Web Florida Land Steward 2016

Future EventsMany events for landowners and professionals

will be held throughout the year but are not listed

in this calendar. Please check the Florida Land

Steward website for updates on events being

held near you: http://FloridaLandSteward.org. If you would like to receive regular calendar

and news updates via email, send an email to

[email protected]. Updates are sent

weekly or biweekly.

Long-Tailed Skipper, Photo by A. Mcclendon

Cover photo: Sun-Ray-Through-Foggy-Florida-Pine-Forest photo by Kim Seng captainkimo.com

Notes

Questions? Contact us! Please contact one of the partner agencies or organizations nearest you with any questions. This edition includes a list of partner contacts and a land management scheduling tool at the back of the calendar.

Want To Contribute To Future Calendars?Maybe you have a great habitat management tip

or high quality wildlife photograph that you would

like to share with others. If you would like to be

involved in or support future calendar efforts,

or simply have a suggestion for improvement,

please let us know: [email protected]

The Florida Land Steward Calendar is a result of

the collaboration and support of many different

agencies, non-governmental organizations, and

individuals. Those involved with this partnership

have designed this calendar to encourage,

motivate, and educate landowners about habitat

management. The information in this calendar is

true and complete to the best of our knowledge

and all recommendations are made without

any guarantee on the part of the partners

or supporters, who also disclaim any liability

incurred in the connection with the use of these

recommendations. All rules, regulations, and

safety measures should be followed when

carrying out any habitat management practice.

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Dragonfly on upright prairie coneflower, photo by Arlo Kane Longleaf pine - wiregrass habitatHatchling Gopher Tortoise, photo by Aubrey HeupelFlorida Scrub Jay, photo by Gail Hendricks

Private lands make up the majority of habitat available to wildlife in Florida. These private lands provide a wide variety of services that benefit all of society, including clean air, groundwater recharge, fish and wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, water filtration, economic activity, recreation opportunities, and an improved quality of life. The landowners that own and manage these lands have diverse goals and objectives for their properties, which frequently include natural resource management and conservation. The Florida Forest Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and School of Forest Resources and Conservation, along with a variety of other agencies and organizations, have been supporting natural re-source management and conservation efforts of private landowners for many years. These agencies and organizations provide support to landowners managing natural resources by providing technical and financial assistance, developing land and natural resource management and conservation plans, and disseminating information through newsletters, websites, field days, and other means.

To more successfully deliver consistent and effective information and cater to diverse land ownerships and management objectives across the state, these natural resource agencies and organizations are working together in a Florida Land Steward Partnership. Partner agencies and organizations are collaborating more closely to develop and provide information and technical assistance that enhances the natural resource management capabilities of landowners. This includes the production and statewide distribution of a quarterly newsletter, yearly calendar, and other printed materials. Program partners are also working closely together to coordinate joint workshops, field days, and other trainings. In addition, a Florida Land Steward website has been developed that serves as a centralized source of information on land and natural resource management.

To learn more about the Florida Land Steward Partnership and managing your land and natural resources for long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits, please visit the website at http://FloridaLandSteward.org/

Florida Invasive Species Partnership

Florida Land Steward Partners and other agencies and organizations in Florida agree that invasive non-native species are a statewide problem with high ecological and economic costs. The Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISP) is a collaboration of federal, state and local agencies along with non-government organizations, all with a stake in managing invasive non-native species in Florida. Invasive species can spread beyond fence lines so our goal is to connect private landowners and public land managers with invasive species expertise and assistance programs across boundaries. All stakeholders, both public and private, can benefit from collaborative efforts to reduce the threat. FISP increases communication, coordination and the sharing of resources to protect Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes. See http://www.floridainvasives.org/ for more information about this collaboration.

The Florida Land Steward Partnership

Welcome to Spring Canyon LLC in Gadsden

County, a 100-acre property owned by

Helen and Tom Roth. This beautiful property

is home to steephead ravines and longleaf

pine-wire grass sandhills. Helen has traced

the history of the property through property

records and aerial photographs back to

1926 near the end of the turpentine era.

In 1960, the land was donated to the First

Baptist Church of Greensboro. The church

put in a dam on Crooked Creek to create

a small lake in the center of the property.

