Conservation of wooded lands is rewarding, challenging work. For many women, the intimidating nature of the power tools behind much of the work (read: chainsaws) keeps them sidelined. Marbleseed, Michael Fields Agriculture Institute, and Wisconsin Women in Conservation are teaming up to address this confidence gap. Let’s get women landowners excited about managing their wooded acres! Join us to learn from arborist and educator Rebecca Seibel, and Natural Resources Educator Olivia Kovacs as they lead a two-part event.

The first event is a free webinar. This session will introduce participants to chainsaw basics, safe handling of power tools, working with NRCS, and identifying conservation concerns in the woods. This webinar will serve as a launching point to a second hands-on and in-person Field Day in Mount Horeb, WI.

At this second event, instruction for and by women will build upon the webinar’s introduction to woodland management. Participants will learn from dynamic instructors at Squashington Farm in Mount Horeb Wisconsin. This day-long event is all about empowerment. Prepare to feel capable in the woods, ready to tackle conservation concerns, and pick up that chainsaw with confidence.

The May 7th webinar is free to all. Due to the nature of the event Registration at the May 21^st field event is limited and will cost $xx/person.

Arborist Rebecca Seibel, owner of Tree Spirit Consulting, and Olivia Kovacs, natural resources educator, will lead the trainings. The goal is to introduce women to the tools, skills, and equipment integral to woodland management. Participants will learn how to assess woodland health, identify invasive non-native species, and receive direct instruction on the safe and effective use of power tools, especially chainsaws. 

Agenda
9:00 - Why we’re here, how we will engage
9:15 - Landscape Restoration: common resource concerns, practices to implement
9:30 - Legal considerations (private vs public property)
          – Safety, First Aid, Emergency Action plan
          – Zones of the saw
          – Work positioning
          – Looking at the tool and its parts
          – Cutting exercises
          – Precision cutting, intro to tree felling
11:45  - NRCS Info
12:00 - Optional extended time for Q&A

Interpretation is available upon request, if you need interpretation or have any questions about registration, please reach out to Conservation Outreach Specialist, Sara Mooney - sara.mooney@marbleseed.org - (715) 309-5918 x716