is provided by:Manitoba Forestry Association, Woodlot Program

Sustainable Development Innovation FundManitoba Conservation – Forestry Branch

Editor: Sheilla JonesEmail: [email protected]

Website: manitobawoodlotassociation.com

Woodlot Association of Manitoba900 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3M 0Y4

Tel: (204) 453-7102FAX: (204) 477-5765

It’s time for Manitoba’s various groups and organizations who share the common purpose of working toward sustainable forests and woodlands to come together again.

There was a time when groups such as WAM, the Manitoba Forestry Association, the Manitoba Forestry Branch, the Christmas tree growers, the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (now MAFRI) and other like-minded organizations met twice a year in an informal “round table”. It was a good idea.

The meetings allowed groups to keep each other informed of their activities and future plans. It also prevented them from inadvertently stepping on each others’ toes as a result of a lack of communication.

But most important, each organization involved in the “round table” could see what role they played within the larger group, and all were able to work collaboratively toward the shared goal of improved woodland management.

Last December, the WAM board conducted a workshop to review its activities and goals. Board members agreed that there was a need to return to the “round table”. They could see the conflicts and misunderstandings arising between groups working at cross-purposes, and that miscommunication was souring relationships between various groups.

In January, the WAM board requested a meeting with the MFA board, with the idea that all it would take was a little willingness and goodwill to re-instate the regular meetings. WAM also met recently with the Manitoba Forestry Branch officials.

The WAM board is greatly heartened to see the willingness of the Forest Branch officials Glenn Peterson and John Dojack (both of whom also sit on the MFA board) take a leadership role on this issue, and move quickly on convening a “round table”.

In these tough economic times, most organizations are watching their project funding being squeezed, just as forestry workers and woodlot owners are seeing their revenues squeezed. What better time is there than now for organizations to work in concert.

This is good for all of Manitoba’s forestry-related organizations and their members. And it’s good for the forests, too.

Return of the forestry “round table” to be welcomed

SJ

EDITORIAL


Prairie shelterbelts a legacy of Beavan's rail car travelsBy Allan Webb

Subtitled “How Tree Planting Transformed the Prairies” Dianne Beaven’s biography of her father and his career in forest education is the story of how the Canadian Forestry Association helped tree western Canada and changed our attitude to the natural environment.

Dianne Beaven was Executive Director of the Manitoba Forestry Association from 1978 until her retirement in 2005. Her book is both a history of tree-planting programs on the prairies and a tribute to her father, who served as a traveling lecturer promoting farm shelterbelts, created forest education programs in public schools and was manager of the Prairie Provinces Forestry Association and later the Manitoba Forestry Association.

Visitors to the MFA’s Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre near Hadashville will note that the suspension bridge over the Whitemouth River and the interpretive trail on the east side of the property are named for Alan Beaven, who was instrumental in establishing the Centre.

One of the most interesting parts of the Forest Discovery Centre is CP Rail Car 64, the last of the travelling classrooms donated by the railroads to take rural education programs to the people of the prairies. Moved to the SFDC in 1974, it is still sometimes used as a lecture hall for visiting school children during inclement weather.

The story begins with the foundation of experimental farms in the 1890s by the federal government to create local varieties of fruits, trees and field crops and to develop specialized farming techniques. There were several in the prairie provinces, including the tree nursery at Indian Head, SK which has provided hundreds of millions of seedling trees to prairie dwellers since 1901.

Before the First World War, the Canadian Pacific and Canadian Northern (later Canadian National) Railways provided “Better Farming Trains” which travelled from town to town demonstrating superior livestock, new farm machinery and lectures from experts in advanced farming methods.

After three years of informal cooperation using a rail car carrying temporary exhibits, in 1921 the CPR donated a refurbished railway coach equipped as a

A Prairie Odyssey, written and published by Diane Beaven, is a tribute to her father's work educating farmers on the importance of planting trees.

Continued on page 10

REVIEW


Demonstration woodlot an eye-opener for seniors

Mike James’ woodlot was a very busy place on when a busload of seniors arrived for a tour on August 15, 2011. Organized through “Creative Retirement Manitoba”, the tour featured hiking, power point presentations, a picnic, and a demonstration of Non-Timber Forest Products.

