Forest Stewards Guild

Virtue and The Steward’s Mind - Communicating Forestry webinar series
2024-06-04 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Register
June 4, 2024
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Join Guild member Marianne Patinelli-Dubay, a philosopher with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, for a presentation focused on understanding Guild-style forestry in the context of virtue ethics. Following the presentation, participants will be encouraged to explore these theoretical concepts in a facilitated discussion.
A forester is trained to understand and facilitate the necessary conditions for regeneration and flourishing. Through practice and careful observation over time, your ability to recognize the natural limits of a forest stand is refined. You take an inventory and reach a conclusion about how to proceed with a harvest by inhabiting the slope and aspect of the land, reading the ground for difficulties, knowing your own limits and those of others to identify and then do the right thing.
As your steward’s mind matures, your approach becomes intuitive. Your familiarity with the land and your knowledge of what it wants in terms of optimal conditions becomes a matter of how you see more than how you see the land. Is this forestry or virtue? Is there a difference? How and when do virtue and forestry coincide? To proceed with honesty, courage, and a clear understanding of need versus desire means living in the question of what good forestry means for the way we work and live on the land.
As part of our Communicating Forestry Series, this webinar recognizes that the more we understand what motivates Guild members to do good forestry, the better we can communicate good forestry and its drivers to specific interested parties, landowners, and the general public.
Watch recordings of previous webinars in this Communicating Forestry Series, by and for Guild members on YouTube. The full list of previous sessions is in the Guild’s webinar library.

Learning to Identify Appalachian Cove Forests
2024-06-12 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Register
June 12, 2024
12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Meeting at Standing Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We will walk a segment of the Mountains to Sea trail near Waynesville, NC
We invite forest practitioners and others interested in forest management to a workshop about Appalachian Cove Forests with MountainTrue. This workshop is field-based and primarily focused on how to identify cove forests. We will also touch on ecological forest management and operations in cove forest sites. The workshop will be a “Walk & Talk”-style and include a 1.5-mile hike held at a segment of the Mountains to Sea trail near Waynesville, NC.
Agenda
12:00 Check in
12:15 Welcome and Introductions
12:30 Hike

What is a cove forest?
How to manage invasive species in coves
Tree and understory plant identification
Forest operations
The importance of best management practices for water quality

3:30 Return to Overlook
4:00 End of Workshop
Contact Dakota Wagner with questions: dakota AT forestguild.org

Environmental Ethics in Running a Logging Business
2024-06-13 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Register
June 13, 2024
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Join us for a discussion with Guild member Katrina Amaral of Timberdoodle Farm to learn about logging for long-term sustainable land management while farming, what to consider for stand health and diversity, and Timberdoodle’s environmental ethic.
Timberdoodle Farm is a specialty logging & sawmill business based in Strafford, New Hampshire. Owners Miles and Katrina Amaral began custom sawmilling on a homemade chainsaw mill in 2010, operating out of their landlord’s driveway in Madbury. With backgrounds in mechanical engineering and conservation biology, Miles and Katrina found that they weren’t satisfied by commercial timber offerings – they believe in locally-sourced, ecologically responsible lumber. Timberdoodle Farm has been featured in NPR Marketplace, Fast Company, Northern Woodlands, The Northern Logger magazine, and various podcasts.
Katrina and Miles are members of NH Timberland Owners Association (NHTOA) and the Northeast Loggers Association (NELA). In addition, Katrina serves on the Board of NELA, as a member of the Forest Society’s (SPNHF) Forestry Committee, and a professional member of the Forest Stewards Guild.

Old-Growth Forest Stewardship: New USFS Technical Guidance
2024-06-20 13:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Register for this webinar
June 20, 2024
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT / 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. CT / 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. ET
Please join Forest Stewards Guild members and colleagues for a discussion of the new US Forest Service Technical Guidance for Standardized Silvicultural Prescriptions for Managing Old-Growth Forests. This is an informal chance to share and learn together. Dr. Zander Evans will facilitate a conversation about the Technical Guidance and what can be useful for stewards of Tribal, private, and conservation lands.

