Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service | Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University

HTIRC - Hardwood Tree Improvement & Regeneration Center

Indiana Woodland Owners to Tour Purdue’s Nelson-Stokes-Lewman Property

Purdue forestry professor Mike Saunders describes the establishment of the regeneration study at a past Nelson-Stokes tour.

On October 31, Purdue Forestry & Natural Resources forestry staff will be hosting the Indiana Woodland Owner Conference at the department’s Nelson-Stokes-Lewman Woodland property in Putnam County.

This morning tour will visit the 162-acre property used for research and demonstration. Purdue foresters will discuss topics such as stiltgrass control, regenerating openings with desirable species, enrichment plantings to encourage more oak, management after a storm damage harvest and management of a mature oak woods.

One of the research projects on the property is aiming to establish Northern red oak, white oak, chinkapin oak and American Chestnut underplantings in forest openings. The HTIRC-funded project titled “Testing Efficacy of Enrichment Plantings for Stand Regeneration in Hardwood Forests” was recently described in the HTIRC 2024 annual report (page 7-8). Learn more about this tour and the conference on the IFWOA website.

An example of American chestnut fall coloration
An example of American chestnut fall coloration. Even small stump sprouts can be grafted into HTIRC seed orchards.

Two examples of American chestnut fall coloration. Even small stump sprouts like the one in the right-hand picture can be grafted into HTIRC seed orchards.