ACES - Forestry, Wildlife, & Natural Resources

Managing land for upland game birds? 🌲 The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) needs specific habitat conditions to thrive. Read the full guide on population monitoring and conservation practices from Alabama Extension: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/game-management-the-american-woodcock/ 📚🦆

Proper chainsaw safety and maintenance are essential skills for landowners, forestry workers, and outdoor enthusiasts! 🪚

Join us for a free two-day Chainsaw Safety Training event in Conecuh County:

📅 Day 1 (Classroom Session): September 8, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Limited to 50 participants)

📅 Day 2 (Field Session): September 9, 2026 (Entry by request only; limited capacity)

📍 Location: Evergreen Depot, 100 Depot Square, Evergreen, AL 36401

👤 Registration: Must be 18+ to register.

If you plan to attend Day 2, you MUST register directly with Jessica Baldwin to confirm your spot.

Jessica Baldwin at 334-752-1194 or [email protected].

Understanding common forestry terms can help you feel confident when managing your land or selling timber. 🌲

Read our simple guide to learn key terms every forest landowner should know:
🔗 https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry/common-forestry-terms-for-the-forest-landowner/

We are looking for our next lead teacher for the amazing Woodland Wonders Nature Preschool. This is a full-time position with Auburn University. Applicants need to have a love for the outdoors and a background in education or the natural resources. Email any questions to [email protected].

🌱 Perilla Mint (Perilla frutescens)
Part of the mint family (Lamiaceae), this species is an herbaceous annual w**d with square stems and highly aromatic leaves.
Perilla mint typically reaches an average height of 2 feet, but can grow up to 5–6 feet tall.
Leaves are oppositely arranged with coarsely serrated edges. A key identification feature is the purple tint commonly found on the undersides of the leaves and along upper leaf margins.
Flower spikes appear from late July through early September. These spikes can grow up to 6 inches long and hold clusters of small white-to-purple flowers.
Adaptable to various soil and sunlight conditions, dense populations can thrive in moist, semi-shaded locations like riparian areas and wooded understories, as well as fertile soil near livestock areas, or pastures.
Also known as beefsteak plant or Chinese basil, it has a long history of culinary, medicinal, and ornamental use. However, its ability to escape cultivation makes it a concerning non-native species. Perilla ketones within the plant are highly toxic to cattle, horses, and other ruminants if ingested. Late summer and fall pose the highest risk as toxicity increases during the plant's reproductive stage—coinciding with times of lower forage availability or diminished forage quality, and during the period when livestock are regularly seeking shade. Read more about this plant, potential toxicity to livestock, and control options in the ACES article "Perilla Mint: A Toxic Threat to Livestock." 🔗 https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/perilla-mint-a-toxic-threat-to-livestock/
🌿 Join the 2026 Year of Alabama Invasive Plants Project to raise awareness, improve identification skills, and take action against invasive species. Visit the ACES Year of Alabama Invasive Plants Project to learn more and take the pledge.

🌲 What role do pine beetles play in southern pine mortality?

Join Dr. Brian Sullivan, research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station, for the Forest Health Webinar, “Pine Beetles: Major Drivers of Southern Pine Mortality.”

📅 August 17, 2026
⏰ 1 p.m. CT
💻 Free and online
🎓 CFE & PLM credit available

Registration is required. Learn more and register here:
🔗 https://auburn.zoom.us/meeting/register/exvQA53eT52pMQ_U8wBKeg

One of the best and unsung native shrubs of Alabama is the Summersweet or Sweet Pepperbush. It’s in bloom right now and has a delicate sweet fragrance.
For most of the year the shrub is a quiet dark green plant, then, in the hottest months of the summer it’s suddenly in bloom. This is somewhat rare for native shrubs in Alabama. The plant likes moist soil, so soggy patches like streams, edges of bogs, or just a damp place where the air conditioner drips are prime growing spaces.
Summersweet is usually around 3 to 4 feet tall and tends to spread around a bit, so you end up with a patch twice as wide as tall. If you don’t want it to spread, be sure to prune off the shoots outside of its space. The new shoots are also a great way to propagate the shrub by digging them out and replanting them.
Summertime is a period known as a nectar dearth. Pollinators must search harder for nectar and pollen. Plants that do flower over summer often don’t produce much nectar, or the nectar is washed away by our thunderstorms. Summersweet’s bloom schedule practically insures you’ll see butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
The flowers are in spikes and range from pale white (most common) to light pink. Nurseries have worked with this shrub, and you can get a range of colors from a slightly yellow white through a deep pink. Foliage variations and different heights are available too.
The shrub also has quite a history with native peoples using it for medicine and soap. Yes, soap, you can wet the flower spikes and rub them between your hands to generate a lather to wash with. There are some historical references that say sailors used to look forward to smelling the Summersweet on the breeze to let them know they were close to land.

Join us in Decatur on September 1 for the ForestHER Workshop 🌲 designed for women forest owners and open to anyone interested in learning more about forest and wildlife management. Spend the day learning about management plans, prescribed fire, markets, carbon programs, forest stand improvement, and more. Indoor presentations and a field tour are included. Pre‑registration is required, and the $30 fee covers lunch, drinks, and handouts. 🌿
🔗 Register at www.aces.edu/go/ForestHER-morgan

Join us at the Weogufka Center for Arts, Entertainment and Education on September 12th at 9:00 am for a hands‑on wild pig workshop featuring trapping and management tips, breaking down a pig carcass, herbs that pair well with pork, and safe food preparation. Kids activities will be available, and all ages are welcome. The workshop is now free for everyone, and registration is still required. 😁🐷

🔗🔗 www.aces.edu/go/6615