Fire was excluded from the uplands during

their ownership. Helen’s brother, Mark

Bane, bought the property in 1993 and

began working with the Forest Stewardship

Program in 1994. He harvested the hard-

woods from two of the three upland areas

and applied prescribed fire to one of the

areas before he passed away in 2005 and

the property passed to Mark and Helen’s

father. In 2008, Helen and Tom purchased

the land from her father and entered the

Forest Stewardship Program. At that time,

the one upland area that had been cleared

and burned was in good shape so it became

Helen’s reference area for what the rest of

the uplands should look like. In the areas that

had been cleared but not burned, natural

regeneration of longleaf pine had occurred,

but the encroaching hardwoods were head

high. Helen was able to hire a contractor

to come in and conduct a prescribed burn

in 2011. She quickly learned that the fire

helped control small hardwood saplings that

were invading the uplands, but it did not

control the larger hardwoods enough to

open up the habitat.

Helen’s goal for the property is to restore

and maintain the longleaf pine-wiregrass

uplands that will ultimately maintain healthy

steephead ravines and provide good wildlife

habitat. In 2012, Helen entered the Working

Lands for Wildlife Program operated by the

Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Working Lands for Wildlife Program is

focused on creating and restoring habitat

for gopher tortoises. Helen was awarded a

contract for 26.5 acres of brush management

and prescribed burning. The upland sandhills

were divided into 3 treatment areas and

work on clearing brush and trees up to 6

inches in diameter began in the summer of

2013. Using a battery operated chainsaw,

she and a volunteer cleared the first 8.5

acres by October of that year. By January

2014, they had cleared another 14 acres.

In March 2014, the first burn on the three

upland areas was conducted and Helen

became a certified prescribed burn manager.

The final 4 acres of brush management was

finished in August 2014.

Since the completion of the brush

management, there has been a noticeable

Helen Roth

Photos by Arlo Kane.

increase in the number of gopher tortoises

and fox squirrels using the property. New

burrows are appearing and inactive burrows

are being re-activated. The endangered

Gholson’s Gayfeather (Liatris gholsonii) is

one of many wildflowers exploding across the

now open sandhill habitat, and the wiregrass

has begun to recover after years of

excessive shade and fire exclusion. To say

the transformation has been spectacular is

an understatement. One has to see the

property to believe the change.

Helen loves to use the property to educate

other landowners and those interested in

Florida’s natural areas. Over the years she

has led tours for the Florida Native Plant

Society and the North American Butterfly

Association and will soon host the Florida

Trails Association. She has been visited

by a number of university professors and

researchers who have come to study the

plants, wildlife, and ravines on her property.

Much of what she has learned about the

plants on the property she learned from

members of the Florida Native Plant Society.

She labels plants as people identify them so

she is able to observe them throughout the

seasons. This is a great way to learn how to

identify plants whether in flower or not. Her

philosophy has been that you need to learn

the plants on your property so you know

which ones are most vulnerable and need

protection and which ones are invasive and

need to be removed to protect the native

habitat. She encourages other landowners

to get involved with their local native plant

society chapter and begin learning the

plants on their property. “The more you

learn, the more you will enjoy your property”

she tells other landowners.

Photos by Chris Demers

• Learn the steps to obtain a prescribed burning authorization at: FreshFromFlorida.com/ PrescribedBurningAuthorization

• Develop or update a multiple-resource management plan for your property. Resource professionals from partnering agencies and organizations are available to help as necessary.

• Disk firebreaks to protect against wildfires.

• Begin a slow drawdown of moist soil management ponds to enhance food supplies for waterfowl and migrating shorebirds.

• Maintain water levels in green-tree reservoirs to increase food supplies for waterfowl and migrating shorebirds.

• Clean out and repair nest boxes (e.g., purple martin, eastern bluebird and wood duck) or install new ones.

• Strip disk fallow fields to promote ragweed, partridge pea and other herbaceous vegetation for bobwhite quail.

• Roller chop heavy palmetto stands or areas of dense woody vegetation and follow with a drying period before conducting a growing season prescribed burn.

• Plant mast producing trees and shrubs to provide an additional wildlife food source.

• Order pine seedlings for planting next winter.

• Plan to thin pine stands during dry weather periods so as to avoid soil damage by heavy equipment.

• Contact your forester to assess your pine cone crop and its potential to naturally regenerate your pine stand.

• Use your old Christmas tree to initiate a brush pile.

• Begin grazing limpograss pastures at first frost.