Mike James, owner of Boreal Woods Nature Centre, and site of the Manitoba Model Forest Demonstration Woodlot, was on hand to greet the guests. Bob Austman, Education Coordinator with the Manitoba Model Forest was present to assist Mike with the day’s activities.

The tour began with a presentation on the Boreal Woods Nature Centre, and included slides of local wildlife and plant species. A hiking tour followed and focused on forest ecology and forest management.

Mike pointed out various plant species on the forest floor, and spoke about their medicinal uses among First Nations cultures. Bob spoke about the science behind forest management, harvesting, and forest renewal. The importance of private woodlots as biodiversity reservoirs and carbon sinks was pointed out during the tour.

Participants then got to try some hands-on activities using forestry tools such as increment borers and clinometers. Various temperature readings were taken with digital sensors, comparing soil and air temperatures both in young stands and older stands with more shade.

The importance of monitoring such data was discussed in the context of studying climate-change.

After a picnic lunch, the group had a presentation on Non-Timber Forest Products. Mike brewed up a fresh batch of Labrador Tea while the guests watched Bob’s presentation. After that, a wreath-making demonstration was given, and then each guest participated in the creation of a wreath.

With the exception of a few seniors, most of the group had little experience in or knowledge about forest management. Several commented that they had no idea of how complex forest management had become, due to such issues as Forest Certification and new discoveries in silviculture.

Most were very impressed with the day’s activities, and many had said that spending the day in the forest gave them a new perspective on things. The trip had an impact on their perception of forest issues, and made them aware that things were not all “doom and gloom” as is so often reported in the media.

After withstanding the 31-degree heat and humidity, the group was grateful for the air-conditioned bus… and a trip to the ice cream store.

Events:National Forest Week

Celebrating National Forest Week: Free White Spruce seedlings

In celebration of National Forest Week and 2011 designated as International Year of

Forests by the UN, The Manitoba Forestry Association will be giving away Free White

Spruce seedlings. A limit is set at a maximum 10 seedlings per person. Seedlings will be distributed on the

following dates:

• Tuesday September 20th• Brandon, Manitoba - Riverbank Discovery Centre, 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm• Winnipeg, Manitoba - The Forks Market (main floor, near elevator to observation tower), 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. • Wednesday September 21st• Winnipeg, Manitoba - The Forks Market (main floor, near elevator to observation tower), 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. • Saturday September 24th• Winnipeg, Manitoba - Assiniboine Park (just east of the Park Pavilion along Assiniboine Park Drive), 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm.• Winkler, Manitoba - Winkler Arena, 7:30 pm - Attendees of the Winkler Flyers hockey game will receive a seedling.


NoteThe map of Birds Hill Park is included in the print version of The Manitoba Woodlot.

Including it in the e-newsletter would exceed the file size limit of 5M.

You can print the park map by going to:

www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/pdf/park_maps/birds_hill/birds_hill_park_map.pdf


WAM Fall BBQJoin us amid the falling leaves for a fall BBQ at Birds Hill Park and a close-up look at the new landscaping and tree

planting on rebuilt floodway.

When: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Saturday, October 8, 2011Where: Site 1, Group Use Area No. 2, Birds Hill ParkWhat WAM is providing: a propane BBQ on site, and will provide coffee, baking and some basic foodWhat you should bring: meat for the BBQ and buns

Tour: After lunch we will be meeting with Mr. Ronuk Modha of the

Manitoba Floodway Authority who will take us on a short tour of the rebuilt floodway on the west side of the park. He will talk about the history of the floodway and show us some of the recreational trails,

landscaping and tree planting and the new pedestrian/cycling bridge over Highway 59 which connects Birds Hill Park with the floodway.

Directions: Site 1, Group Use Area No. 2. This is located off the north side of Festival Drive, near the east gate of the park. People

coming into the park on the east side off of PTH 206 should go west on Festival Drive until they see the group use area sign. Those

coming from Highway 59 on the west side of the park can take either North or South Drive through the park. Near the east side both meet at Festival Drive. Keep going east on Festival Drive until you see the

group use area sign. We will post a WAM Field Day sign at the turning point on Festival Drive. Also see the map.


