The Woodlot Owner of the Year Award recognizes landowners for outstanding stewardship of their land, provides a forum for woodland owners to learn from other respected landowners and increases public awareness of the importance of private woodlots in Nova Scotia. Woodlot owners are selected based on their efforts to meet sustainable goals, improving their knowledge of woodland management, maintaining or improving the health of their woodland, and considering a variety of values on their land. This is the 17th year for the award, and the winners are a testament to the land ethic of Nova Scotians as well as the diversity of woodlots and owners in the province.

Meet the Winners:

Central and Provincial Winners
Duncan and Laurie Johnson
South Maitland, Hants County

Congratulation to Duncan and Laurie Johnson of South Maitland, Hants Co, the 2006 Provincial Woodlot Owners of the Year. The Johnsons were chosen as the Central Region winners in May and were recently selected as the provincial winners from regional winners in central, Easter and Western Nova Scotia.

Duncan and Laurie have been involved in Forestry for almost 20 years, and their experience and knowledge is evident in their woodland management. The Johnsons have demonstrated that there are more than trees in the woods. Their other activities include river rafting, walking trails, Christmas wreaths made by Laurie Johnson and many others. For the Johnsons, the land is their passion. The Johnsons have worked with the Department of Natural Resources to write a management plan for their woodlot, and have also completed all the 13 home study series modules offered by the Department of Natural Resources. This illustrates their commitment to sustainable forest management . The Johnsons have decided to leave part of their property of uneven age , Acadian forest , for conservation , and the protection of the Shubenacadie river bank. The Johnsons are always open to the public and ready for woodland information sharing.

A field day is planned for Duncan and Laurie Johnson’s woodlot on September 30th ,2006. The field day will include information display for woodland owners, award giving ceremony, equipment demonstration, boat tour on Shubenacadie river, thinning and pruning demonstrations, hardwood management, portable sawmill and value added and non-timber forest products. Plans are underway to make this event wheelchair accessible.

For more information please contact:

Don Cameron - (902) 893- 5629, email : camerods@gov.ns.ca
or
Simon Mutabazi - (902) 424- 5444, email :woodlot@gov.ns.ca

Western Region Winner
Tom Ernst, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg County

Tom Ernst, of Mahone Bay, Lunenburg Co, is the 2006 western region winner. Tom Ernst, a former employee of the Department of Natural Resources, has been managing his woodlot for 39 years. Beside his commitments, Tom attributes his success story to his crew members, who have been working with him for more than 20 years.

A field day is planned at his woodlot on September 16th , the field day will have shearing, tagging and spacing demonstrations, pre-commercial thinning, commercial thinning of woodlands, portable saw mill, fire protection and safety measurers, red pine stand, display and information sharing opportunities.

For more information please contact:

Maurice Comeau - (902) 245 - 2164, email comeaump@gov.ns.ca
or
Simon Mutabazi - (902) 424 - 5444, email woodlot@gov.ns.ca

Eastern Region Winner
Eldon Taylor, West Side Lochaber, Antigonish County

Eldon Taylor of The West Lochaber, Antigonish Co, is the 2006 Eastern Regional Winner. Eldon Taylor has two woodlots, one of them is over 50 years old. Over the years, Eldon has harvested over mature spruce areas before they were lost to insects and wind throw. He now has many impressive acres of spruce and pine plantations. Eldon has some 75 acres of Christmas trees that he established soon after his retirement, some twenty years ago. What a brave man!

In spite of all the effort he has put into forest management over the years, Eldon enjoys the woods and abundant wildlife he sees on lands.
A field day is planned for Eldon’s woodlot on September 23rd2006. The field day will include information display, Christmas tree management practices, ravine walk, hard wood grading/management including selection harvesting, a pruning demonstration, and harvesting and wildlife habitat regulations.

For more information please contact:

Tim Bailey - (902) 863 - 7373, email baileyta@gov.ns.ca
or
Simon Mutabazi - (902) 424 - 5444, email woodlot@gov.ns.ca

Plan to attend upcoming field days on their woodlots:

September 16 - Mahone Bay, Lunenburg County, Western region field day.
September 23 - West Side Lochaber, Antigonish County, Eastern region field day.
September 30 - South Maitland, Hants County, Central and Provincial field day.

Directions:

For September 16th WOYA field day in Mahone Bay, Lunenburg Co, at Tom Ernst’s woodlot :

From Halifax, take HWY # 103 west to exit 10(Mahone Bay/Matins River)
Turn right at stop and proceed west 1.5 km towards Mahone Bay.
Turn right on Clearland Road(just before Tourist Bureau and 3 churches)
Continue along the clearland road and woodstock Rd to the Ernst woodlot at Spondo (11km).

From Bridgewater, take Hwy #103 east to exit #11(Mahone Bay /Lunenburg)
Turn right at stop and travel along 324 to flashing light,
turn left at flashing light and proceed east to Mahone Bay.
At Mahone Bay turn left on Clearway street, continue along Clearway street and Woodstock road to the Ernst woodlot at Spondo (11km)



For September 23rd WOYA field day in west Lochaber, in Antigonish Co, at Eldon Taylor’s woodlot:

From the Trans Canada 104 Highway at the lights near St. F. X. University,
head south on the #7 highway towards Sherbrooke and the Eastern shore for 30 km.
Then turn right to West Lochaber (just a few hundred meters past the intersection with the 276 to Goshen), cross a bridge and go right for one km.

For September 30th WOYA field day in South Maitland, in Hants Co, at Duncan and Laurie Johnson’s woodlot:

From Truro (20 minutes), travel west on Robie St.; Take Exit 14 off Highway 102 to Route 236 via Old Barns to Gosse Bridge.
Turn right on route 215 to South Maitland, look for 10061.

From Halifax (60 minutes), on Highway 102; Take Exit 10 at Shubenacadie,
left to route 215, to South Maitland, look for 10061.

Nova Scotia
Woodlot Owner Of the Year Award,
honouring outstanding woodlot stewardship since 1990