• Start baiting fire ant mounds and continue year round for maximum control.

Habitat Management Tips

Photos by Arlo Kane

Mechanical sandpine removal: Washington County landowner Buz Harris has converted his sand pine stand to longleaf. Like a lot of people who are converting from sand pine to longleaf, he now has sand pine re-invading his longleaf stand. Sand pine can be very aggressive and overtake young longleaf. Sandhills rarely have enough fuel to burn out the sand pine so many people are now using chainsaws and weed eaters to control encroaching sand pine on their longleaf restoration projects.

Habitat Management Tip

New Year’s Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Florida Arbor Day

Prescribed Fire Awareness Week

New Moon

Full Moon

• Prepare Conservation Exemption, Conservation Assessment and Agricultural Assessment forms and submit to the Property Appraiser by March 1 deadline.

• Plant mast producing trees to provide an additional wildlife food source.

• Strip disk fallow fields to promote ragweed, partridge pea, and other herbaceous vegetation for bobwhite quail.

• Conduct prescribed burns on pine stands to reduce competition from woody vegetation and encourage herbaceous plant growth.

• Roller chop heavy palmetto stands or areas with dense woody vegetation and follow with a drying period before conducting a growing season prescribed burn.

• Leave dead trees (i.e., snags) standing to provide valuable habitat for cavity nesters.

• Burn low areas and turkey woods if not burnt for several years.

• Lime or bottom plow old fields as needed.

• Drag pastures to spread manure and distribute nutrients.

• Burn old growth and thatch on pastures or hay fields for spittlebug control.

• Sink rocks, plastic pipes or concrete in ponds and lakes to provide beneficial habitat for aquatic species. Placing structures in water owned by more than one person may require a permit from the Division of Environmental Protection.

• Clean out and repair nest boxes (e.g., purple martin, eastern bluebird, and wood duck) or install new ones.

• Begin draining water from green tree reservoirs to encourage the germination and growth of native food sources such as smartweed.



Photo by Wendy-Lin Bartels.

Dryland Farming: Randall Dasher, owner of Dasher Farm in McAlpin and 2015 recipient of the FDACS Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Awards, implemented new technology to ensure the most efficient use of land and water on his Suwannee County farm, including new seed crops and a seed-processing facility. He adopted conservation tillage practices, crop rotations, cover crops and a process to farm row crops without irrigation. Among the first in the area to adopt hydroponic farming techniques and use of rainfall information to determine best planting times for crops, Randall has pioneered the use of a new non-shattering variety of sesame that makes this drought-hardy crop amenable to conventional harvesting equipment. “You gotta be patient…what you gotta do in north Florida is different from Texas” said Randall, as sesame stands improved and fields seemed to catch up after initially wilting and showing poor germination under wet north Florida conditions.

Private Lands Habitat Management Highlight

Groundhog Day

Valentine’s Day President’s Day

FL State Fair

Ash WednesdayGreat Backyard Bird CountNew Moon

Full Moon

• Conduct prescribed burns on mixed grassland habitats (stands of native grasses mixed with tame grasses).

• Conduct prescribed burns after bud-break to help reduce vigor of re-sprouting woody vegetation.

• Prepare wider firebreaks when burning during the driest time of the year and always have water tanks available for suppression.

• Avoid disking around wetlands and ponds as reptiles and amphibians are actively moving to wetter areas for breeding.

• Initiate timber stand improvement thinning. Delay cutting in wetter areas at risk of severe soil disturbance and rutting.

• Plant native grasses, forbs and legumes to provide wildlife food and cover.

• Draw down moist-soil management ponds 1 to 2 feet to promote growth of wetland vegetation and attract waterbirds. Drain 15 to 20% of the total flooded acreage at a time.

• Scout pastures and hayfields for adult mole crickets; if found, apply nematodes for control.

• Mow clover patches to stimulate re-growth. Avoid areas where ground-nesting birds may be incubating eggs.

• Clean out and repair nest boxes (e.g., purple martin, eastern bluebird, and wood duck) or install new ones.

• Locate and monitor gopher tortoise burrows and try to avoid future disturbance.


• Protect nest and snag trees from prescribed fire by raking flammable debris away from the base of the nest-trees.


