TWILIGHT WOODS WALK
Date	Thursday, August 12, 2010 6:00 p.m.
Location	Campbell Farm and Woodlot 111 Plainwoods Road Moosup Valley - Foster, RI The Campbell farm is located just west of the intersection of Moosup Valley Road and Cucumber Hill Road. MAP
Description	The RI Forest Conservator's Organization is celebrating its 20th Anniversary by re-visiting its first program site for its annual Summer Twilight Woods Walk. RIFCO first visited the Campbell woodlot back in 1990 as the site of its first Spring Program.  We viewed the antique galamander in the unique 3 story barn that's built into ledge.  What's a galamander, you might ask. It was pulled by a team of oxen to lift boulders out of the ground, and you'll have to see it to believe it. The walk will include woodlands that are being managed for improved habitat diversity with a small clearcut that is accessed by a well-maintained trail system. Tree identification and wildlife topics will be covered during the walk.
Registration	The program is free of charge, and there is no need to register.

 RECENT EVENTS ...

RIFCO SPRING PROGRAM
Date	Saturday, May 8, 2010 8:30am - 12:00 noon
Location	Greene Company woodlands Perry Hill Road Coventry, RI Perry Hill Road is opposite the western end of Harkney Hill Road (RI Route 118) at Route 102. The program location is 1.5 miles west of Route 102. Directions to the site are available by calling RIFCO at (401)568-3421. MAP
Description	The program will feature a walk through an interior forest landscape that is in various stages of management for forest products, wildlife habitat, and protection of the water source that feeds Greene Company's cranberry bogs. The walk will be led by local forester Hans T. Bergey, the consulting forester for the Greene Company. He will show us areas where Red pine was harvested, the work of beavers on a large bog, some invasive plant problems, and a white pine stand that is home to what might be some of the tallest white pines in the state.
Registration	The RIFCO Spring Program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

SCITUATE RESERVOIR WATERSHED PUBLIC FIELD TOUR
Date	Saturday, February 20, 2010 9:00am - 12:00 noon
Location	We will meet at 9:00 AM in the parking lot on the south side of the road across from Trinity Church at 251 Danielson Pike, 0.5 mile west of the intersection with Route 116. A portable restroom will be available.
Description	Have you or your family ever wanted to see more of the forest around the Scituate Reservoir or wondered about the logging and other activities going on there? Providence Water is beginning a series of seasonal field tours that are free and open to the public. Each of these tours will visit a different part of the property and combine an outdoor walk with information on topics including current land management projects, natural history and the environment, and past settlement & land use history. The first of these tours will take place in the forest on the west side of the Horseshoe Dam near the village of North Scituate. A sugarbush has been established here to collect maple sap for making maple syrup. At this time of year the sap will be flowing, so we will get a full tour of the maple tapping operation. We'll share more information about what this area used to be like before the reservoir system was established and point out signs of historic settlement. We will then hike along a woods road to the site of a current timber harvest and discuss the forest management goals we are trying to accomplish with this project. The length of the walk is approximately 2.5 miles and participants should wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for being outdoors in winter weather. Both adults and children are welcome, but no pets please. Participants will need to sign a liability release. In case of heavy rain or snow, the field tour will be postponed to the same time on the following Saturday, February 27. Registrants will be notified if the event is postponed with an email or phone call by 4 PM on Friday, February 19. The public watershed lands near the Scituate Reservoir are closed to unauthorized access for security reasons.
Registration	Reservations are required to join the field tour and can be made by registering online at the Providence Water website ( http://www.provwater.com) or by calling Forest Supervisor Christopher Riely at (401) 521-6300 x 7313. An email address or phone number for each participant group is required in case it is necessary to contact registrants with additional information regarding the event.

