By Angela Gupta, University of Minnesota Extension, Rochester

There’s been some exciting activity around engaging female forest landowners in Minnesota. For years there’s been anecdotal information about the lack of women participants in forestry learning. Indeed far more men than women attend Woodland Advisor classes. Why? There are more women in the United States. Research tells us women live longer. During the Intergenerational Land Transfer class we learn about how important it is to get the whole family involved in forest management and ownership to ensure the desired long-term outcomes. So where are the ladies? Why aren’t they attending classes? Are they participating in forest management decisions?

Photo by Julie Miedtke

The University of Minnesota Extension provided seed money to create a steering committee to address this issue. As a result of 15 engaged women learning about female forest landowner education programs in Maine and Oregon, studying what little research is available on forest landowners and gender, and reviewing the literature on how men and women learn different the Minnesota Women’s Woodland Network was born. As I type work is being done to get an informational brochure together, work on the Network’s new website, and plan eight kitchen-table-gatherings across the state to try and engage these elusive ladies. The mission of this network is sustaining privately owned woodlands through education.

So how, you ask, is the MN Women’s Woodland Network different from the Woodland Advisor program- the Extension program that teaches forest landowners about forest management? Excellent question. Network organizers plan to nurture this network of active forest landowners through women friendly, low-key, learning activities that increase their comfort level enough to join the traditional Woodland Advisor classes and participate completely. This Network will not parallel Woodland Advisor classes, but rather help feed ladies into those classes and help get a more equal gender representation (and equal lines for the bathrooms). Also, hopefully this network will form into active groups of women that regularly meet and discuss forestry topics together; the more synergy a group can form the more sustainable and active they’re likely to be.

Photo by Julie Miedtke

Now you’re wondering: How can the University of Minnesota, an equal opportunity employer and provider, offer classes only for women? Another great question. First, anyone can attend these gatherings but they will be very women friendly. Organizers plan to create a safe environment for women to ask questions, explore topics they’ve never thought about before, and stretch their wings by flying through their forests.

Are you getting excited about this Network? Do you know of women who might be interested in joining? I hope so! Extension has provided funds to start the ball rolling. We plan to offer gatherings and get folks energized in three to four regions across the state in the next few months. The Network will be involved in the Minnesota Forestry Association’s annual meeting January 8^th and 9^th in Cloquet. We will be advertising these meetings but if you would like to get involved or know someone we should contact directly, please get a hold of either me: Angela Gupta, 507-280-2869, agupta@umn.edu or Julie Miedtke, 218-327-7365, miedt001@umn.edu.  We’d love to hear from you!

Tags: family forest, female, forest, landowner, Minnesota, network, owner, women, womens, woodland