Many farms include wooded areas. Sometimes they occupy land too steep or rocky to work with equipment… or even to graze.

Sometimes they are designed as windbreaks for cropland or as buffers along streams. Some are just fencerows that have grown up with trees or shrubs. These areas offer habitat to wildlife, erosion protection for streams, and beauty to the beholding eye.

Wooded areas can also contribute to the bottom line of a diversified farm in many ways. With good management, timberland can provide wood products year after year. In addition, woodlands can offer many non-timber products.

In fact, studies have shown that old-growth forests are more profitable over the years when managed for both these types of production rather than for a one-time harvest.

Many items besides timber can be harvested, processed, and sold from an ordinary woodlot if you use your imagination. It takes a good deal of creativity and persistence to first see the possibility and then develop a profit center around such products.

It is necessary to build up an understanding of the many markets in which a demand may exist or can be encouraged.

At a conference on Special Forest Products, I was amazed at the variety of products and the ingenuity of people selling everything from pinecones, to berries for jams, to ferns for the European ornamentals market, to burls for specialty woodworkers.

Many forest products, such as maple syrup, nuts, and berries, result from the deliberate management of the woods to favor that product.

Competing species are controlled and

replacement trees are encouraged. Small landowners ensure a reliable harvest of berries, for instance, by either controlling invasive trees in existing openings or beginning new patches periodically by clear-cutting a new area.

Managing the canopy for specific forest floor conditions favorable to a crop or selecting for nut-bearing species are other examples of forest management for marketable products.

Some products are simply harvested as they occur. Materials for caning and basketry, pine needles for mulch, and many species of herbs are often collected from their natural forest habitat and sold.

Some undergo further processing before going to market. Game animals such as quail and deer, when hunted on a lease basis, can be considered special products of the functioning forest. If you are interested in collecting from woodlands other than your own, be sure to obtain proper permissions or licenses.

There are many examples of people who have seen a possibility and created their own opportunity.

They may collect burls or odd-shaped pieces of wood and make them into animals or sell them to specialty woodworkers. They may rake and bale pine straw and sell it as designer mulch.

They may collect berries or herbs or vines and process them into jams or sauces or basket-weaving materials. The list of plants that can be harvested from wooded areas is long, and there are even more products to be discovered and developed. Imagination is the most limiting factor; marketing is the next most limiting.

Making money from a well-managed woodlotBy Alice E. Beetz NCAT Agriculture Specialist

National Center for Appropriate Technology, US Department of Agriculture

COMMENTARY


Part of the process of retaining your sanity when middle-aged is to recognize you are not young anymore and things, for better or worse, have changed. Avoiding a mid-life crisis can be as simple as casting your gaze forward and not back. Learning from the past is essential, but living in the past is a dangerous lifestyle.

So it goes with the socio-political development of the ‘new world’.

The majority of North American colonialists and their descendants have tended to view the world through the eyes of youth. A world of expanding frontiers and virgin territory to exploit. A world where there is enough land and room for everyone to do their own thing.

But that is the world of the past. We are on the exponential climb in global population from 6 billion plus to at least 9 billion people in the next 30 to 40 years. Three billion more mouths to feed. Three billion more children to house, cloth and school. Nine billion plus of us with aspirations for a good life.

And while most of that growth will occur outside North America, its effects will be felt in every corner of the globe.

This monumental population surge will be the driving force behind at least concomitant increases in demand for food, energy and other raw materials.

And the demands that a 50 percent increase in population will bring for food, fibre and energy will need to be satisfied by a finite productive land base that is shrinking through degradation and development of urban areas, transportation systems and other industrial activities.

And the area devoted to resource use will need to be further reduced if we are to set aside more areas to conserve and restore natural functions and biodiversity.

In the ‘middle age’ of North American society, we collectively need to adapt to mounting land use pressures and demands for natural resources and economic development. At the same time there needs to be more emphasis on conservation and restoration.

In simple terms, in the coming decades we will need to produce more with less. Many changes in the way we use and allocate resources are needed.

Agroforestry, and forest farming in particular, offers practical options for rising to these challenges.

