Champlain Area Trails (CATS), in conjunction with Shirley Forests will present a free workshop on Saturday, August 20 at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall in Whallonsburg, NY from 10:30 am to 3 pm on sustainable forest management.

Speakers will include Frank Shirley, president and Tim Castner, vice president of Shirley Forests, Chris Maron, executive director of Champlain Area Trails, Gary Goff, retired from Cornell Extension, and Deborah Boyce, forestry consultant.

Shirley Forest was established in 1955 by Dr. Hardy L. Shirley, then Dean of the SUNY College of Forestry. In 1978 the forest was incorporated, and in 1980 management of the forest was passed on to his children, Frank C. Shirley, Jon H. Shirley, and Emily Castner who are currently in the process of passing the forest on to the third generation, with Timothy Castner as vice president and David Shirley as treasurer.

President Frank Shirley has a master’s degree in forestry from the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. He is a certified forester and a Fellow in the Society of American Foresters. Shirley Forest employs Northwood Forest Consultants, primarily Debby Boyce, to do the timber marking and administer the timber sales. It has a local logger working for about 3 to 4 months a year who selectively harvests about 200-250 acres each year.

The workshop will begin at 10:30 am with coffee, followed by brief presentations by the speakers. After lunch (provided), the group will be led on a “woods walk” through Shirley Forest land. There is no fee for this workshop, but pre-registration is required. Call the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) office (518) 962-2287 for more information and to register, or visit its website.

Photo provided.