Forest Stewards Guild

Managing for Old Forest Characteristics: A Field Workshop for Landowners
2022-08-23 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Register
August 23, 2022
9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, Woodstock, Vermont
Join Dr. Tony D’Amato from the University of Vermont, as well as Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation staff and Vermont Land Trust staff to discuss old and old-growth forests, and how we might manage for some of their desired characteristics. We will learn what those characteristics are, how to recognize an old forest, and how to decide whether we should leave our woods alone, or do some light active management, to achieve those characteristics. We will discuss everything from broad regional conservation goals to on-the-ground details like how to increase down and standing dead wood in a forest.
This event is designed for landowners who wish to enhance their understanding of their forestland, old forests, and how they can best protect and enhance the characteristics of old forests. If you are a professional forester interested in this topic, please contact us for information on other training opportunities.

Lake States Guild Gathering - Stewardship in Perpetuity in Wisconsin's Driftless Region
2022-08-26 08:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Register today (Guild members attend free of charge. Others, $10)
Friday, August 26, 2022
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central Time
Optional social 5 – 8 p.m.
Just outside of New Glarus, Wisconsin (exact location will be shared after registration)
5.5 SAF Category 1 Continuing Ed Credits approved.
Agenda for download
Join the Forest Stewards Guild and the Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) to explore a land trust parcel temporarily named the Spring Valley Tract. These 308 acres were donated to DALC and hold a lot of restoration potential, in a landscape where many neighbors are dedicated to healthy forest and oak savanna systems as well, so landscape scale results are a huge opportunity here.
All who are interested in ecological forestry, and how that intersects with land stewardship are welcome. One main focus of this Guild Gathering will be to provide opportunities for people involved in holistic land management in the region to meet each other, learn from one another, and build connections that help further ecological, economical, and socially responsible forestry on lands that are protected in perpetuity. It’s important that land trusts know the foresters who are “putting the forest first” for ecological benefit in management. It’s also important that land trusts, ecological restoration practitioners, and foresters in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin have access to resources for responsible forestry, even on landscapes dominated (and surrounded) by other ecosystem types such as prairie or sedge meadow.
We will also walk a small portion of this site, as a case study from a very early vantage point in stewardship toward healthy natural communities. We’ll discuss what’s been done so far, what’s possible, what unique opportunities exist here for Guild-style forestry, and how to accomplish worthy goals. Come join this rich discussion! There are often many management options…let’s brainstorm the whats and whys together.
Key to planning at the Spring Valley Tract is community engagement. So, included is a bit about how stewardship can be supported by public involvement and how stewardship activities can help inspire an understanding and connection to land.

Southern Blue Ridge Fire Fair
2022-09-10 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Saturday, September 10, 2022
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Lunch included
Do you have questions abut fire in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains? Join us for the Fire Fair, a free learning opportunity for landowners and community members interested in prescribed fire. We will hear a lecture from Dr. Tara Keyser, Research Forester and Director of the Center for Hardwood Restoration and Management with the United States Forest Service on the importance of fire in our region. We will then host a landowner networking event with natural resource professionals focusing on prescribed fire and wildfire mitigation in our region followed by a free lunch and tour of prescribed fire site at Warren Wilson College.
Agenda at a glance
9:00 AM – Registration
9:30 AM – Welcome and Introduction to Warren Wilson College Forest (30 minutes), Dave Ellum and Corinna Steinrueck (WWC)
10:00 AM – Introduction to the Southern Blue Ridge PBA, Charlie Faires (RGS/AWS)
10:15 AM – The Importance of Fire in the Southern Blue Ridge, Tara Keyser, USFS
10:50 AM – Natural Resource Speed Dating
11:45 AM – Introduction to Upcoming Learn-and-Burns, Dakota Wagner, FSG
12:15 PM – Lunch (Provided)
1:00 PM – Optional Field Tour of Warren Wilson College Burn Unit

North Central Forest Pest Workshop
2022-09-12 15:00 - 2022-09-15 12:00 (America/New_York)
Register
September 12-15, 2022
Timberlake Lodge Hotel
144 SE 17th St.
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
SAF Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) credits are available for this meeting: Category 1 – 10.5 CFEs
Full event website
Preliminary Agenda
Lodging and location info
NCFPW 2022 will center around “Forest Health in a Changing Climate.” In addition to a field tour and state forest health reports, presentation topics will encompass climate change, oak wilt, eastern larch beetle, citizen science, and other important health concerns facing north central forests.