Guild discussion on old-growth forest stewardship
2024-07-09 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Register for this webinar
July 9, 2024
Noon – 1:00 p.m. PT / 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. MT / 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CT / 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET
Please join the Guild’s Membership and Policy Council to discuss old-growth forest stewardship. We’ll cover protection, preservation, conservation, management, and recruiting future old forests. Guild experts will discuss current federal work on old forests and opportunities for the Guild to lead on this important issue. The MPC welcomes you and your input around this facet of our work and world.

Forestry Landowner Summit
2024-09-07 08:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Register ($25)
Kanuga
130 Kanuga Chapel Dr
Hendersonville, NC 28739
Full event details are available on the NC State Extension webpage
Gain essential knowledge on a variety of forestry and wildlife topics that you can apply to your forest. Learn about current issues impacting our forests and practices you can implement to improve and keep your forest for generations. Choose from a wide selection of topics including forest farming, basic forestry terms, wildlife, forest succession, and private land recreation.
If you own forested property or are interested in forest ownership in the mountains of North Carolina, this workshop will provide you with essential knowledge on a variety of forestry and wildlife topics that you can apply to your forest.
You will learn about current issues impacting our forests and practices you can implement to improve and keep your forest for generations. You can choose from a wide selection of topics including forest farming, basic forestry terms, wildlife, forest succession, and private land recreation. This workshop is offered in partnership with NC State Extension Forestry, NC Forest Service, NC Tree Farm Program, and NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
Topics you can choose from include the following:

Topic 1: Accessing your acreage through an improved road and trail system
Topic 2: Forestry 101: how to get started in forestry
Topic 3: Forest Farming
Topic 4: Land retention and estate planning
Topic 5: Prescribed fire and connecting to your local Prescribed Burning Association (PBA)

International Oak Symposium
2024-10-07 08:00 - 2024-10-10 19:00 (America/New_York)
Register
October 7 at 8:00 a.m. – October 10 at 7:00 p.m., 2024 (ET)
The Hilton, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
501 W Church Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902, USA
Full event details webpage
Lodging: Reserve a room with this direct link or call (800) 774-1500 by September 15 for a group rate
The University of Tennessee’s School of Natural Resources is proud to host an International Oak Symposium in 2024 to provide a platform to exchange information and build collaborations around the best available science and technology on oak ecology and management for a global audience. Field trip(s) will be offered that showcase multi-disciplinary research of the USDA Forest Service and other partners.
The overall goal of this symposium is to cultivate and promote synergy among natural resource managers and researchers working towards practical applications to sustain or restore oak ecosystems around the world. The symposium will address the most current issues and complexities related to science-based management of oak species and forests at global, regional, and local scales. The four-day program seeks to engage a diverse audience of managers and scientists in a forum that fosters innovation in silviculture and management for sustainability of oak forests.
Our specific objectives are to provide platforms, products, and opportunities for:

technology transfer and dialogue between researchers and managers
scientific exchanges among researchers
fostering collaborations between managers and researchers
production of peer-reviewed research papers
Contribute towards professional development of students and early-career scientists

Detailed agendas will be shared as they are available:
Monday, October 7, 2024 – Plenary Session
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 – Concurrent Sessions, Round Table Discussions
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – Concurrent Sessions, Panel Discussions
Thursday, October 10, 2024 – Field trip (TBA)

Bird-Friendly Forestry in West Virginia – Natural Resource Workshop
2024-11-15 09:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Register (no charge for Guild members, $10 otherwise)
November 15, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Near Beckley, WV (exact location provided upon registration)
This event is intended for natural resources practitioners and SAF Continuing Education Credits approval is pending.
Accessibility: We will be walking on uneven ground in the woods.
Join the Forest Stewards Guild, Aurora Sustainable Lands, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlands Network, and West Virginia NRCS to learn about forestry for birds in West Virginia.
We will learn about:

The concepts of bird-friendly forestry
How to apply management practices
Operational realities and stories of implementation in practice
How to look at a forest through the eyes of a bird
Bird identification tips and tricks

And we will be reviewing the newly published Bird Friendly Forest Management Silviculture Guide while enjoying the woods!
This event is intended for natural resources practitioners and landowners.
Agenda:
8:30 am – Check In
9:00 am – Welcome
9:30 am – Walking Tour
12:30 pm – Wrap Up

Contact Sarah: shagan@forestguild.org with questions.