RIFCO'S WOODLAND OWNER'S WORKSHOP SERIES 2010 SERIES INCLUDES UPDATED TOPICS
Dates	Saturday, January 30, 2010 Saturday, February 6, 2010 Saturday, February 13, 2010 Saturday, February 20, 2010 8:30am - 12:00 noon OPTIONAL: Saturday, February 27, 2010 Field trip, weather permitting, at the RIFCO Demonstration Woodlot
Location	Hope Community Center Hope Village Scituate, RI DIRECTIONS
Description	The RI Forest Conservator's Organization (RIFCO) will be presenting its popular four-morning series of workshops on woodland management topics this coming winter on four successive Saturday mornings beginning January 30th. This year's sessions include information on new and emerging markets, including biomass harvesting and carbon credits, as well as a new session on invasive plants. Each workshop in the series features presentations on various land management topics, including planning, surveying, soils and mapping, wildlife habitat, invasive plants, the art and science of silviculture, the correct ways of going about the process of conducting timber harvesting, as well as a session on the safe use of chain saws in your woods. The topics will be presented by local scientists and professionals in the field, including foresters, biologists, a surveyor, a soil scientist, and state forestry officials. An optional field trip will be offered, weather permitting, on February 27 at the RIFCO Demonstration Woodlot, located on Howard Hill Road in Foster. Some of the workshop topics will be demonstrated at the woodlot. According to Paul Boisvert, president of RIFCO, "the workshops will help you realize more profit and enjoyment from your woodlands. We hope this learning experience will encourage future conservation of Rhode Island's forest resource." CLICK HERE FOR AGENDA
Registration	Pre-registration for the workshops is requested, along with a fee of $15 per workshop or $50 for all four. For RIFCO members, the fee is $10 per workshop or $30 for all four. The February 27 outdoor workshop is available free of charge, even if you haven't attended any of the indoor sessions. For more information and a registration form, please call RIFCO at (401) 568-3421. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

RIFCO ANNUAL DINNER
Date	Saturday, November 21, 2009
Location	Elks Hall Rte. 3 West Greenwich, RI
Description	To be posted
Registration	To be posted
Contact	For more information: Marc Tremblay, RIFCO Outreach Coordinator 401.568.3421 info@rifco.org

FAMILY LAND CONVERSATIONS Effective Communication Strategies for Estate Planning and Inheritance Decisions
Date	Saturday, November 14, 2009 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location	Hotel Northampton 36 King Street Northampton, MA 413-268-8219
Description	With Olivia Boyce-Abel of Family Lands Consulting This seminar will be a rare opportunity to learn from one of the leading experts in the field about how to manage family communication issues in estate planning and land conservation conversations. The principal audience for the workshop is landowners and their family members, though land trust staff, board members, foresters, and anyone interacting with landowners will learn valuable strategies for how to encourage healthy communication and trust in making decisions about family lands, as well as: How to initiate family conversations about the transfer of your land Different ownership and management structures that work over the long haul Where to go for help & which professionals you need on your team How to lay out a plan to keep your land in your family Olivia Boyce-Abel has over 25 years of experience working with individuals and families across the country on issues of estate planning and land transfer. Ms. Boyce-Abel has in-depth experience dealing with property stewardship, multiparty ownership and dispute resolution, and excels in working with family dynamics to foster creative solutions. This conference is sponsored by UMass Extension, The Trustees of Reservations Highland Communities Initiative, Mount Grace, the MA Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and MA DCR.
Registration	$20 per person, $50 per family. Pre-registration required. For more information or to download a registration form, visit www.masswoods.net.

