April 04 - April 05, 2019
Cobourg, Ont.

The Ontario Woodlot Association’s 26th Annual Woodlot Conference, Tour and Social is a two-day event in Cobourg, Ont.

Day 1 includes a Northumberland County Forest Tour. The half-day tour of the Northumberland County Forest is 20 minutes north of Cobourg. Led by our guide, Todd Farrell (Forest Manager, Northumberland County), we will walk and view the forest to discover the importance of first, second and third thinned plantations. We will also visit a post-burn site to discover the dynamic nature of fire as a silviculture tool on the landscape. It is a much-needed tool to recycle nutrients back into the soil and prepare the site for its future forest. Northumberland County Forest Services is responsible for managing approximately 2,225 ha (5,500 ac) of mainly forested land, known as the Northumberland County Forest.

The OWA Social will take place in the evening, from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Northumberland Room at Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn & Convention Centre. The Social will be a chance to meet your fellow woodlot owners and share your stories. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. We may hear a few words from the individual Chapters. Be sure to join the fun!

The 2019 OWA Woodlot Conference (AGM) will take place on Day 2 from 7:00 am-4:30 pm at The Lion’s Community Centre. The theme this year is “Working our Woodlots,” and topics include:

• The past, present and future of natural heritage in the Ganaraska Region Watershed, presented by Pam Lancaster, Stewardship Technician, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority
• Alone Across Canada’s Arctic, presented by Adam Shoalts, PhD, Explorer-in-Residence, Royal Canadian Geographical Society
• Plantation Management and Economics of Thinnings, presented by Tom Richardson, Lavern Heidemen & Sons Sawmill
• Tallgrass Woodland Awakening – Restoration Experiences in the Rice Lake Plains, presented by Val Deziel, Coordinator Conservation Biology, The Nature Conservancy of Canada