The most important benefit? Connecting with other like-minded volunteers.

Extension foresters in Minnesota want to spread the word about the UNH Cooperative Extension Coverts Project.

Bjorn Betzler, Woodland Owner Networks (WON) Project Coordinator at the University of Minnesota Forestry Extension, recently posted an interview with Malin Clyde, who coordinates the NH Coverts Project.

Here's a tidbit from the interview, which highlights one of the core values of Extension volunteer programs: other volunteers.

BB: What is the NH Coverts program all about?

MC: The NH Coverts Project trains wildlife volunteers to educate others about wildlife, habitats, and sound forest stewardship. The program is 16 years old, has trained almost 400 "Coverts Cooperators," and has volunteers working in over 120 communities in New Hampshire. UNH Cooperative Extension coordinates the program, whose principal support comes from the NH Fish & Game Department.

BB: What can you tell us about a "typical" member of NH Coverts?

MC: The program trains no more than 25 volunteers per year, and applicants are chosen based on several criteria including landownership and community involvement. The typical member owns 50+ acres of forestland in New Hampshire and serves on a town committee such as their town's conservation commission or a similar volunteer board.

BB: Why do you think your members are interested in other landowners' stories?

MC: We evaluated the NH Coverts years ago (read the evaluation report from 2002), and learned that the most important benefit of the Coverts Project to the participants was the opportunity to connect with other like-minded volunteers.

Since then, I've focused my attention on projects that connect the Coverts Cooperators to each other. I work to inspire the volunteers by sharing the stories of their fellow volunteers/landowners. We have tried things like a listserv, our "Making Tracks Newsletter", which focuses on sharing stories of volunteers, and Coverts Gatherings, which are landowner-hosted walks on Coverts Cooperators' properties.

As to why they are interested in each other, I assume it has something to do with inspiration that is accessible: "if they can do it, I guess I can too."

BB: What do you hope to accomplish by encouraging landowners to share their stories?

MC: See above, "inspiration" for our program, the focus is on managing land for wildlife habitat, particularly for those species of conservation concern. Seeing other landowners' projects, some of which are impressive, extensive, and complex (not to mention sometimes startling--large clear cuts, for example) makes a strong impression on other landowners.

My favorite recent quote, after we held a Coverts Gathering at a rural property on Memorial Day weekend, 2010: A fellow Coverts volunteer had to leave a little early and he took me aside and said, "Oh, I'm just ITCHING to get back to my place and try some of this stuff! You should always hold these events on holiday weekends! I actually have the time to go home and mess around on my property!"

Read the entire interview here

Learn more about the NH Coverts Project September training workshop coming soon.

About Woodland Owner Networks

Describing itself as a peer-to-peer natural-resource learning network, WON's members include forest landowners, nonprofit forest landowner associations, naturalists, Extension educators, researchers, and agency staff.

WON founder and University of Minnesota Extension Forester Eli Sagor says anyone can join the online network, which features blogs, interest groups (e.g., Research Working Group, Networking & Communicating), personal pages, event notices, photo galleries and more. Several New Hampshire landowners and natural resource professionals have already joined.

Explore the Woodland Owner Networks site