*WINNER* Providing Resources for Female Forestland Owners

Abstract

Sixty-five percent of forestland in Tennessee is owned by women, either independently or jointly, but few women-focused resources are available. We worked in cooperation with the Tennessee chapter of The Nature Conservancy and developed curricula to provide educational opportunities specifically for women forestland owners. Topics include plant identification, invasive plant eradication and control, watershed and soil ecology, forest management, and estate planning. We also created two databases – one as a repository of forestland management resources, funding opportunities, and stewardship organizations for land owners, and the other to identify landowners of 10-100 acres in the Upper Cumberland. Access to the database of stewardship resources can enable private forest landowners to realize the full potential of their land and the opportunities available, while the database of landowners can be used for advertising the courses created for women. We provided both databases and the curricula to The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee for their use.