Growing Confidence: Women Forest Landowner Workshops in Georgia

The number of female forest landowners (FFLs) has been growing throughout the United States. This growth demands educational outreach for a demographic that is often behind their male counterparts in experience and education. The purpose of this exploratory study was to design and host educational workshops geared towards FFLs and to answer the following questions using quantitative and qualitative methods: (1) Are the workshops changing FFLs’ confidence in land management? (2) What are FFLs’ intentions after attending workshops? (3) Does confidence or participants’ intentions with their land vary with demographics? (4) Are workshops providing a platform to start FFL social networks? Lastly, (5) are workshops creating a space for peer-to-peer learning? A total of 41 questionnaires were collected, with 28 being participants surveyed for the first time. Confidence increased after attending workshops, and participants had exceedingly high intentions to engage in most land management activities. Qualitative data from focus groups and interviews indicated that participants built a network and grew through peer-to-peer learning. Empowering FFLs seems to be one of the first steps to increase their engagement with other FFLs, with their own land, and with forestry professionals.