Forestry and agriculture in North America still largely operate as if there were unlimited room to expand. Arable land that is ear-marked for agriculture is often

stripped clear of its ‘unproductive’ forest cover. Areas used for forestry equate forest management with timber management, leaving the full natural productive potential unrealized.

And in many jurisdictions, there are mountains of regulations and zoning restrictions to make every possible effort to keep different activities on the land divided.

But politics and regulations are usually reactive, not proactive. Society and enterprise are already leading the way to an integrated future.

We are already seeing a convergence in forestry, agriculture and bioenergy industries and markets. Bioextracting and biorefining technology will mean that we will increasingly look to forest and field for the raw materials for health and wellness products, petrochemical replacements and other bioproducts.

Treating forestry, agriculture, energy and conservation as separate entities that can be compartmentalized as unique disciplines or sectors, no longer makes sense.

Forest farming provides integrated land use systems to blend agriculture, forestry and conservation, independent of whether food, fuel, fibre or any other bioproduct is being harvested.

Structured properly, forest farming operations can produce more per unit area than separating forestry and agriculture into single use activities. Managed properly, timber and non-timber crops not only coexist, but benefit from the synergies that flow from the natural facilitative processes in nature.

So, for our collective mental health, let’s skip the mid-life crisis and the self-destructive distractions that come from looking back and trying to live in our colonial youth.

There are integrated options that will allow us to meet the demands for natural resources in a more efficient and productive manner from our working land base and also devote land to conserve and protect the natural wealth.

It is time to recognize that forest farming is the future, and start making public policy and regulations that support this option.

An integrated future in forest farmingBy George W. Powell, PhD, PAg

By permission of George W. Powell. He is a consulting agrologist, specializing in integrated systems combining conservation and production practices. He can be reached at www.agfornsight.com.


Why become a member of WAM?

As a member you will be promoting active stewardship of Manitoba’s Private Woodlands. You will also receive a great deal, including:

—A Bi-Monthly Newsletter, complete with up-to-date information of upcoming events, current woodlot/forestry/conservation issues, and wood products/services available in your area. The Manitoba Woodlot newsletter can be mailed to a Canadian address or sent by email to a member. Using email is an opportunity to reduce the use of paper and receive the newsletter in colour.

—Access to the Woodlot Library, which is stocked full of woodlot-related information.

—Opportunities to Participate in Field Days/Demonstrations, Conferences and Meetings abut topics related to woodlot management.

—Free Ads in our WAM member classified section in The Manitoba Woodlot.

—If you operate a commercial woodlot or agrowoodlot, the WAM membership fee is a tax deductible business expense. WAM provides a receipt and member card for membership payment by request only.

Membership in WAM is open to individuals and businesses. Dues are $30.00. Those interested in membership can telephone (204) 453-7102.

mobile lecture hall to the Canadian Forestry Association to tour western Canada, moved for free by the two major railways along their various routes.

Alan Beaven began working for the CFA in 1920 and was the lecturer on the Tree Planting Car each summer from 1926 to 1946 and again in 1960. The Beaven family lived aboard the car as it was shunted from stop to stop by passing freight and passenger trains.

Equipped with seats for 72 people and a movie projection system, the Tree Planting Car was a much anticipated source of information and entertainment for the residents of rural districts across the farming belt. At each stop, the benefits of shelter belts for soil conservation, fruit production and farm beautification were explained, questions were answered about tree planting and landowners found out where to obtain seedlings and how to establish them.

The legacy of the tree planting program is thousands of miles of farm and field shelterbelts across the western provinces.

After twenty years on the lecture circuit and delivering hundreds of talks, Beaven became the western manager for Canadian Forestry Association programs and turned his attention to creating forestry education in the public school system as well as supervising the Tree Planting Car tours, which lasted until 1973.

