Healthy Forests Guides

Resources for Forestry Professionals

Audubon Mid-Atlantic’s Healthy Forests Program functions as a regional component of National Audubon Society’s Working Lands conservation strategy, where we collaborate with landowners, land managers, government agencies, and private industry to increase the quality of habitat on private and public lands. We focus on engaging landowners, training the professional forestry community, and improving forest health through strategic conservation planning.

Implementing bird-friendly forestry that is sustainable and meets multiple objectives is both science and art. At Audubon Pennsylvania, we recognized the need for a published guide that presented the science in a way that was actionable, and provided options and scenarios that addressed the need for flexibility. In September 2020, we completed work on a major new publication, titled Healthy Forests: A Bird-based Silvicultural Guide for Forestry Professionals. Healthy Forests and its companion Pocket Guide are intended for consulting foresters, agency-based foresters, natural resource professionals, and decision makers. Together, they focus on:

Teaching the natural history of priority forest birds and describing their habitat needs.
Reviewing the stand- and landscape-scale forest management practices used to create the desired habitat conditions, while still meeting timber, recreation, and other goals.
Working with landowners who are interested in birds and finding ways to financially support non-commercial management actions.
Providing example scenarios that show “real life” context for bird-friendly forest management.

Use the links below to download our series of Healthy Forests guides for forestry professionals.

Healthy Forests: A Bird-based Silvicultural Guide for Forestry Professionals	Healthy Forests Quick Start Guide for Forestry Professionals	Forest Bird Pocket Guide: 18 Priority Species for Pennsylvania Foresters & Landowners