Native Plant Symposium
2022-09-16 16:00 - 2022-09-17 17:30 (America/New_York)
Register
September 16, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. – September 17, 2022 at 5:30 p.m.
Starts Friday at Highlands Biological Station, 630 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC
Saturday at Highlands Community Center, 869 N 4th St.
Full agenda
The Highlands Biological Station is excited to announce the return of the annual Native Plant Symposium in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Highlands Botanical Garden.

PCSWCD 2022 Forestry Series: Wildlife Biodiversity
2022-09-20 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Field Tour: September 20, 2022
4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time
Demonstration Forest, Williamburg, Maine
This event is part of the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District’s 2022 Forestry Series. Full series information is available on their website.
Our last workshop in the Forestry Series is with Jim Ferrante, PCSWCD Supervisor and Maine Forest Service District Forester, and Joe Roy, IF&W Private Lands Wildlife Biologist, and will explore wildlife biodiversity and your land. The Wildlife Biodiversity event has been presented around the state and we are thrilled to welcome this useful program to Piscataquis County and provide participants with a closer look at how woodlot owners can manage their land for wildlife. Walk away with knowledge on how to enhance biodiversity on your property with this enthusiastic walk and talk.

University of Alabama Student Chapter Guild Gathering and Camping Trip
2022-09-23 07:30 - 2022-09-24 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Register (free for Guild members, all others $10)
September 23 – 24, 2022
Location: Bankhead NF Map
Packing List – Bankead Camping
Agenda for download
Join us for a camping trip in the Bankhead National Forest. We will take a tour with the UA Student Chapter of Bankead National Forest to learn about how natural resources management intersects with aquatic biodiversity conservation.
Agenda: More details coming soon! Times are in Central Time zone
Friday September 23

8:00 am CT – Meet at UA campus
9:45 am CT – Classroom Session with Bankhead NF, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and Alabama Forestry Association
11:30 am CT – Lunch
12:30 pm CT – Field tour at Bankhead NF
3:00 pm CT – Recreation, dinner, free time

Saturday September 24

8:00 am CT – Breakfast, pack up
10:30 am CT – Arrive back to campus

Contact Dakota Wagner with questions.
Accessibility: On Friday, we will be in the woods on uneven terrain. Adequate hiking shoes recommended. Friday night we will be tent camping at a group campsite that has bathrooms and showers nearby. More information will be provided soon.

Managing for Old Growth Forest Characteristics: A Field Workshop for Professional Foresters
2022-09-27 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register
September 27, 2022
9:00 am – 3:00 pm ET
Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert, Vermont
Are you a landowner? Check out the event designed for landowners and others interested in this topic: https://vlt.org/events/old-forest-workshop-for-landowners/
SAF CE credits will be available to qualifying participants.
This full-day session will train professional foresters in managing for old-growth forest characteristics. The day will begin indoors with a review of concepts. How do we recognize old-growth (or old) forests, and what are their characteristics? Why do we desire more of these characteristics on the landscape?
In the field we will discuss strategies for potential assessment and management. Do we recognize the features of old forest? When is it appropriate to manage? When is it best to take a hands-off approach? How do we assess landowner goals and integrate these with broader conservation goals? If management is warranted, what are some methods for achieving the desired conditions?
The day will be led by Paul Catanzaro and Dr. Tony D’Amato, authors of a new update to a document on Managing for Old Growth Characteristics, to be published this fall. Vermont Land Trust and Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation will be involved in the discussion, as will all foresters present.

