The New York Forest Owners Association

06/15/2026

ForestConnect Webinar - 17 June 2026 - How to Weigh a Forest: Precision Forestry with LiDAR Technology


Details on how to connect to the forthcoming ForestConnect Webinar. The instructions below include the process for you to obtain your unique “registration id” for this month’s webinar. Note that webinars are live at noon and 7PM, for an hour each, but the meeting space is reserved from noon until 8PM. Your registration allows participation in either or both the noon and 7PM webinar, and from any computer.

SAF CFE credits have been requested or have been approved. You are able to request CEU credit documentation via the registration link below. You must connect as a participant to one of the live webinars. The webinar documents the duration of your participation. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.youtube.com/ForestConnect


How to Weigh a Forest: Precision Forestry with LiDAR Technology.
Presented by: Dr. Xiangtao Xu, Cornell University, Dept Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Wednesday June 17, 2026

Presentations at 12:00 to 1:00 PM and again at 7:00 to 8:00 PM (webinars may run long with questions)

Accurately estimating forest biomass is essential for effective forest management and smart land stewardship, yet traditional inventory methods are labor-intensive and often fall short of providing the precise data needed for decision-making. This webinar addresses the real-world challenges of biomass estimation and introduces a way forward using LiDAR technology. We will explore how modern tripod and backpack LiDAR systems allow foresters and forest owners to capture precise data, streamline field inventory, and move toward precision forestry practices.

Instructions:
Read all these instructions.
You need to register for each monthly webinar. There is unlimited space for participants, the ID simply provides you the necessary access. Obtain your registration ID via: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5IRFqn7oSYm5D-Vyqb8-3Q If prompted for a password use “Cornell”.
The registration page prompts you for information if you want CEU credits. You must register and attend the webinar > 20 minutes if you want to receive documentation for CEU credits.
After registration you will receive the link to the webinar and a password. Your registration is valid for either the noon or 7PM presentation. It should go without saying that you should retain that email.
The registration email you receive provides the link you will use the day of the webinar.

Title: How to Weigh a Forest: Precision Forestry with LiDAR Technology Description: Accurately estimating forest biomass is essential for effective forest management and smart land stewardship, yet traditional inventory methods are labor-intensive and often fall short of providing the precise data n...

06/12/2026

Hand pulling Japanese stiltgrass is a good technique for controlling small infestations.

06/12/2026

CCE Putnam is seeking a Natural Resources Program Coordinator.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County Natural Resources Program Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the Community Reforestation (CoRe) project and its volunteers at Tilly Foster Farm in Putnam County. The Coordinator works with the supervisor and staff, volunteers, towns, organizations and partners to coordinate and deliver educational programs and resources on diverse natural resource topics. These can include but are not limited to: forestry and silviculture, invasive species, arboriculture, ecosystem health & services, agroforestry, wildlife, recreation, conservation programs, forest asset protection, watersheds and water resources, climate change, and more. Topics can evolve based on environmental factors, community needs, and funding. The Coordinator facilitates these topics directly or works with partners to deliver educational programs and training.

This position also serves as a subject matter resource for the public, municipalities, volunteers, and others by serving on committees, compiling data, and distributing educational information through direct response, presentations, articles, reports, and social (and other media) platforms.

Please find the position listed on the CCE Careers pages and search forest or use this link provided here.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer

06/10/2026

https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/hidden-diversity-of-fireflies

In the deepening twilight, the pines edging my backyard merge into a wall of shadow. I hold my breath, staring hard into the darkness. Will they…

06/07/2026

How Ruffed Grouse Make That Awesome Drumming Sound All About Birds Martha Fischer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jFwdGho1IA Longtime audio archivist and recordist Martha Fischer of the Cornell Lab's Macaulay Library describes the thrilling sound of Ruffed Grouse drumming. Show Transcript [voiceover] Hearing a grouse drumming is… it’s just a cool experience. You’ll be walk...

06/07/2026

An estimated 37% of the forestland across the United States, excluding Interior Alaska, is controlled by family forest ownerships. This paper examines trends in family forest ownerships with 4 + ha (10 + ac) based on data from the 2013, 2018, and 2023 iterations of the USDA Forest Service’...

06/05/2026

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/top-three-signs-that-birds-are-nesting-near-you/

Mourning Doves on a nest under a building overhang in Arizona. Photo by Michael Sadat / Macaulay Library. Originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of Living Bird; updated and expanded April 2024. Finding a bird’s nest offers a rare chance to discreetly witness the intricacies of breeding

06/04/2026

A new way to eradicate the emerald ash borer beetle has emerged thanks to researchers at the U of M, and the solution could be found in the ash trees themselves.

06/02/2026

Hidley Farm Woodswalk sponsored by Capital District Chapter New York Forest Owners Association.

When: June 6th , 2026 gather at 9:00am walk at 9:30
Where: 287 Hidley Rd. Wynantskill, NY 12198

Forester Mary Spring will lead a walk on Hidley Farm with hosts Dick and Shari Gibbs who were founders of the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance, now the Hudson Taconic Lands. Come learn from some amazing people who have dedicated lives and careers in forest conservation and stewardship. This 150-acre piece is a living example of community forestry - neighbors cut and use the firewood, tap maple, and hay the fields. Generations have done the same.

See Dick’s written piece “Members’s Notebook” in the spring edition, chapter newsletter.

Sign up now before you forget!

RSVP to: [email protected]. Please let us know if you need any accommodations to participate. We have transportation options for folks with limited mobility.

06/01/2026

MyWoodlot helps you discover ways to care for your woods, find woodlot activities, identify trees, and how to avoid ticks and Lyme disease.