Mowed area around cavity trees and an artificial cavity. Photos by Turner Endangered Species Fund Staff, Avalon Plantation

Artificial cavities (inserts) were used to provide nests for federally endangered Red Cockaded Woodpeckers (RCW) on Avalon Plantation, where there are large diameter trees but still relatively young (65 -75 years old). The RCW Recovery Plan calls for minimum of four inserts in each recruitment or abandoned cluster site. Recruitment clusters are established in suitable areas (sparse understory, adequate foraging habitat) and normally located within 0.4 – 1 km of an existing cluster. Cavity tree management focuses on identifying and protecting artificial and natural cavity trees from damage due to prescribed fire or other land management activities. All cavity trees are marked and groundcover removed by mowing in advance of burning, but leaving enough fine fuels (pine needles, grass, etc.) to allow prescribed fire to harmlessly burn under the cavity trees and maintain a consistent burn throughout the area while protecting the cavity trees.


Begin Daylight Savings

Spring Equinox Good Friday

Agriculture and Conservation Assessment forms due to County Property Appraiser

St Patrick’s Day

Easter Sunday

Full Moon

New Moon

Habitat Management Tips• On sites with low fuel loads, conduct growing season prescribed burns to reduce vigor of re-sprouting woody stems, while promoting native seed production. Burn sites should be carefully selected to avoid damage to wild turkey and bobwhite quail nests. Hens will likely re-nest if nest damage does occur.

• Avoid mowing April through August to reduce risk to ground-nesting birds.

• Begin post burn evaluations and record any changes needed for next burn cycle.

• Apply hexazinone according to chemical label instructions to control hardwoods after April 15.

• Plan herbicide control of unwanted grasses.

• Conduct soil tests to determine lime and fertilizer rates for summer food plots and dove fields, apply only if deficient.

• Scout pastures and hay fields for weed species and treat as needed.

• Check pastures and hay fields for presence of adult mole crickets and, if found, apply nematodes for control.

• Allow birds, such as least terns, American oystercatchers and black skimmers, to nest undisturbed on rooftops in coastal areas from April through June.

• Develop or update a multiple-resource management plan for your property. Resource professionals from partner agencies and organizations are available to help as necessary.

April Fool’s Day

Earth Day

Full Moon

Florida Birding and Photofest (St. Augustine) Arbor Day

New Moon

Photo by Dale Caldwell

Financial and Technical Assistance: Bill Schaefer, the owner and manager of Provence Plantation in Suwannee County has worked with state and federal resource agencies to obtain financial and technical assistance for timber management. Through FWC’s Landowner Assistance Program, he has begun restoring his native habitat while increasing and diversifying wildlife populations by thinning high density pine stands, conducting prescribed burns, restoring native groundcover, enhancing onsite aquatic features, creating pollinator habitat, preserving tree cavities, and eradicating invasive species. He plans to replant the tract with longleaf pine trees at lower densities to support wildlife habitat and food sources. Mr. Schaefer also benefits from the Forest Stewardship program and Tree Farm program where he receives assistance from the FFS county forester.


Pascua Florida Day

Habitat Management Tips• To reduce risk, insure burn conditions are ideal (wind speed and direction are stable at 1-3 mph, relative humidity above 30%, soils and lower leaf litter are damp, etc., and obtain a burn authorization from Florida Forest Service).

• Use prescribed burns on saw palmetto and areas of dense woody vegetation to improve control and stimulate production of native seeds.

• Choose appropriate prescribed burning conditions and extinguish fires by sunset to help keep smoke off major roads. Always obtain authorization from Florida Forest Service prior to burn.

• Conduct longleaf pine cone and flower counts and May is a bit early to prepare the seedbed.

• Conduct timber harvests in suitable dry areas, while avoiding active red-cockaded woodpecker nests.

• Rotate livestock from native range to improved pastures to benefit ground nesting species such as bobwhite quail.

• Begin treating cogongrass infestations after May 15 and as weather permits.

• Plant summer food plots such as corn, peas, grain sorghum, chufas and aeschynomene.

• Check water control structures and dikes on managed wetland areas for needed maintenance.

• Scout pastures and hayfields for weed species and treat as needed.

• Prepare for warm season perennial establishment.

• Plant pastures with summer annuals.

• Keep exterior beach-side lights out in coastal areas through October to help baby turtles emerging from their nests reach the ocean.


Mother’s Day

Armed Forces Day

Memorial Day

Left, no herbicide; Right, herbicide in site prep. Photos by Arlo Kane.