2022 Northwest Innovative Forestry Summit
2022-09-30 16:00 - 2022-10-02 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Connecting The Future of Our Forests & Communities
September 30 – October 2
Location: University of Washington’s Pack Forest, 9010 453rd St E, Eatonville, WA 98328
Registration is closed
10 Category 1 SAF CFE credits approved.
Agenda for download
All lodging is shared. We have very limited private rooms and/or camper space available. Event speakers and people with special needs will receive priority for these spaces. To inquire more about these options, contact membership@forestguild.org prior to registration.
Full event webpage and information
Event flyer for download
After a successful debut as a virtual summit in 2021, and a virtual NIFS series in spring of 2022, Northwest Innovative Forestry Summit is returning in person — at the University of Washington’s Pack Forest!
Partial view of PAC Forest campus
The Pacific Northwest region benefits from a long, deep, and often underappreciated history of experimentation and innovation in its forest sector. Current challenges call us to better understand both current and past examples of forestry innovation, and to chart a course for improving sustainable forest management through partnerships and problem solving.
The Summit is a venue for regional learning, exchange, and ongoing cooperation to implement ecological forest management strategies. This year, the Summit will take place over the course of three days, and programs will focus on connecting the future of our forests & communities. Each day will include a series of themed presentations and discussions from and for forestry researchers, practitioners, and educators to share their approaches to modern ecological forestry.
We invite natural resource professionals, students and educators, and members of NGOs, private or public organizations to join us for three days of forestry education and innovation in the woods. Overnight accommodations are available at Pack Forest.
Covid Precautions
This event is following UW COVID rules, and masks are not required, but encouraged during all indoor sessions. Commonly used surfaces will be disinfected regularly and hand sanitizer will be available at each building.
If you are sick with any illness, you must stay home, even if you are fully vaccinated, per University of Washington policies.
To Overnight Lodgers
We encourage lodgers to take an at-home test the day before arrival as all lodging is shared.

Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX)
2022-10-02 08:00 - 2022-10-14 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Apply (The application process will be open until August 26. Selections will be made by September 1. Selected participants must pay a $300 registration fee. Need based scholarships are available.)
October 2 – 14, 2022
Burns will be primarily in northeast Washington, including Spokane, Pend Oreille, Stevens, and Ferry Counties.
Food and lodging will be provided.
Summary: Do you want hands-on experience with prescribed burns? Are you looking to gain experience and qualifications in prescribed fire? Come join us at the Northeast Washington TREX this fall! Participants will attend a two-week training program and will serve in qualified and trainee positions on a burn team with federal, state, and tribal land managers, and on private lands. Day to day activities will change depending on conditions – we may burn one day, prep a unit the other, attend a field trip to a previous burn, or spend a day learning techniques and skills.
Audience: This training is designed for a diverse group of fire practitioners, including fire professionals, land managers, researchers, volunteer firefighters, contractors, and private citizens and landowners. Participants must meet minimum NWCG wildland firefighting standards.
Training Opportunities: TREX covers all aspects of prescribed burning, including preparing, scouting, briefing, igniting, holding, mop-up, and patrol of prescribed burns, pre- and post-fire monitoring, training with equipment, practicing leadership, and learning about local fire ecology. There are also opportunities for position taskbook training assignments, including RXB2, FIRB, ENGB, FFT1, FFT2 and FEMO.
More information and details about this fall’s NE TREX can be found at the Washington Prescribed Fire Council’s website.
Questions? Contact Kara Karboski (kara@washingtonrcd.org)

Collaborating to Manage Ecosystems
2022-10-03 - 2022-10-26
Registration coming August 23 (both elements of the hybrid course are required).
Online training October 3 – 21, 2022
In-person workshop Oct 25 – 26, 2022 at Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka, FL
Full event website
This is a Natural Areas Training Academy (NATA) Core workshop, leading to the Certificate in Natural Areas Management. This training builds an appreciation of how to manage natural areas as part of a larger ecosystem, in coordination with neighboring land owners.

Participants will:
Develop an understanding of the concept of ecosystem management and its relevance to resource management
Become familiar with approaches that can be used to address threats facing entire ecosystems
Discover strategies that bring multiple organizations and private individuals together to achieve common goals and seek common solutions
Learn about a variety of working groups used to cope with complex environmental issues in Florida
Develop skills in listening, communicating, moderating group dynamics, and facilitating to cope with conflict

ONLINE COURSEWORK:
Approximately 9 hours over 3-weeks (on your own, prior to the in-person training).
IN-PERSON TRAINING:
Two day in-person training at Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka, FL.

