From the Woods Today - Biochar

Discover the many benefits and uses of biochar, a stable, carbon-rich material produced by heating organic matter in a low-oxygen environment. Join Dr. Manisha Parajuli of Kentucky State University's School of Agriculture & Natural Resources as she explains what biochar is, its many applications, the feedstocks used to produce it, and common production methods.

Kentucky has an abundant supply of materials that can be converted into biochar, including invasive species such as Callery pear. Lori Bell, owner of Blue Turtle Permaculture, LLC and a 2025 graduate of the Kentucky Master Naturalist Program, shares her experience and provides a step-by-step look at creating biochar using a custom-built Kon-Tiki style kiln.

 

Also on tap: Dr. Ellen Crocker with the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources - Extension, discusses laurel wilt, a destructive tree disease spread by the redbay ambrosia beetle that threatens members of the laurel family. Learn how the disease spreads, the symptoms to watch for, and what this emerging threat could mean for Kentucky's forests and landscapes.