Lingering Hemlock Project (webinar)
2025-01-15 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Register (no charge)
January 15, 2025
Noon ET / 11:00 a.m. CT / 10:00 a.m. MT / 9:00 a.m. PT
90- minutes
Join Olivia Hall from The Hemlock Restoration Initiative to learn about the Lingering Hemlock Project, which aims to support resistance breeding in hemlock trees for long-term control against hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA).
This project is a subset of Tree Species in Peril, a The Nature Conservancy project to further development of pest-resistant native northeastern tree species at risk from invasive pests. It focuses specifically on locating and breeding resistant hemlock trees.
The Lingering Hemlock Project is a coalition of academic institutions, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Each partner in the coalition plays a different role in the development of HWA-resistant hemlock trees, an ambitious but promising goal.
Agenda:

Introduction, Tree Species in Peril overview: ~10 minutes
Eastern Hemlock Decline overview: ~5 minutes
Lingering Hemlock project details: ~10 minutes
How to ID a Lingering Hemlock: ~15 minutes
What to do if you’re in an area that doesn’t have hemlock mortality yet?: ~15 minutes
Questions

More info:
The Lingering Hemlock Project, a subset of The Nature Conservancy’s “Tree Species in Peril,” aims to locate and selectively breed eastern and Carolina hemlocks with genetic resistance to the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). This insect is invasive in eastern North America and has already contributed to widespread hemlock mortality in much of the southeastern United States. As it continues to spread through the northeastern US, research into how to save hemlock trees is ramping up. While strategies such as chemical control are effective in the short-term, longer-term hemlock protection depends on biocontrol and selective breeding to promote hemlock woolly adelgid resistance. In this presentation, Olivia Hall from the North Carolina Hemlock Restoration Initiative will share more about how natural areas can participate in the Lingering Hemlock Project. In the southeastern US, project partners can locate and record data on hemlocks that remain healthy despite HWA infestations. In the northeastern US, project partners can establish hemlock plots and monitor their health and decline annually. By detecting hemlock trees that are more resistant to the damage caused by HWA, this project aims to identify HWA-resistant genotypes to support resistance breeding in eastern and Carolina hemlocks.

University of Alabama Guild Student Chapter Canoe Trip
2025-03-22 08:30 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
Registration extended to March 19th!
Space is limited. Students are encouraged to register early so we can prioritize your participation.
March 22, 2025
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT.
Back up date is April 12, 2025
Park at: 201 Seventh Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. Group vans will transport us to the canoe put-in.
Join UA’s chapter of the Forest Stewards Guild for a forestry-focused canoe trip along the Cahaba River! We will be discovering how managing forests affects river and stream ecosystems.
At a glance:

Beginner friendly canoe trip lead by the Cahaba River Society
Boats, paddles, and gear will be provided with registration fee
Transportation for the event to and from campus are provided

Please bring:

Water bottle,
Packed lunch,
Sunscreen,
Closed-toe footwear and clothes that can get muddy. Feet WILL get wet. No crocs, typically old sneakers work best,
Change of clothes in case you get too wet.

The future of forest stewardship (virtual conversation among Guild members)
2025-04-10 19:00 - 2025-04-11 13:00 (America/New_York)
Register (choose one or both sessions below)
Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. EDT
Friday, April 11, 2025 at Noon EDT
Guild members are invited to join a conversation about the rapid change in federal priorities and what that means for the future of forest stewardship in the U.S. We are in a tumultuous time and we need a space where Guild members can talk about that change. Zander Evans will facilitate an open forum where Guild members can share information about new policies and think through implications for stewardship. For example, if states are asked to shoulder more of the forest stewardship burden as the federal workforce is reduced, what are the implications? How might different states react? What is the Guild’s role? The conversation is likely to be wide-ranging and a bit chaotic but will hopefully signal how we can serve members in the future.

A Guild Student Chapter Highlight: University of Alabama
2025-04-14 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Zoom join info will be emailed to you after registration
April 14, 2025
5:00 p.m. Pacific / 6:00 MT / 7:00 CT / 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Join Lilly Roehrig, President of the University of Alabama Guild Student Chapter, as she shares tips and tricks for a successful foundation for your student chapter. Lilly will also highlight some of the activities of this very busy chapter!
If you are ready to be inspired by learning more than you realized there was to learn about a Guild student chapter, join us and support these students with your attention, questions, and ideas.
There will be time for other student members to ask Lilly questions about the UA Chapter, and for everyone to discuss ideas and connections across student chapters, prospective Guild chapter advisors, and professional members.