RI TOWER DAY
Date	Saturday, October 17, 2009 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location	Chopmist Fire Tower Scituate, RI
Contact	For more information: 401.647.3367

RI TREE FARM PROGRAM'S ANNUAL FALL TOUR In Conjunction with the RI Coverts Project
Date	Saturday, October 17, 2009 8:30 AM
Location	25 Hartford Pike (Route 101) Foster, RI
Contact	More information & directions CLICK HERE

RI SAF WALK IN THE WOODS
Date	Thursday, October 15, 2009 9:00am - 12:00 Noon
Location	Scituate Reservoir Scituate, RI
Contact	For more information: 401.647.3367

WALKTOBER OPEN HOUSE
Date	Saturday, October 10, 2009 8:00am - 2:00pm
Location	Hull Forest Products Pomfret, CT
Contact	For more information: Marc Tremblay, RIFCO Outreach Coordinator 401.568.3421 info@rifco.org

RIFCO'S SUMMER TWILIGHT WOODS WALK HABITAT RESTORATION AT TILLINGHAST POND MANAGEMENT AREA
Date	Thursday, August 6, 2009 @ 6:30pm
Location	Tillinghast Pond Management Area Plain Road East Greenwich, RI Map & Directions
Description	The RI Forest Conservator's Organization is conducting its annual Summer Twilight Woods Walk at the Tillinghast Pond Management Area on Plain Road in West Greenwich. The meeting site is the new parking area for the pond's access ramp and trailhead. The event will include a walk into an area that is currently being treated to provide habitat diversity and to restore some declining habitat types, such as pitch pine scrublands. Tree identification and wildlife topics will be covered during the walk. This year's guest speaker and walk leader is Bruce Payton, a forester with the RI DEM, Division of Forest Environment, and Tim Mooney, Preserve Manager with The Nature Conservancy. The Tillinghast Pond Management Area was purchased in 2007 by The Nature Conservancy, the State of Rhode Island, and the Town of West Greenwich. It is managed by a multi-agency council according to a Forest Stewardship Plan. This habitat cut is the first operation on the Management Area, besides the installation of parking sites and access trails. The program is free of charge, and there is no need to register.
Contact	For more information: Marc Tremblay, RIFCO Outreach Coordinator 401.568.3421 info@rifco.org

RIFCO SPRING PROGRAM
Date	Saturday, May 9, 2009 @ 9:00am (rain date: May 16)
Location	Hillsdale Road, West Kingston, RI Map & Directions
Description	Walk through Millar family's woodlands, currently undergoing Timber Stand Improvement work by Dana Millar. USDA funding being provided for TSI and road work. Various stages of the process available for viewing, as well as equipment utilized, and a portable sawmill will be present.
Registration	Contact: Marc Tremblay, RIFCO Outreach Coordinator 401.568.3421 info@rifco.org
Contact	For more information: Marc Tremblay, RIFCO Outreach Coordinator 401.568.3421 info@rifco.org

WINTER WORKSHOP ON WOODY BIOMASS
Date	Saturday, February 21, 2009 8:00am - 2:00pm
Location	Ponaganset Middle School Glocester, RI
Description	Presentations, Lunch, and Tours of Wood-Burning Heating Plant Generation of heat and electricity utilizing woody biomass is part of our alternative energy future, as well as our history. The issues surrounding the use of wood for energy will be the subject of several presentations at RIFCO's Woody Biomass workshop. The morning workshop will be followed by lunch, and attendees will be able to view the new woodchip burning heating system recently installed at the new middle school serving the towns of Foster and Glocester. Featured speakers include state forester Catherine Sparks, who will speak at a general session, regional experts on air quality and market trends, as well as local residents involved in the inclusion of the biomass heating system in the construction of the Ponaganset schools. There are two tracks of half-hour presentations, one geared for the general public and a more technical track for professionals in the wood industry. The workshop is being co-sponsored by RIFCO, the RI DEM, Division of Forest Environment, the RI Resource Conservation & Development Council, and the RI Tree Farm Program. CEU's available. RIFCO is a private, non-profit forest landowner's association dedicated to the protection of Rhode Island's forest resources.
Registration	Registration for the workshop is required, along with a $30 registration fee ($25 for RIFCO members). Register by Mail - Pay by Check Register Online - Pay by Check or Credit Card
Contact	For more information: Marc Tremblay, RIFCO Outreach Coordinator 401.568.3421 info@rifco.org