From the Trees to the Tap: Forest Management in the Waynesville Watershed
2022-10-04 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register today!
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
9:00 am – 3:00 pm ET
Location: Waynesville, NC. Exact meeting location will be sent after registration.
Agenda for download
4 SAF CFEs approved (Category 1)
Forests of Western North Carolina are not only beautiful and fun to recreate in, but they also help to supply clean water. This event will showcase the intersection of forest management and water quality. Hosted by Forest Stewards and the Town of Waynesville, we will be joined by professionals from Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, NC State University, Western Carolina University, the Forest Stewards Guild, and the Town of Waynesville to talk about forests and water, from the trees to the tap.
Agenda:

9:00 | Welcome
9:15 | The importance of forests for water quality
9:45 | Changing forests effects on water
10:15 | Break
10:25 | History of the Waynesville watershed
10:50 | Forest stewardship strategies in the Waynesville watershed
11:15 | Lunch (provided) and travel to watershed
12:30 | Tour of the watershed

3:00 | Return to parked cars and optional social (Have you ever wondered why there are so many breweries in Western North Carolina? Good water makes good beer!)

Accessibility: The education session will be held indoors with access to bathrooms. We will be in the woods on uneven terrain for the field tour. Adequate hiking shoes recommended. Contact Dakota Wagner with questions. Dakota AT forestguild.org

Maine Forest Climate Change Webinar & Field Tour Series: Howland Research Forest
2022-10-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Register
October 26 webinar
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
October 28 field tour
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Howland Research Forest (Howland, ME)
Topics of this pair of dates in the series: Long-term carbon & methane flux, soil data, NASA research
Howland Forest is a forest ecosystem research site established in 1986 by University of Maine researchers with the cooperation of the International Paper Company. It is located approximately 30 miles north of Orono, Maine, and situated within an expansive, low elevation conifer/northern hardwood transitional forest. The forest is dominated by spruce and hemlock with an average stand age of 140 years. Howland Forest became a founding member site of the AmeriFlux network in 1996. The current research focus is on the fluxes of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and energy entering and leaving the forest (i.e., the forest-atmosphere exchange).
Webinar: Learn more about seminal forest research on atmospheric carbon and methane, forest ecology, soil health, and land conservation for forest research with panelists Shawn Fraver (UMaine PI), Dave Hollinger (USFS), Kathleen Savage (Woodwell Climate Research Center), and Jon Leibowitz (Northeast Wilderness Trust).
Field Tour: Shawn Fraver and Dave Hollinger, along with site forest research scientist John Lee, grad student Zoe Read, and NWT’s Stewardship Manager Hannah Epstein will guide field tour attendees through a series of site stops focused on tower data (option to climb to top or tower), carbon flux, NASA research plots, and CO2 log flux measurements.
Full Series Summary
Science and Practice: Addressing Forest Climate Change in Maine
An Interactive Webinar Series for Stakeholders and the Interested Public
Kicking off year 3 of our forest climate change in Maine webinar/field tour series! Our panelists will address an array of concerns related to Maine’s forests: scope and scale of climate issues; active management strategies; wildlife/biohabitat concerns; unique adaptation strategies at each site. The series continues with 1 hour noontime webinars, each followed by a half day field tour. Register for as many or as few as you wish, all from the same registration landing page linked above.

ForestHer NC, Mountains Region Gathering
2022-10-29 13:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Register
October 29, 2022
1:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET
Warren Wilson College Forest. Directions provided with event registrant details before the event.
Join ForestHer NC in our Mountains regional gathering! This workshop will be held at the Warren Wilson College Forest and welcomes all ForestHers. The goals of this gathering are to build on ForestHer NC’s 2022 foundational workshop series, learn about conserving healthy forests, and create a sense of community among participants.
Accessibility: There will be walking involved. Please let us know if you would like assistance or accommodations and we will do our best to accommodate.
Contact Dakota Wagner with questions: dakota AT forestguild.org.