Herbicide in site prep: Two adjacent stands in Calhoun County illustrate the importance of herbicide treatment in site prep when restoring to longleaf pine. Vegetation and wildlife effects are temporary but give longleaf a chance to establish by delaying competition from grasses and shrubs. In one stand, prescribed fire was the only site prep and the trees remained in grass stage for several years due to competition from turkey oaks. On a plot across the highway with same soil type planted four years later, the site preparation included an herbicide treatment followed by a prescribed burn. After 10 years trees are about 6-feet tall on the first property, while trees on the herbicide treated property reached 20-feet tall in only four years. Be sure to talk to your contractor about what herbicide and concentration to use to avoid killing wiregrass, an important fuel source for prescribed burning. Once gone it is difficult to re-establish, which can hinder prescribed fire in sandhills.


May is American Wetlands Month

2016 National Drinking Water Week Cinco de Mayo

International Migratory Bird Day

Endangered Species Day

World Turtle Day

New Moon

Full Moon

Habitat Management Tips• Be aware that smoke can settle in drainages and mix with early morning or evening fog, which can create traffic safety issues. Own your smoke!

• Conduct post-burn evaluations to determine success of woody vegetation control.

• Continue treating cogongrass infestations.

• Begin herbicide application for control of bicolor lespedeza and bahiagrass within natural areas.

• Finish timber harvest and clean up operations but try to avoid using heavy equipment in woods when soils are wet.

• Leave dead trees (i.e., snags) standing to provide valuable habitat for cavity nesters.

• Strip disk to encourage the production of Florida pusley, a highly preferred forage for white-tailed deer.

• Conduct soil tests to determine lime and fertilizer rates for fall food plots and dove fields.

• Continue planting summer food plots.

• Plant aeschynomene to achieve adequate reseeding in November.

• Examine pastures for caterpillars (army worms and grass loopers) and treat as needed.


Flag Day

Father’s Day

Burrowing owl. Photos by Julie Burford

Wildlife BMPs: Forestry Wildlife Best Management Practices (WBMPs) for Imperiled Species were officially adopted in October, 2014 followed by WBMPs for Agriculture in June 2015. The WBMPs serve as voluntary alternative to incidental take permitting for 16 state imperiled species that are likely to be affected by silviculture or agriculture. They are intended to be practical, easily understood and implemented, and voluntarily used at a landowner’s discretion. FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is currently undertaking pilot studies to demonstrate effectiveness of measures aimed at avoiding take of gopher tortoise and burrowing owls.

Private Lands Management Highlight

Hurricane Season Begins New Moon

Full MoonFirst Day of Summer

Habitat Management Tips• Conduct prescribed burns to benefit native ground cover. Focus prescribed burning efforts on areas with native ground cover as old field vegetation does not burn well unless the fuel composition is greater than 25 percent grass cover.

• Conduct post-burn evaluations to determine success of woody vegetation control.

• Perform survival checks on planted pines.

• Avoid thinning pines during wet weather to prevent soil compaction and rutting.

• Plant chufas in food plots for wild turkeys.

• Plant millet by July 15 so dove fields are ready for the first phase of dove season.

• Begin deer track counts or deer spotlight surveys and record incidental wildlife sightings.

• Use an exclosure in food plots to allow observation of crop growth and success without the pressure of browsing.



• Last chance to order tree seedlings for winter planting!

• Prevent Southern Pine Beetle infestations to save the value of your forest. Learn more at FreshFromFlorida.com/SouthernPineBeetle.

Independence Day

Citrus greening photo by Tyler Jones

Citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), is introduced by a vector, Asian citrus psyllid. It was first found in Florida in 1998. As of October 2006, HLB infected trees had been found in twelve Florida counties. By February 2010, thirty-four counties had at least one positive confirmed greening infected tree. HLB is now confirmed in all commercial and non-commercial citrus growing counties in Florida. The University of Florida IFAS, Florida Division of Plant Industry and others are doing extensive research to help citrus producers manage this devastating pathogen.

Private Lands Management Highlight

New Moon

Full Moon

Habitat Management Tips• Burn logging slash or use it to build brush piles.

• Conduct prescribed burns to benefit native ground cover.

• Establish firebreaks for next year’s prescribed burns.

• Mow between alternate rows within pine stands to eliminate competition and create vegetation of different heights.

• Plan for a site preparation burn to capture pine regeneration.

