CHENEY, Wash. — The Ponderosa Pine Field Day at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in Cheney will highlight the “web of life” surrounding a key tree species of the inland Pacific Northwest, Pinus ponderosa. Open to the public, the Sept. 10 field day is designed to educate property owners who have ponderosa pine on their property or who want to know more about this critical species.
Led by recognized natural resource experts, this is the first of a series of field tours highlighting tree species of the inland Pacific Northwest. The field day is being held in conjunction with the annual summer tour of the Spokane Chapter of the Washington Farm Forestry Association.
Highlights of the field day include explorations of the following topics:
- The natural history of the bioregion and how it has shaped the forest;
- The life history of ponderosa pine and the associated plant community;
- Ways to improve the forest’s resilency to key forest pests;
- Wildlife value of the ponderosa pine forest;
- Using fire as a forest management tool in the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.
Registration for the field day is $10 per person or family. Mail or drop off registration fee to WSU Spokane County Extension; 222 N. Havana St.; Spokane, WA 99202. Space is limited so register early. Please register by Sept. 2. The brochure and registration form are available at local WSU Extension offices or online at http://bit.ly/ndsXic.
Bring a lunch, a lawn chair, and dress for a walking tour. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge visitor center. The visitor center is south of Cheney, approximately 5 miles along S. Cheney Plaza Rd., then east 2 miles along S. Smith Rd. For a digital map, use the following link: http://bit.ly/turnbull-map.
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