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Woods in Your Backyard
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Getting to Know Your Woods:
A Landowner's Primer
Chapter 2
Home Improvement for Wildlife:
Making Your Woods
Attractive to Wildlife
Chapter 3
Beauty and Adventure Out Your Backdoor:
A Place for Fun and Reflection
Chapter 4
From Mushrooms to Maple Syrup:
Specialty Products from Your Woods
Chapter 5
Safe, Safer, Safest:
Be Aware of Woodland Hazards
Chapter 6
Being a Friend to Your Woods:
Protecting Your Land from Damage
Chapter 7
Neighborly and Family Relations:
Benefits of Working Together
Chapter 8
Turning Great Ideas into Action:
Planning is the Key!
Glossary
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Publications Page
Forest Policy and Management Division
Maine Forest Service
Department of Conservation
Sumac
Chapter 1

Getting to Know Your Woods:
A Landowner's Primer

Have you ever wondered why trees do what they do?
For example:

* Why does the stately sugar maple out in the yard have a white shelf mushroom growing out of the lower trunk? Will it kill the tree? Is it safe to hang a swing from one of its branches?

* Why did many of your large balsam fir trees die in the last ten years?

* Is there anything you should know before planting a weeping willow in the front yard?

* Fallen trees and dead branches look so messy. Do they have any value?


Not all woodlands are alike, but a basic understanding of how the woods grow will give you an idea what activities you can realistically pursue on your own property. Many terms introduced and defined here will come up again in other publications about trees and forests. These terms are also defined in the glossary for easy reference.

Download the complete chapter:
Chapter 1. Getting to Know Your Woods: A Landowner's Primer
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