The Schuylkill County Conservancy will host a guided field trip to a managed woodlot near Cressona from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Sept. 28.

Most people believe that forests are healthy because they have lush greenery, but green vegetation does not make a woodlot healthy or sustainable.

A majority of Pennsylvania forest lands are overrun with invasive plants, over browsed by whitetail deer and overstocked with undesirable tree species.

Attendees will learn how to identify the signs of an unsustainable forest and what steps were taken to make the woodland sustainable by controlling the invasive plants, protecting the trees from deer damage and thinning the forest to increase sunlight to promote the desirable trees.

The tour will be on Stephen Zuk’s property. Zuk has been participating in the cerulean warbler habitat program to increase warbler habitat.

Zuk and Will Thomas, service forester for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will guide a walk so participants can see firsthand the woodland management practices implemented on the property.

The Schuylkill County Conservancy and Berks Nature Conservancy will discuss protecting lands for future generations.

The publication, “Regenerating Hardwood Forests: Managing Competing Plants, Deer, and Light,” will be available to all participants.

The tour is free and open to the public, woodland owners, Scouts working on forestry Merit Badges, Envirothon team students, conservationists and teachers.

Updates and directions are on the Schuylkill County Conservancy’s calendar, which is on the ourschuylkill.org website.

In the event of severe weather, the guided field trip will be canceled.