Forester plans walks, talks about boreal forest, wood products

Inner bark of a spruce tree shows geometric tracks left by an infestation of spruce bark beetles.
Photo by Andrey Zhuravlev, iStock
Spruce bark beetles leave distinctive trails on trees. Learn about the boreal forest and products such as firewood and artwork that come from these trees.

Join the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service’s outreach forester for a walk in Southcentral ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s boreal forest. Glen Holt will identify common trees and shrubs, discuss basic boreal forest biology and small woodlot forest management, and outline principles of wildfire defensible space, among other topics. 

The walks will be hands-on and interactive. Please wear appropriate outdoor clothing. Rain gear, rubber boots and insect repellent are recommended. Participants must be 12 or older. No dogs, please.

The first walk begins on July 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot near the trail entrance to Abbott Loop Community Park, 8101 Elmore Road, Anchorage. Register at .

On July 18, at 6 p.m., Holt will lead a walk in Palmer, from the Snodgrass Hall parking lot at Mat-Su College. Register at . 

Holt also will hold two workshops in conjunction with the Wasilla Soil & Water Conservation District.

On July 19, Holt will discuss options for using wood from beetle-killed spruce trees. Local artist Jeremy Franklin will describe how he has used beetle-killed spruce wood in his artwork and other projects, and some possibilities for future use. The free presentation begins at 6 p.m. and will be held in person at the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Matanuska Experiment Farm in Palmer, 1509 S. Georgeson Road, as well as online via Zoom. Registration closed for this session. 

On July 20, Holt will give a free presentation on the how and the why of using seasoned, dry firewood for wood stoves and cordwood boilers for efficient home and facility heating. The workshop begins at 6 p.m. and will be held in person at the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Matanuska Experiment Farm in Palmer, 1509 S. Georgeson Road, as well as online via Zoom. Registration closed for this session. 

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Theresa Isaac at 907-745-3360 and tmisaac@alaska.edu.

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