• Control larger unwanted hardwoods by girdling or felling and apply an appropriate herbicide to the cut area.

• Plant second round of millet in dove fields to provide grain for the second phase of dove season.

• Plant Japanese millet in wetter dove fields.


• Use caution when mowing and chopping near gopher tortoise burrows while young tortoises are hatching.


• To learn how private landowners can help wounded veterans through Operation Outdoor Freedom, visit OperationOutdoorFreedom.com.

butterfly photo by Thomas Wright

Pollinators: a warm climate and continuous growing season keep pollinator species, like the monarch butterfly, hanging around throughout the year in southern Florida. Pollinators play an important role in maintaining biological diversity. Habitat loss, disease, parasites and environmental contaminants have all contributed to the decline of many pollinators. Several species of milkweed and other plants can attract these important insects: Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis), Fewflower milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata), and Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa).


Full Moon

New Moon

Senior Citizens Day

Smokey Bear’s Birthday

Habitat Management Tips• Visit MyFWC.com for information on how private landowners can help the Youth Hunting Program by hosting hunts on their property.

• Establish firebreaks for next year’s prescribed burns.

• Apply herbicides for control of hardwoods.

• Conduct site preparation burns to coincide with pine regeneration.

• Plant fall food plots if rainfall is sufficient.

• Begin mowing or harvesting dove fields.

• Plant second round of millet in dove fields to provide grain for the second phase of dove season.

• Soil test pastures and adjust pH and fertilization for warm-season forage establishment.


• Scout pastures and hayfields for the presence of adult mole crickets and, if abundant, apply nematodes for control.

• Use caution when mowing and chopping near gopher tortoise burrows, while young tortoises are hatching.

• Leave dead trees (i.e., snags) standing to provide valuable habitat for cavity nesters. Consider girdling a few hardwoods for this purpose if more snags are needed.


Labor Day

Patriot Day

Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) is considered a significant weedy pest in 73 countries. In the U.S., cogongrass is found primarily in the Southeast, where it has become a serious problem. It is currently spreading in nearly every county in Florida. When cogongrass invades it spreads rapidly, displacing desirable plant species and wildlife habitat and disrupting forest and farm management. Cogongrass requires continuous, intensive management to achieve control. Glyphosate and imazapyr herbicides yield the best results.


cogongrass photo by Chris Evans

New Moon

Full Moon

New Moon

National Hunting and Fishing Day

Native American Day

Take a Child Outside Week

National Public Lands Day

Habitat Management Tips• Conduct prescribed burns in preparation for planting pine trees.

• Update farm records with your county Farm Service Agency office to ensure application requirements for Farm Bill programs are met.

• Collect seeds from native warm season grasses (e.g., lopsided Indian grass and wiregrass) to reseed other areas of your property.

• Measure forage production and make adjustments to your grazing management plan while native grasses are seeding and easier to identify.

• Fertilize cool season food plots for deer and turkey, following recommendations from a soil test.

• Install bat and owl houses to help control agricultural crop pests.

• Mow mature millet for the second phase of dove season.

• Avoid disturbance around wetlands as flatwoods salamanders move to breeding ponds during the first heavy rains of this month.

• Check to see if Larra bicolor wasps are controlling mole crickets. If not, consider installing nectar plants, such as shrubby false button weed, next spring to feed wasps.

• Collect harvest data from all deer harvested; including age, sex, dressed weights, lactation status and antler measurements.

Columbus Day

Halloween

Full Moon

National Forest Products Week

National Wildlife Refuge WeekFire Prevention Week

Forest Thinning: Thinning benefits pine stands by increasing the growth rate and space available to the remaining trees, and therefore the rate at which they increase in value. Thinning can also remove poorly formed trees that would have little future value and utilizes harvested trees before they might die naturally from competition. Although thinning rarely removes large volumes of timber, financial returns can be expected in most cases. Thinning also produces numerous wildlife benefits, by increasing sunlight on the forest floor that stimulates the growth of herbs, forbs, legumes, and other wildlife forage. Increased sunlight also favors development of oaks and other mast (acorns, hickory nuts, etc.) producing species which do not grow well in shaded conditions. Thinning increases the amount of available browse, primarily from the sprout growth of cut trees, and produces temporary nesting cover from the tops of cut trees.

Private Lands Management Tip

Photo by Chris Demers.