Tree People: Trees, Forests and the Human Imagination (virtual retreat)
2025-04-15 16:00 - 2025-04-29 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Register (free, with suggested donation)
Note: the date of the third session of this retreat has been moved. It is now scheduled for May 6. See you then!
April 15, 22 and May 6, 2025
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. PT / 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. MT / 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. CT / 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET
A Forest Stewards Guild 30th Anniversary Guild Gathering event over zoom!
Retreat facilitator: Jason Minton Brown, Guild member and Lecturer in the Department of Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University and founder of holyscapes.org.
Synopsis: In this 3-part online-based participatory retreat/workshop we will explore the deep connection human cultures have forged with trees and forests and how these ‘arboreal’ cultures are expressed today. We will investigate the evolutionary past of tree-beings and explore their importance to the world’s religious and mythological systems. We will track the history of the modernist camps of agricultural, conservation, wilderness and Indigenous approaches to forestry practice. And end the workshop with an imaginative exploration of the future of forests. Along the way we will ask participants to examine their own relationship to trees and ask how they understand the role of trees in a changing global civilization and climate.
Learning/Exploration Outcomes

Explore the relationship between trees, forests and human societies.
Learn about how trees and forests show up in the world’s religious and spiritual traditions.
Understand the cultural history of forestry, natural resources and ecological sciences related to trees and forests.
Deepen one’s personal relationship to trees and forest spaces.

Workshop Outline:
One-and-a-half-hour, weekly format with short slide presentation, group discussion and weekly field journal invitations:

Week 1: The Primeval Forest: The role of trees and forests in religion and mythology.
Week 2: The New Forest: The rise of conservation, wilderness and the new science of tree communication and ecology.
Week 3: The Known Forest: The ways in which we relate to and understand trees and forests on a personal level.

Retreat facilitator bio:
Jason Brown was born and raised in Southern California and studied anthropology and international development as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University. He has lived in Vancouver, BC since 2013 and is a dual citizen of the US and Canada and is a proud Cascadian. He earned joint master’s degrees in forestry and theology from Yale. He completed his PhD in 2017 from the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) at the University of British Columbia where his dissertation explored the sense of place of contemporary Catholic monks in the American West. His book on the experience, Dwelling in the Wilderness: Modern Monks in the American West was published in 2024. As a Lecturer at Simon Fraser University Jason teaches courses in religious studies and ecological humanities for the department of Global Humanities. He teaches a course entitled Trees, Forests and the Human Imagination. He is also an un-ordained, non-aligned earth chaplaincy for Simon Fraser University. The program seeks to promote contemplative practice as a response to climate anxiety and grief. He writes at www.holyscapes.org.
You can hear more from Jason in his Contemplative Forestry podcast session and the recording of the Guild’s Communicating Forestry Webinar Series called “Give Me That Old Growth Religion.“

Longleaf, Fire, and PBAs – it takes a village!
2025-04-24 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Register
April 24, 2025
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. ET
Approved for one category 1 SAF CFE credit
Join us on April 24th for an insightful discussion hosted by the Guild, featuring Karen Brown from the Longleaf Alliance and Ryan Mitchell from Tall Timbers. Together, they will explore the crucial role of fire in sustaining healthy longleaf pine ecosystems and how Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) can be a powerful resource for getting fire back on the land. As PBAs continue to grow in popularity, they offer landowners incredible opportunities to learn, collaborate, and implement safe, effective fire management practices. Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable knowledge on how to enhance your property while supporting the restoration of vital ecosystems.
Agenda:
10:00 – Welcome and introductions
10:05-10:25 – “Longleaf: The Pine that Fire Built” – Karen Brown, The Longleaf Alliance

Adaptations to fire throughout the longleaf pine life cycle and growth habit
Fire return intervals for longleaf habitats
Management needs addressed by fire in longleaf systems

10:25-10:30 – Questions
10:30-10:50 – How Prescribed Burn Associations can help you start or improve your prescribed burning on your property – Ryan Mitchell, Tall Timbers

This talk will identify barriers to prescribed burning indicated by landowners and how Prescribed Burn Associations can help overcome those barriers through training, coordination, and capacity building.

