What’ll It Be?

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Landowner Janet Tallichet shares her Texas woodlands with a small group of visitors.

Credit: Susan Stutts

There are many ways to share your woods. You can invite your friends and family for a lunch under the trees, or you can plan an organized tour for schools, community groups or the public at large.

Don’t know who to invite or what kind of event to host? These simple questions can help you decide:

Whom do I want to invite? Just my friends or family members, or would I feel comfortable with a larger group?

The answer to this question depends on how comfortable you are with granting access to the public, how much time and energy you can put into planning the event, and what you'd like your visitors to take away from the experience. It’s easier to plan a small event focused on family and friends, and that can be a good way to start if you’re just beginning to think about access to your woods. Bigger events can mean more preparation, but they also give you more opportunities to raise public awareness of forests and what it takes to preserve them.

It’s OK to just invite family members, and it’s also OK to invite your entire community. You should provide the level of access you’re comfortable with.

What do I want to share with visitors? Do I want them to see a recent accomplishment (for example, a newly thinned or restored area), a favorite spot in my woods, or something I’ve learned from managing my land? Or, do I just want everyone to have a good time under the green canopy?

If your goals include sharing something you’ve learned or addressing a “hot topic” in land management, you may want to open your event to a larger audience that can benefit from what you know.

When would I like to hold my event, and how much time does that leave me to plan?

Some times of year are a natural choice for a walk in the woods. The fall offers colorful foliage, for example, and the spring shows off a forest in bloom. But any time you’re available and willing to share your woods is a good time.

Once you’ve decided whether your event will be big or small, when you want it to happen and what its focus will be, it’s time to start planning. That can be easier than you think.