Timber Harvest Series: Online Session
2022-11-03 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York)
To register, contact Andrew Smart: a.smartfarms@gmail.com or (207) 837-0924
Thursday, November 3, 2022
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET
Online Session: What is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA), how are they managed, and the plan for Frye Mountain WMA in Montville, Maine.
Full series flyer for download
Maine Woodland Owners, in partnership with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, are hosting a four-part series for woodland owners to observe a timber harvest operation from start to finish. Held at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) Frye Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Montville, the program will be led by the DIF&W forester managing the harvest, John Chappen. The goal of the program is to expose people to how DIF&W manages the land they own, how to use timber harvesting as a means to create, maintain, and improve wildlife habitat, and how a timber harvest is set up and carried out. Sessions will be held over a 12-month period and will start with this online introduction session on Thursday, November 3.
The sessions will include:
Thursday, November 3, 2022, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: DIF&W Lands Program and Frye Mountain WMA Overview. This online session will provide information about DIF&W Wildlife Management Areas, how they are managed, and the management plan for Frye Mountain WMA Compartment F.
Sunday, November 6, 2022, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Pre-Harvest Field Tour at Frye Mountain WMA. The pre-harvest tour will look at skid trail layout, timber marking, brook crossings, the condition of the forest stands before operation, and the considerations used to make decisions about the upcoming harvest.
Late February/Early March 2023 (date TBA): Active Harvest Field Tour at Frye Mountain WMA. Attendees will see the timber harvest in action and how the operation is conducted.
September 2023 (date TBA): Post-Harvest Tour at Frye Mountain WMA. Attendees will see how the harvested area looks once the operation is complete.
Attending all four sessions is not required but is encouraged. To register and for more information contact Andrew Smart: a.smartfarms@gmail.com or (207) 837-0924

Timber Harvest Series: Pre-Harvest Tour
2022-11-06 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
To register contact Andrew Smart: a.smartfarms@gmail.com or (207) 837-0924
Sunday, November 6, 2022
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
Frye Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Montville, Maine
Pre-Harvest Tour: A visit to Frye Mountain to look at skid trail layout, timber marking, brook crossings, the condition of the forest stands before operation, and the considerations used to make decisions about the upcoming harvest.
Full series flyer for download
Maine Woodland Owners, in partnership with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is hosting a four-part series for woodland owners to observe a timber harvest operation from start to finish. Held at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) Frye Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Montville, Maine, the program will be led by the DIF&W forester managing the harvest, John Chappen. The goal of the program is to expose people to how DIF&W manages the land they own, how to use timber harvesting as a means to create, maintain, and improve wildlife habitat, and how a timber harvest is set up and carried out. Sessions will be held over a 12-month period and starting with an online introduction session on Thursday, November 3, 2022.
The sessions will include:
Thursday, November 3, 2022, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: DIF&W Lands Program and Frye Mountain WMA Overview. This online session will provide information about DIF&W Wildlife Management Areas, how they are managed, and the management plan for Frye Mountain WMA Compartment F.
This one, on Sunday, November 6, 2022, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Pre-Harvest Field Tour at Frye Mountain WMA. The pre-harvest tour will look at skid trail layout, timber marking, brook crossings, the condition of the forest stands before operation, and the considerations used to make decisions about the upcoming harvest.
Late February/Early March 2023 (date TBA): Active Harvest Field Tour at Frye Mountain WMA. Attendees will see the timber harvest in action and how the operation is conducted.
September 2023 (date TBA): Post-Harvest Tour at Frye Mountain WMA. Attendees will see how the harvested area looks once the operation is complete.
Attending all four sessions is not required but is encouraged. To register and for more information contact Andrew Smart: a.smartfarms@gmail.com or (207) 837-0924

ForestHer NC: Piedmont Region Gathering at the Schenck Forest
2022-11-14 12:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Register
November 14, 2022
12:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET
Schenck Memorial Forest in Raleigh, NC. (Directions provided two weeks prior to the event start date).
Join ForestHer NC in our Piedmont regional gathering! This workshop will be held at the Schenck Memorial Forest in Wake County and welcomes all ForestHers. The goals of this gathering are to build on ForestHer NC’s 2022 foundational workshop series, learn about conserving healthy forests, and create a sense of community among participants. Lunch will be provided.
Agenda:

12:00 Registration and Lunch
12:30 Welcome and Introductions
1:00 Conserving Healthy Forests

What does “healthy forest” mean to me?
Invasive plants discussion
Healthy habitat and wildlife discussion
Water quality discussion

2:00 Forest Walk
4:30 Wrap Up

Accessibility: During the forest walk we will be walking on uneven ground, a majority of which is unpaved. We will travel a total of approximately 2 miles at a slow pace over mostly flat areas, but with some small hills. Please let us know if you would like assistance or accommodations and we will do our best to accommodate.
Contact Dakota Wagner with questions: dakota AT forestguild.org.