The foundation of the Sandilands centre and the formation of the Manitoba Forestry Association as a separate entity in 1971 were major accomplishments of his later career. Awarded an honourary PhD by the

Alan Beaven remembered for tree-planting programContinued from page 3


Membership Application for 2011

New Members $30.00Renewal Membership $30.00

NameMailing Address

Email AddressTelephone

I am particularly interested in the following:

Providing shelterWildlife habitat enhancementSoil and water conservationLand stewardshipRecreationWood productsSpecialty or non-traditional products (i.e., berries, mushrooms, maple syrup)Christmas treesAll of the above

Would you like to receive your copy of The Manitoba Woodlot via email?Yes No (A high-speed connection is recommended due to the long download time on dial-up.)

Do you require a receipt? Yes No (WAM provides receipts only upon request.)

Thank you for becoming involved and for supporting Manitoba’s private

forests.

Mail to:Woodlot Association of Manitobac/o Allan Webb, Secretary-TreasurerBox 43Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0

University of Manitoba in 1974, he remained on the Board of the Manitoba Forestry Association until 1985, and died three years later aged 85.

Readers fond of railroading will be interested in the history of the three CP Rail cars used over the years in western Canada. There is also a brief summary of three rail cars donated by CNR which were used in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.

Those who enjoy reading about farming during the Great Depression will appreciate how tree planting benefitted farm families in the dry portions of the west.

It is a pleasure to recommend a book from a long-time friend of the Woodlot Association. This well-researched book has many good photographs and maps and is available from the Manitoba Forestry Association and McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg.

Visit WAM's website:

manitobawoodlotassociation.com

To learn more:

About WAMWAM History

WAM PartnershipsWAM Board

WAM NewsletterWAM Membership


Publications Mail Agreement No. 41591026Return undeliverable Canadian addressed copies to:Woodlot Association of Manitoba900 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3M 0Y4

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Lap siding/shingle maker jig, $300.00; Blade sharpener, $550.00; Tooth setter, $250.00. All items were purchased with a Lumbermate 2000 bandsaw mill in 2005 andnever used. Call 571-6240 and leave a message.

Moulder/Planer, 4-headed. Over $9,000.00 in tooling (v joint, flooring, 6 different casing knives, etc.). Blower unit, electrical, 2004 cat, generator, 60kw. Knives and profiles included. In excellent condition. Buyer could be set up and running in one day. Asking $30,000.00. Call (807) 344-7514.

1999 Model LT 40 Wood-Mizer Sawmill. Includes 33 HP Kubota diesel motor, power feed, power up/down, debarker, auto clutch, shingle maker, and lapsider, Lubemizer. Cuts to 36” diameter, 21’ long; with bed extension up to 27’. Comes on wheels. Excellent

condition. Asking $18,900.00. Telephone (204) 429-2135.

All sizes of slasher, sawmill and cord wood new blades. Resharpening used 22”/42”/48”/50” sawmill blades and 26” cord wood blades. Skate sharpener, chipper, blower, debarker, planer, circular sawmill, bandsaw mill, feller buncher ($200,000.00). Used drum roll band saw sharpener ($250.00). All types of saw blade sharpening equipment. 592 Talbot Ave., Winnipeg. Contact Norm at Dr. Saw (204) 667-6373 or see www.drsaw.ca.

SERVICESManitoba hardwoods. Elm, ash, maple custom cutting with Wood-Mizer mill. Bob Gass, McCreary, (204) 835-2631.

Saw blade repair/sharpening. We roll, tension, straighten and balance saw blades (instead of hammering). All types of saw blades and tools sharpened. Weld all types of carbide tip saws (Slasher

and Feller Buncher teeth). 592 Talbot Ave., Winnipeg. Contact Norm at Dr. Saw (204) 667-6373 or see www.drsaw.ca.

EQUIPMENT WANTEDSawmill equipment and saw blades any size, shape and condition. If you want to sell/buy logs, lumber and sawmill equipment, we can provide you with contacts. 592 Talbot Ave., Winnipeg. Contact Norm at Dr. Saw (204) 667-6373 or see www.drsaw.ca.

LUMBER FOR SALEHardwood lumber: oak, ash and basswood. Air dried. Various sizes and prices. Contact Roger in Roseile at (204) 828-3386.

SAWLOGS WANTEDInterested in purchasing any type of saw log you have available. Contact Roger in Roseile at (204) 828-3386.

WAM members advertise for free in the Classifieds. Email [email protected] to place an ad.

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