10:50-11 – Questions, open discussion, and closing remarks

Shaping Georgia’s Forests Future: Tax Policy, Landowner Decisions, and Conservation Impact
2025-04-28 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register
April 28, 2025
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
Approved for one category 1 SAF CFE credit
Join us for an engaging webinar that delves into the intersection of forest policy, taxation, and private land stewardship. The first presentation will provide a clear overview of forest-related taxes and incentives, highlighting how tax policy can support sustainable forest management and conservation among private landowners. The second presentation will share findings from a survey of family forest owners in Georgia’s Upper Flint River watershed, offering insights into landowners’ awareness of conservation programs and how these influence land use decisions. Together, these talks will explore the complex dynamics between policy tools, landowner behavior, and long-term forest conservation goals.
Agenda
2:00 – Welcome and introductions
2:05-2:25 – Dr. Yanshu Li, University of Georgia
Title: “An Overview of Timber Taxes”
Description: This presentation offers a concise yet informative exploration of the major types of forest-related taxes and the range of tax incentives and preferential tax provisions designed to support private forest landowners. It sheds light on how tax policy intersects with sustainable forest management, conservation goals, and long-term land stewardship. By outlining the financial frameworks that influence landowner decisions, the discussion emphasizes the critical role of taxation in shaping the economic landscape of private forestry in the United States.
2:25-2:30 – Questions
2:30-2:50 – Dr. Jesse Abrams, University of Georgia
Title: “How Georgia Family Forest Owners Uptake Conservation Policy & Program Knowledge”
In the talk, we will present results from a survey of family forest owners in the Upper Flint River watershed regarding their familiarity with and adoption of various conservation programs and policy tools. We will also discuss the relationship between participation in these policies and intentions to transfer or subdivide forestland. In the context of other research on similar topics, we will explore the tensions and tradeoffs regarding forest conservation policy effectiveness and landowner adoption.
2:50-3:00 – Questions, open discussion, and closing remarks

Exploring Fire & Old Forests in the Red Hills of Florida
2025-04-29 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Content is protected.

The Guild’s Business Plan (webinar)
2025-04-30 12:00 - 2025-05-01 19:00 (America/New_York)
Register (for one or both sessions…they will be the same presentation)
April 30, 2025 at Noon EDT
May 1, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. EDT
Guild members are invited to join a discussion about our new business plan. Ignited by the spark of shared passion, the Guild was founded in 1995 to both practice and promote forest stewardship. Our national network of members, staff, and partners have advanced the culture of forest stewardship based on ethical principles, best-available science, and diverse experience. Three decades of thought-meets-practice leadership from the Guild and partners has brought the concept of ecological forestry from the fringes to become the expected standard for management in much of the U.S., but there is much more work to do!
Zander Evans will share the strategic choices the Guild is making to expand our positive impact, increase our membership, and step up to our responsibility to keep forests healthy in the face of wildfire, droughts, invasive species, and other threats. We will host two opportunities with the hope the one option will work for members interested in the discussion.

Wilderness First Aid (NOLS) and optional CPR (HSI) certification courses
2025-06-20 18:00 - 2025-06-22 17:00 (America/New_York)
Registration is full
Optional CPR add on: June 20th 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET ($79)
Wilderness First Aid two-day course: June 21 & June 22, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ($299)
Location: Oxbow Center
16620 East Riverside Drive
St. Paul, VA 24283
Note: please bring a bag lunch
Waiver forms must be submitted prior to attendance. Links to these forms are available within registration and will also be shared after registration as a reminder.
The Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course is ideal for guides and trip leaders on 1 – 2 day outings. This 2-day course (accompanied by an optional evening of CPR) gives 16 hours of contact time in a learning setting. Teaching methods include an emphasis on didactic lectures and hands-on, experiential workshops and scenarios. Your rescue gear needs to be packed and ready to go at any moment throughout the course. Please refer to and follow the WFA Gear List, and contact us with any questions you may have.
CPR for adults and children is available the evening before the WFA begins for an additional cost. Both courses follow the 2015 curriculum guidelines set by the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA course is street-based in content and skills taught. The National Outdoor Leadership School’s (NOLS) CPR course bridges the AHA curriculum to skills needed in a remote setting. CPR is not required in order to complete the WFA course or to make your WFA certification valid – it is a complimentary certification that will enhance your WFA experience.
Bad things happen outdoors and usually in bad weather! So, be prepared for the weather…dress in layers that you can remove indoors or in the sun, and layer up when we go outside. Full rain protection is a necessity, both rain tops and pants. Your comfort and ability to pay attention during this intense course will be helped if you stay well-hydrated and have snacks on hand to munch during class.
Visit the NOLS Wilderness First Aid webpage for more information about this course.
Logistics:

Parking: You may park onsite at the Oxbow Center.
Lodging: No lodging is provided with registration.
Accessibility: This course will take place partly indoors and partly outdoors, with bathrooms and water available.
Food: Please plan to bring your own food for the entire duration of your course times. There are also a few restaurants nearby and you will have an hour lunch break:

St. Paul:
Mamaw’s Cafe
Puerto Nuevo Fresh Mex
Giovanni’s Pizza
Castlewood:
El Palenque
Romano’s
Several fast food options:
McDonald’s
Taco Bell
Pizza Plus
Subway
Hardee’s
Huddle House

Georgia Heirs Property & Estate Planning Workshop
2025-08-22 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Date: August 22, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET
Location: Talbot County Chamber of Commerce, 12 Madison St.
Talbotton, GA 31827
Cost: Free – $25.00
What you’ll learn:

– Heirs property essentials
– Estate planning process assistance
– How to work with an attorney
– Common types of Trusts
– Tools to keep your land in your family
– Planning for your land and your timber

Event Agenda
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Heirs Property
Estate Planning
Forest Management
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
*Lunch provided*
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Meet & greet with providers, sign up for additional services, and network with local resources

Significant mortality of old trees across a dry forest landscape in Oregon
2025-08-27 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Aug 27, 2025
Noon – 1:00 p.m. PT / 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. MT / 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CT / 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET
Continuing education credits are pending approval.
Webinar Presenter: Dr. James Johnston, University of Oregon
Description: Dr. Johnston will discuss recent forest mortality dynamics based on a network of 1617 trees in unlogged roadless areas in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon with precise age and growth data. There was extensive mortality of the oldest trees in stands—a quarter of trees greater than 300 years of age died over a ten-year period. There was little evidence for a difference in mortality between species in sites that experienced wildfire. Dr. Johnston will also describe a novel simulation model which demonstrated that succession of young trees is unlikely to replace recent losses of old trees. The confluence of a rare insect defoliator outbreak, drought, and past management decisions that increased competitive stress and fuel connectivity is the most likely explanation for the elevated mortality we observed. The protected areas where the team collected data are not achieving old tree conservation objectives. Active management to reduce forest competition is the most realistic pathway for old tree conservation in dry forests.

Open Canopy Workshop
2025-09-03 12:00 - 2025-09-05 17:00 (America/New_York)
Open Canopy Workshop: Exploring the Ecology, Management, and Public Understanding of Eastern Woodland Ecosystems
Register
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at Noon – Friday, September 5, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET
Founders Union Building, University of Louisville, 450 N Whittington Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40222
Hosted by the American Bird Conservancy, the Open Canopy Workshop will highlight the historical extent, ecological value, and decline of open canopy forest systems in the Midwestern and eastern United States and elevate the urgent need for woodland ecosystem restoration and management to the forefront of the conservation community. Emphasis will be placed on the structural diversity and biodiversity of open canopy systems, and tools will be provided to help practitioners better communicate to diverse public and private audiences the value of these systems and the need to actively manage them. Case studies of successful restoration efforts will be presented to help inspire landscape-level solutions.

West Virginia WOW event
2025-09-19 11:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
To register, phone the WV DOF Beckley office at 304-256-6775 and leave a message.
September 19, 2025
11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET
Pendleton County, near Ft. Seybert
Event flyer
Join a property tour and discussion about how this WOW host put her property under conservation easement with West Virginia Land Trust, implemented a project to protect the riverbank and water quality, developed golden winged warbler habitat, and tested methods for starting wildflower meadows.