Searching for Climate-Smarter Forestry in Oregon; Accelerating the Transition
2022-11-15 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Vancouver)
Register
November 15, 2022
Noon, Pacific Time
Webinar
Presenters: Peter Hayes and Dean Moberg
Current and anticipated climatic conditions challenge us to work together to innovatively improve forest stewardship in ways that provide mitigation solutions while also increasing forest resilience. This webinar will explore the ways that 80 forest-connected Oregonians of diverse experiences came together in the forest to discuss and agree on the meaning, practices, and future of climate-smarter forestry. Participants dug deep in search of common ground, with respect for inevitable uncommon ground, in the course of four sessions. Participants roughed out a general plan for working together to accelerate the transition toward climate-smarter forestry. Join us as we share about work that is completed, lessons learned, and future plans people have committed to, as well as discussion of relationships to related work underway across the country and world.

Wildlife Forestry Field Tour at Roanoke River NWR
2022-11-15 12:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Roanoke River NWR by NC Wetlands (Flickr)
Register
November 15, 2022
12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge
Headquarters: 114 West Water Street, Windsor, NC 27983
Agenda for download
The Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1991 and contains some of the largest intact bottomland forest ecosystem remaining in the mid-Atlantic region. Using conservation best practices and wildlife forestry management tools, the Refuge is managed to ensure the longevity of wildlife habitat. Join the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Stewards Guild for an afternoon in the woods to learn about wildlife forestry practices in bottomland hardwood forests of North Carolina.
Accessibility: We will be spending about 3 hours in the woods and walking on uneven terrain during the field tour. We recommend wearing long pants and tall boots suitable for wet ground. Please let us know if you would like assistance or accommodations getting this distance and we will do our best to accommodate.

Conservation and Community: Beyond the Public-Private Binary in the History of Land Conservation
2022-11-15 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register
November 15, 2022
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Zoom
Approved for 1.0 hours of CFE credit from the Society of American Foresters.
Speaker: Curt Meine
Join us for the 2022 Lynn W. Day Lectureship in Forest and Conservation History. This year’s presenter is conservation biologist, environmental historian, and writer Curt Meine.
For more than a century, conservationists have pursued their goals through various mechanisms that recognized shared interests in the land and ecological relationships that worked across legal and jurisdictional boundaries. While they have fitfully come to understand that a wider variety of people, uses, and perspectives must be considered, progress has been constrained by a mindset that reinforces a simple division of interests: private and public. Moving from this simple binary framing to a more flexible and nuanced view may allow conservationists to embrace a wider array of community-based approaches to conserving the public interest in private land. It may also allow historians to find new insights in the evolution of conservation science, policy, and ideas. Conservation biologist and environmental historian Curt Meine will discuss this reframing and the many new opportunities it presents.
Curt serves as Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Center for Humans and Nature. He has authored and edited several books, including the biography Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work (1988/2010) and The Driftless Reader (2017).

2022 Wildland Urban Fire Summit
2022-11-16 10:00 - 2022-11-18 12:00 (America/New_York)
Register today!
Community Recovery, Cultivating Resilience
November 16 at 10:00 a.m. – November 18 at Noon, Mountain Time
Location: The Lodge at Santa Fe
750 N St Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Receive 10 SAF Category 1 CFEs for attendance of the entire event!
Full event information
Agenda for download
The Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS) is New Mexico’s leading event for wildfire preparedness and planning. Join your peers, community leaders, fire service professionals, and federal, state, tribal, and local governments for this in person event. Learn from local communities adapting to a wildfire environment about the latest techniques, strategies, and resources for wildfire adaptation and resilience. Expand your network of peers and experts to assist you in your fire/disaster resiliency goals.
Summit highlights:

Optional pre-summit tour on Wednesday, November 16th to Pritzlaff Ranch in San Miguel County (only 30 spots available!)
Social/networking hour on Wednesday, November 16th
Group tour of Santa Clara Canyon on Thursday, November 17th (transportation & lunch provided)
Communications & tools/resources tracts on Thursday, November 17th
CWPP workshop on Friday, November 18th

Sustainability Is Not Enough: From Stewardship to Reciprocity
2022-11-28 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Register
Monday, November 28, 2022
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
Speaker: Roger Milliken, Former President & CEO, Baskahegan Company
All Mitchell Center talks are free and open to the public. Talks are held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine.

Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form to receive Zoom connection information.
In-person attendance: The Mitchell Center requires masks for all indoor events.

