Woods Wise Wire
The Yankee Woodlot Demonstration Forest in Skowhegan is a collaborative effort of the Maine Forest Service, the Somerset County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands. It was established in the early 1980s to demonstrate woodlot management for multiple objectives, including production of high-quality forest products, creation and maintenance of diverse wildlife habitat, and pleasing aesthetics for recreational users. The most recent timber harvest was finished in the winter of 2018, coinciding with an update to the forest management plan.
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A trail system on the 238-acre property is designed to provide access during forestry workshops and work activities, as well as support public use. The shorter, interior loop trail is best suited for visitors, with new bridging and other improvements made by the Maine Conservation Corps in October 2019. The property is open to public use, including hunting, (visitors should wear blaze orange during deer season) but no unauthorized motorized vehicles are allowed.
The trailhead and parking are located at the Somerset County Cooperative Extension building, 7 County Drive, Skowhegan.
For more information, including blog posts and game cam pictures, visit https://www.somersetswcd.org/yankee-woodlot
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(Credit: Originally published in the Village Soup - Knox on January 7, 2020)
Jan 07, 2020
Federal gaming table by William Francis Brown of Camden.
ROCKPORT — "Maine Wood 2020" opens at the Messler Gallery at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, 25 Mill St., on Friday, Jan. 17. The opening reception and awards ceremony will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., and the public is welcome to attend.
"Maine Wood" is a juried, biennial exhibition designed to showcase the breadth, creativity and excellence of Maine’s woodworking community. “This is our seventh biennial,” said Peter Korn, executive director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. “I’m happy to say that woodworking is thriving in Maine.” For 2020 the Center received 76 submissions from 48 Maine artists and artisans.
Furniture makers in the show include Nick Barboza, Hampden; David Boyle, Bath; William Francis Brown, Camden; Sam Cotton, Rockland; Dev Flaherty, Camden; Sayer G. Houseal, Rockport; Saer T. Huston, Kennebunkport; Heide Martin, Appleton; Jeffery Mazur, Boothbay; Daniel Monsees, Burnham; Kevin Rodel, Portland; Osamu Sassa, Camden; Scott Stuart, Arrowsic; Clayton Thompson for Endeavour Craftsmen, Rockland; and Christina M. Vincent, North Haven.
Woodworkers, sculptors, carvers and turners are Steve Bartlett, Bath; Clara Cohan, Cape Elizabeth; Dennis Curtis, Augusta; William L. Janelle, Bridgton; George Partal, Bangor; Malcolm Ray, Damariscotta; and Chelsea Van Voorhis, Cushing.
Several of Maine’s leading craft associations co-sponsor "Maine Wood." These include Maine Crafts Association, Maine Woodturners, and Maine Woodworkers Association. Décor Maine is the exhibit’s media sponsor.
Prizes totaling $2,400 donated by generous corporate sponsors will be awarded at the opening reception. These include gift certificates from DMT Diamond Whetstones for "Best Original Design;" from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks for "Jurors’ Best in Show;" from Packard Woodworks for "Best Turned Object;" from Rare Woods, USA for "Best Use of Wood;" from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware of South Portland for "Outstanding Craftsmanship;" from Tools for Working Wood for "Best New Maker;" and from Woodcraft of Portsmouth for "Best in Furniture." There is also a cash prize from Holt & Bugbee for "People’s Choice."
Jurors for this year’s biennial were Heidi Earnshaw, a furniture maker in Toronto, Ont.; Tom Huang, a designer/maker and associate professor of design at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan.; and Jennifer Shirley, a woodturner/instructor in Plainfield, Ind.
The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship is a nonprofit, year-round school that offers courses in furniture making and related arts such as carving and woodturning. For more information and hours, call 594-5611, e-mail victoria@woodschool.org or visit woodschool.org.
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…The Maine Forest Service, or MFS, has 10 District Foresters who can speak with you, answer questions, and visit your land to provide free advice on woodland conditions, management options, and program opportunities. MFS provides workshops, field demonstrations, informational handouts, reports on forest conditions, and media presentations. Find your local District Forester here, or call 207 287-2791.
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