Public Interest: January 2009 Archives

The East Texas Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists will be holding a seminar on Forest Ecology and Management on Saturday, February 7, 2009, at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Nature Center in Tyler (11942 FM 848).  The seminar will begin at 9 AM and conclude by noon.  Cost is $10 per person to attend.

The presenter, Daniel Duncum, is a District Forester with the Texas Forest Service in Longview.  Daniel possesses a wealth of information and personal experience in both commercial and urban forestry. Information discussed during the seminar will range from the forested regions of Texas to the benefits of urban forests and their management. 

For more information or to register for this event please call Irene Hamel at (903) 566 - 9394.

Humans rely on trees for a multitude of requirements for living and conveniences that enhance the quality of life.  Wildlife and our natural resources rely upon trees as well.  Plan now to attend this seminar if you would like to learn more about trees and the East Texas outdoors.  This seminar is the first in a series that will be held monthly from February to May. 

For more information on the East Texas Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists, please visit http://www.woodduck.org. The chapter is planning to hold a training class for new members beginning in September. Attending these monthly seminars will be a great way to learn more about the Master Naturalist program and how you can get involved in this volunteer corps that donated over 1,400 hours of service to the East Texas community in 2008.

The East Texas Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Conference is a yearly event that addresses the needs of those who are producing fruits and vegetables on a large scale basis. Many of the techniques discussed at the conference can also be scaled down and used by the gardener. The conference, scheduled for February 17, will be held at the Rose Garden Center in Tyler.

This conference is structured with a morning general session and afternoon breakout sessions that focus on fruits, vegetables, and viticulture in more detail.

Topics for the morning session this year are: Incorporating Integrated Pest Management Strategies into Fruit and Vegetable Production; Marketing Fruits and Vegetables on a Larger Scale, Are You Country of Origin Labeling Compliant?; Herbicides Labeled for Use in Fruit and Vegetable Production; and Keeping Yourself Safe While Using Pesticides.

Topics for the afternoon breakout vegetable session are: Windows for Planting Recommended Crops and Varieties; Disease Updates; and Tunnel Houses and Mulching for Early Crop Production.

Topics for the afternoon fruit breakout session are: Orchard Site Selection and Variety Selection; and Blackberry Production.

Topics for the viticulture afternoon breakout session are: Starting a Vineyard; and Disease and Pest Management in East Texas.

Cost for the conference is $20 per person (includes lunch) at the door. Attendees with Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide licenses will receive 4 hours of continuing education credit (1 hour Integrated Pest Management, 1 hour Laws and Regulations, and 2 hours General).

Registration for the event will begin at 8 AM and the conference will adjourn at 3:30 PM. There will also be commercial vendors on hand throughout to provide attendees with updates on the latest products for fruit and vegetable production.

A complete agenda of the event is attached, but for more information please call 903-590-2980. The Rose Garden Center is located at 420 Rose Park Drive in Tyler.

2009ETxFruitVegConfAgenda.pdf 

The East Texas Turfgrass Conference, a yearly event that addresses the needs of those who manage turfgrass on a large scale (i.e. school districts, municipalities, and commercial lawn and landscape companies), is scheduled for Thursday, February 5, at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton. This conference also welcomes avid home lawn managers seeking tips and techniques that will make them the envy of the neighborhood.

This year's conference will feature the following topics: Turf Disease Control Updates and Proper Sampling Techniques of Diseased Areas; Aquatic Weed Control in Pond Features; The Identification of Common Turfgrass Problems in the Home Lawn; Weed Control in Home Lawns; Integrated Pest Management in Schools (with new law updates); Irrigation Efficiency; and Weed Control on Commercial Turf. The program will be capped with a question and answer panel discussion. There will also be commercial vendors on hand to showcase the latest in products and technologies in the turfgrass field.

Cost for the conference is $20 per person (includes lunch) and registration for the event will be at the door. Attendees with Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide licenses will receive 5 hours of continuing education credit (1 hour Integrated Pest Management and 4 hours General) for attending. Registration will begin at 8 AM and the conference concludes at 3 PM.

Click on the following brochure for a more detailed agenda and directions to the Overton Center. 2009EastTexasTurfgrassConferenceProgram.pdf

Texas Parks and Wildlife is planning a Wildlife Tax Valuation Workshop for Saturday, March 7, 2009, at the Gus Engling Wildlife Management Area near Tennessee Colony.

The meeting will last from 8:30 AM until approximately 4:00 PM.  The cost is $12 per person which includes breaks and a BBQ lunch.

For more information on the event and a map to the Gus Engling WMA, click on this flier:  Flyerwmap.pdf.

The Smith County Extension office will be sponsoring a workshop entitled 'Grow It and Stow It' on Thursday, January 15, 2009, in our meeting room located at 1517 W. Front Street, Ste# 116 (Smith County CottonBelt Building in Tyler). 

Grow It and Stow It will focus on the topics of backyard gardening and home food preservation.  Gardening, from planning to harvest will be discussed, as will the food preservation topics of food safety, freezing, dehydration, and canning. 

There will be a session offered at 9 AM and another session offered at 6 PM.  Cost is $10 per person or $15 per couple.  Please call 903-590-2980 to RSVP as space is limited to the first 50 registrants per session.