In this talk, Roger Milliken explores the conflicts between a thriving forest—and society—and the traditional practice of forest management. Building on perspectives gained from 40 years of forest management and conservation, he describes the tensions experienced by those who are called to care for the region’s forests in this time of high stakes and difficult choices. He invites us to confront the conflicts between seeing the forest as resources for our use or recognizing it as a community to which we belong.
Roger first visited the Baskahegan valley in 1977. He returned in 1981 to write the history of the land and the company founded by his grandfather in 1920. First published in 1983, Forest for the Trees; A History of the Baskahegan Company was a labor of love and discovery. Milliken led the company from 1983 to 2020, expanding its land base to 150,000 acres while practicing a high standard of economically and ecologically responsible forestry.
During the same time, Roger was active in conservation efforts across northern New England and in bringing together the environmental and forestry communities to pass Maine’s Forest Practices Act and support the creation of the state’s ecological reserves system. He co- chaired campaigns by the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to raise $64.5 million to protect 185,000 acres along the Saint John River and the 40,000-acre Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area. He joined TNC’s global board of directors in 2000, and served as its board chair from 2008 to 2011.
Now formally retired, he continues to be animated by his lifelong exploration of the right relationship with nature.
To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207.581.3196 or hallsworth@maine.edu

Sparking Solutions: Wildfire Risk and Insurance
2022-11-30 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Register/RSVP
November 30, 2022
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Wildfire insurance is a useful tool to shield homeowners from the devastating impacts of wildfires. However, in some high-risk areas —particularly in California—it has become difficult to obtain an affordable policy. Some insurance companies have begun to charge higher premiums, increase deductibles, limit payouts, and even decline to write a policy at all. In these instances, homeowners can turn to Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plans, but these options are typically expensive and provide less coverage.
Join Resources for the Future (RFF) for an RFF Live event exploring wildfire insurance, the third in the “Sparking Solutions” webinar series. In this session, experts will discuss the important role that insurance plays in sending signals about risk, how to balance that with equity and affordability, and what options exist for handling the growing problem of insuring wildfire risks.
Speakers:

Carolyn Kousky, Environmental Defense Fund and Resources for the Future
Mike Peterson, California Department of Insurance
Nancy Watkins, Milliman
Penny Liao, Resources for the Future (Moderator)

South-Central Oregon Post-Fire Resilience Strategy
2022-12-01 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Vancouver)
Register
Thursday, December 1, 2022
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Pacific time
Webinar
Presenters: Libby Pansing and Brian Morris, American Forests
Since 2018, approximately 660,000 acres have seen wildfire within Klamath and Lake Counties, two thirds of which burned at high severity. An additional 45,000 acres of reforestation backlog exists on the Fremont-Winema National Forest from fires prior to 2018. Fortunately, this region has a long history of successful shared stewardship, resulting in increased funding and treatment scale across federal and private lands. With their unique combination of partnership experience and restoration expertise, the people of Klamath and Lake Counties are positioned to grow a national model for post-wildfire recovery. This strategy will continue landscape-scale, cross-jurisdictional collaboration to recover from wildfires of unprecedented severity and ensure long-term forest persistence, future forest and ecosystem health, and regional economic stability.

Oak Hill Community Learn-and-Burn
2022-12-03 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Register today
Live Burn
Saturday, December 3, 2022 (backup date of December 10 for inclement weather)
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
Snacks will be provided.
Prescribed fire is a tool often used for ecosystem management and wildfire mitigation. Join Foothills Conservancy, Carolina Land-and-Lakes RC&D, The Nature Conservancy, Forest Stewards Guild, and NC Forest Service to learn about the benefits of prescribed fire. This demonstration burn event will explain the role of prescribed fire in forests of Western North Carolina, introduce how to conduct a prescribed burn, and describe how to use prescribed fire and other tools to mitigate wildfire risk.
Wear close-toed shoes and non-synthetic pants. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves and safety glasses will be provided as needed.
This recording from the spring webinar introduces some prescribed fire topics.