New Moon

Habitat Management Tips• Conduct pine thinning operations while conditions are drier.

• Complete wetland dike repairs.

• Begin planting containerized pine seedlings, if soil moisture is sufficient.

• Clean out and repair nest boxes (e.g., martin, eastern bluebird, and wood duck) or install new ones.

• Control Brazilian pepper while it is in full bloom.

• Begin heavy brush management (mowing and roller chopping) for saw palmetto and other dense woody vegetation control.

• Mow mature millet for third phase of dove season.

• Collect seed from native warm season grasses (e.g. lopsided Indiangrass and wiregrass) to reseed other areas of your property.

• Overseed warm-seasonal perennial pastures with ryegrass.

• Scout pastures and treat pests as needed.

• Collect harvest data for all deer harvested, including age, sex, dressed weights, lactation status and antler measurements.

• Flood green-tree reservoirs to a depth of 2-3 feet following a frost.

• Flood another one-third of moist soil areas and diked crop areas to ten inches.


Veterans Day

Thanksgiving

New Moon

Full Moon

Hurricane Season Ends

Free Saltwater Fishing Day

Election DayEnd Daylight Savings

Forest Openings: Forest openings are small areas in a forest that provide early successional habitat for wildlife. The purpose of openings is to provide sunlight to the forest floor, which will result in the growth of sprouts, shrubs, grass, and herbaceous vegetation, thereby providing greater vertical and horizontal diversity. Most wildlife species use a variety of habitats and are not solely dependent on any one particular habitat type, making small openings in forested areas valuable for a wide variety of species. This type of habitat provides cover, nesting sites, and a variety of food sources for birds. Black bears feed on forbs and berries in forest openings, and turkeys use openings for nesting, brood rearing, and feeding. Herbaceous growth provides high quality food and cover for a large number of wildlife species, especially neotropical songbirds, wild turkey, quail and whitetail deer.


Photo by Chris Demers.

Habitat Management Tips• Thin pine stands while weather is dry, especially in xeric scrub areas. Thinning promotes groundcover growth invaluable to many species of wildlife.

• Plan timber harvest schedules for spring and try to include some snag retention.

• Continue planting trees and shrubs that are suited for your soil types. Plant different types of mast-producing trees for attracting wildlife.

• If prescribed burning or grazing is not an option, mow every two to three years to enhance groundcover.

• Mow dense hardwood encroachment areas to enhance groundcover.

• Before mowing, walk hay meadows to reduce wildlife mortality, and consider leaving un-mowed strips around field borders.

• Disk fields now through February to create brood habitat for turkey and quail.

• Roller chop to remove understory and improve herbaceous groundcover.

• Be on the lookout and record nesting locations for birds of prey, such as the bald eagle.

• Install kestrel and owl boxes before their nesting season begins in January. These species provide a natural pest control service to agricultural producers.

• In pasture, plant ryegrass if temperature is cool enough and moisture is adequate. Begin grazing limpograss after first frost.

• Flood green-tree reservoirs 2-3 feet deep after the first hard freeze.

• Flood remaining moist soil units and diked crop acreage to ten inches.


Christmas Day New Year’s Eve

Christmas Bird Count

New Moon

Full Moon

Christmas Eve

Pearl Harbor Remembrance

First Day of Winter

Located along Fisheating Creek in southern Highlands County, the Westby Corporation ranch is a large agricultural operation involved in cattle ranching and citrus. The Westby Corporation has also established a conservation partnership with the US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, by placing a large section of the ranch under conservation easement through the Wetlands Reserve Program. Under this program, areas within the easement are planned to be restored to native habitat. Habitat restoration is currently ongoing, with many restoration activities taking place, including prescribed burning in rare habitats such as oak scrub, sandhill, dry prairie, and cutthroat flatwoods.


Cutthroat seeps on the Westby Corporation Wetlands Reserve Program easement. Photo by Luis Gonzalez.

Printed on recycled paper.

Enhancing wildlife habitat is a common interest among private landowners and many agencies and organizations. The partners contributing to this calendar provide a variety of landowner assistance throughout Florida. These partners are striving to improve services to landowners, including technical assistance, financial assistance, recognition, monitoring surveys and education. More information on assistance for landowners is available at: http://FloridaLandSteward.org/.

Web Florida Land Steward 2016

Documents

Transcript of Web Florida Land Steward 2016