Forest Management Tools for Songbird Conservation - Webinar
2025-09-30 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Register for this webinar
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET
Join the Forest Stewards Guild and partners for an in-depth look at practical tools and strategies for managing forests to support healthy songbird populations. This 90-minute session will introduce concepts like connectivity and occupancy mapping, demonstrate how these approaches can guide on-the-ground decisions, and highlight conservation programs that align with bird-friendly forestry goals. Presenters will cover operational logistics, from identifying sites and developing harvest plans to large-scale management planning and share real-world examples of successful projects. Participants will also explore hands-on management tools, including connectivity and occupancy mapping resources, a NRCS approved forest management plan template, and bird friendly silviculture guide.
This event has been approved for 1 Category 1 continuing education credit by SAF.
Agenda
12:00 – 12:10: Welcome, introductions, & housekeeping
12:10 – 12:20: Wildlands Network – What is connectivity? What is occupancy mapping?
12:20 – 12:35: AMJV – Using occupancy mapping and connectivity as a management tool + working with local foresters
12:35 – 12:50: NRCS – Available conservation programs, bird ecology, model program project example
12:50 – 1:15: Aurora – Operational logistics (site ID, harvest plan, selling timber), largescale management planning
1:15 – 1:25: Breakouts – Tools for Management:

Connectivity mapping and bird occupancy
Management Plan Template
Silviculture Guide

1:25 – 1:30: Closing remarks

Mesophytic Coves: Hope for Hemlocks
2025-11-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Register
November 14, 2025
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Webinar on zoom – a join link will be sent to you after registration
North Carolina’s hemlock trees need your help. We have two species of hemlock in North Carolina – the eastern and the Carolina. The invasive hemlock woolly adelgid threatens both.
Though hemlocks are declining, there is hope to bring them back to their previous glory. The mission of the Hemlock Restoration Initiative (HRI) is to work with a variety of partners and existing programs to restore hemlocks to long-term health throughout North Carolina and ensure that eastern and Carolina hemlocks can resist hemlock woolly adelgid and survive to maturity on North Carolina’s public and private lands.
Join Olivia from the HRI to learn about hemlock ecology, woolly adelgid biology, what is being done to help, and management strategies.

Guardians and gardeners: Managing wilderness for the twenty-first century
2026-01-22 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register
January 22, 2026
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Please join us for a presentation and discussion on wilderness in the 21st century. The 1964 Wilderness Act provides robust protections to landscapes designated as federal wilderness. The National Wilderness Preservation System, which includes 806 wilderness areas and 111 million acres, represents the world’s largest highly protected conservation network. However, a long-standing ethos of nonmanagement—exemplified by the philosophy that managers should be guardians but not gardeners—obscures long legacies of Indigenous stewardship and may not sustain essential wilderness values in a time of unprecedented ecological stressors. Many wildernesses are increasingly subject to complex and compounding unintentional (as well as intentional) human influences.
In this webinar, Dr. Boerigter will present how a guardians and gardeners approach would acknowledge Indigenous influence, recognize contemporary and future environmental challenges, and provide managers the necessary rationale to respond to these complex realities. In the twenty-first century, it may be necessary to carefully, thoughtfully, and compassionately reimagine the dominant wilderness philosophy. Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf141

National Guild Gathering - Celebrating 30 years!
2026-09-15 08:00 - 2026-09-17 17:00 (America/New_York)
Save the dates
September 15 – 17, 2026
Freeport, Maine
Event flyer
More details coming soon…
Join us in celebrating 30 years of the Forest Stewards Guild — a milestone gathering of Guild members, partners, and like-minded stewards from across the country. Together, we’ll reflect on three decades of transformational change in forest stewardship and chart a bold vision for the next 30 years.
This multi-day event in Freeport, Maine will feature inspiring discussions, working sessions, and field trips that connect policy, practice, and people. Discover the beauty of New England’s forests while connecting with the Guild community in a setting that embodies the values of stewardship and collaboration.
Experience Maine’s rich coastal culture — from vibrant working waterfronts and small-town charm to world-class local cuisine — while engaging in meaningful conversations on forest stewardship, ecological integrity, and the future of conservation.
Connect with Guild members, staff, and partners to inspire, learn, and act — advancing shared goals in forest stewardship, ecological resilience, and community.
