Traditional forestry management programs often do not meet the needs of women.

Our Women and Their Woods program serves to educate and support women landowners. Annual workshops provide information on topics like forest ecology, management and restoration, native plants, wildlife, financial benefits of forest stewardship, and options for preservation.

“My own desire to delve into forestry stewardship originated from a lifelong emotional connection with the land. Participating in a women-only workshop allowed me to translate that connection into a well-defined vision of my forest’s potential.”
— Susi Tilley, Executive Director

Our WaTW programs feature prominent speakers who are leaders in their fields, such as past presenters:

  • Leslie Sauer, Author, “The Once and Future Forest: A Guide To Forest Restoration Strategies”

  • Sara Webb, Professor Emeritus, Biology and Environmental Science, Drew University/Former Director, Drew Forest Preserve

  • Sharon Wander, Trustee, RVC / Wander Ecological Consultants

  • Tricia Aspinwall, The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey

REFLECTING ON WATW 2022

The Ridge and Valley Conservancy is devoted to Women and Their Woods (WaTW) programming designed to bring together and educate women who own and care about woods (or don’t own, but care about woods). Why?

Because women are responsible for many acres of woodland in New Jersey and RVC wants to help these women confidently steward their land, plan for their forest’s long-term health, and earn property tax benefits for their stewardship. Moreover, women who learn more about their forests enjoy them even more! And it may not surprise you to hear that women report feeling especially comfortable in an educational setting that is 100% women.

Attendees of RVC’s 2019 or 2021 WaTW workshops saw amazing photographs and heard from prominent experts on many topics including the wildlife in and around forests, threats from deer and invasive plants, and the ecological importance of dead trees, old trees, and plant communities. Types of Farmland Assessment plans and different ways to preserve property forever were also addressed. (And yes, the experts were all female except for a certified Forester).

Most exciting to me was learning about moths and even smaller creatures that have evolved to use just one species of tree and how many of these creatures have other creatures that depend in turn on them. It can get graphic - like tiny wasps that insert their eggs into caterpillar larvae who then get eaten from the inside out by the wasp offspring. It is fascinating to hear about and try to imagine the countless interdependencies and dramas going on in my woods that I don’t know about!

Recently RVC held a WaTW morning workshop aimed at hands-on learning to identify invasive plants in the autumn and ways to eradicate or control these plants, both with and without herbicides. I enjoy controlling invasive plants (it’s outside, not too hard), and really enjoy seeing native plants grow up instead. From WaTW I’ve learned about tools that are both super-effective and easy for me to use (loving my Sawzall!). I just wish I had known more years ago.

While the learning is immensely valuable, I must admit that a big draw of Women and Their Woods events for me is not the education. It’s the camaraderie. One attendee last fall choked up as she introduced herself and said that she couldn’t describe how good it felt to be surrounded by women who love their woods and don’t look at her like she’s crazy. Amen to that.

Chris Hepburn, RVC Trustee

Did you know?

Women make decisions for 44 million acres of America’s family forest land — 58% of woodland properties have at least one woman listed as a sole, primary, or secondary owner.

  • Between 2006 and 2013, the percentage of family forest ownerships indicating women as the primary decision maker for the property increased from 11% to 22%, covering 44 million acres of forest land (Butler et al. 2016a, Butler et al. 2016b). 

  • Women are less likely than men to harvest timber for commercial sale, manage for wildlife habitat, participate in cost-share programs, have a conservation easement on their wooded land, obtain green certification, participate in tax abatement programs, or simply get advice about their wooded land (Butler et al. in review).

  • Interviews conducted with natural resource professionals who are actively engaging with female family forestland owners indicated that “traditional” programs geared towards forest owners do not meet the needs of women, despite their interest in conservation (Huff in press).