Forest Management with Salamanders in Mind
2022-12-06 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Register
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
10 – 11:30 a.m. ET
Pre-approved for 1.5 Category 1 SAF CFE credits.
From large-scale landscapes to small-scale habitats, ecological forest management takes whole ecosystems into consideration. A mighty oak is just as important as a tiny salamander. Join us as we converse with salamander experts about the intersection of forest management and conserving salamander habitat. Do you have questions for our panelists? Include them in your registration and we will add them to the list!
Panelists:
• JJ Apodaca, Tangled Bank Conservation
• Kristen Cecala, University of the South (Sewanee)
• John Charles Maerz, UGA Warnell
• Lori Williams, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Taking Action: Where to Start (Virtual ForestHer NC)
2022-12-08 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Register
December 8, 2022
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time on zoom
Join other ForestHer participants as we explore the process of going from “I have land!” to actively practicing conservation on your property. It can be tough to know where to start, so we’ll be breaking things down into a clear, step-by-step guide. You, as landowners, will find out where you are in the process, and practice honing your goals to give you the best chance of success. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Requests can be served more effectively if notice is provided at least 10 days before the event. Please direct accommodation requests to Robert Bardon at rebardon@ncsu.edu or 919.515.5575.

Maine Forest Climate Change Webinar & Field Tour Series: Massabesic Experimental Forest
2022-12-14 12:00 - 2022-12-16 13:00 (America/New_York)
Full series website
December 14 webinar
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Register for this webinar or entire series
December 16 field tour
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Massabesic Experimental Forest
Register for this field tour
Details for this webinar and field tour pairing:
Panelists: Mariko Yamasaki, USFS-NRS, Jon Janelle, USFS-R9-FHP, John Neely, USFS-R9-WMNF, Chuck Lubelczyk, ME Medical
Center Research Inst., Kevin Dodds, USFS-R9-FHP, Isabel Munck, USFS-R9-FHP, Katie Glover, U Maine Climate
Change Inst.
Webinar: Join US Forest Service panelists Mariko Yamasaki, John Neely, Kevin Dodds, and Isabel Munck, along with Chuck Lubelczyk, of the ME Medical Center Research Inst. and Katie Glover of UMaine’s Climate Change Institute as they discuss landscapte context, pests and forest health threats, long-term bird observations, and fire & fuel at the Massabesic.
Field Tour: Our panelist team will guide attendees around exotic species detection, oak thinning, wildfire plans and considerations, shelterwood, group selection, hemlock regeneration, and pests/forest health. Time permitting, there will also be a visit to kettle bogs/paleo sites.
Full Series Summary:
Science and Practice: Addressing Forest Climate Change in Maine
An Interactive Webinar Series for Stakeholders and the Interested Public
Kicking off year 3 of our forest climate change in Maine webinar/field tour series! Our panelists will address an array of concerns related to Maine’s forests: scope and scale of climate issues; active management strategies; wildlife/biohabitat concerns; unique adaptation strategies at each site. The series continues with 1 hour noontime webinars, each followed by a half day field tour. Register for as many or as few as you wish, all from the same registration landing page linked above.

2022 Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative Annual Conference
2022-12-15 08:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York)
Advances in Forest Science: The role of technology and innovation in stewardship and engagement
Register ($28)
December 15, 2022
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location(s):

University of Vermont Davis Center, Burlington, Vermont
Virtual

Continuing Forestry Education credits will be applied for from the Society of American Foresters.
Agenda for download
Full event website
The plenary session will be led by Dr. Colin Beier, followed by a discussion panel with Dr. Aidan Ackerman, Dr. Sara Kuebbing, and Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne. The agenda includes opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the region, along with contributed talks, working sessions, and a poster session/social hour. The conference will be held as a hybrid event, with options for both in-person on the UVM campus and virtual participation.

Managing Young Forests to be Like Old Forests
2023-01-21 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register
January 21, 2023
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Hinesburg Town Forest
Hinesburg, Vermont (Location details will be provided after registration.)
The vast majority of Vermont’s forests are young, having been cleared within the last 200 years. While old forests once dominated Vermont’s landscape, they are now extremely uncommon: accounting for less than 1% of the forests in our state. Besides being rare, old forests are also unique: diverse and resilient, providing important habitat opportunities for wildlife. While allowing some forests to develop into old forests naturally is important, it is also possible to use forest management to make Vermont’ s relatively young forests more like old forests, creating many of the unique conditions and habitats found in old forests centuries sooner than they would naturally occur.
Join Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County Forester and a Guild member, and Allaire Diamond, ecologist with the Vermont Land Trust, for a visit of a forest management project at the Hinesburg Town Forest which aspires to use forest management as a tool to make relatively a relatively young forest more like an old forest while also creating diverse wildlife habitat, protecting biodiversity, and increasing the forest’s health and its resilience in a changing climate.
