NorthWoods Guild Gathering
2023-10-06 09:00 - 2023-10-07 15:00 (America/New_York)
Registration is closed.
$50 registration fee for full 2 days, or $25/day. Meals and lodging included.
October 6, 2023, @ 9:00 am – October 7, 2023 @ 3:00 pm Eastern Time
NorthWoods Stewardship Center, 154 Leadership Drive, East Charleston, VT
9, Category 1 SAF CFE credits approved (4.5 each day).
Agenda for download
We welcome Guild members to join us for a Guild Gathering in the forests of the Northeastern Kingdom of Vermont with our hosts, NorthWoods Stewardship Center. We will visit Mud Pond and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in the Nulhegan Basin Division to discuss climate driven silviculture. We will learn from managers and researchers about Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) study sites, forest birds, managing ash with emerald ash borer, old growth forests, post-industrial management, and spruce-fir silvicultur
Accommodation is available at the Northwoods Stewardship Center near their Guild Model Forest in Charleston, Vermont, where forest managers enhance wildlife habitat, timber quality, education, and recreational opportunities.
Agenda overview:
Friday, October 6th
9 – 10:00 a.m.: Arrival, sign-in, coffee/snacks, catch up with old friends at Caspian Beach parking lot in Greensboro, Vermont
10:00 a.m.: Intro circle
10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Carpools, field tours, and lunch provided in the field at Noon
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.: NorthWoods Stewardship Center social hour and dinner
7:00 p.m.: NorthWoods Stewardship Center forestry program overview
7:30 p.m.: Adjourn
Saturday, October 7th
7 – 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Carpool or individual travel to Refuge Visitor Center for field tour and lunch provided in the field at Noon
12:30 p.m.: Optional Degraded Site field tour led by Jeremy Goetz (people driving individually can leave from here if they wish)
2:00 p.m.: Carpool back to the visitor center. You can leave from there, or van back to NorthWoods Stewardship Center if you left your car there.
Lodging info: A few options are available at no cost. Please indicate your lodging needs when registering, as spots are limited:

The Bunkhouse at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center is a shared space that sleeps 16 people. Bunks are separated into nooks that sleep 4 people each. There are two bathrooms with showers, a common area, woodstove, and a kitchen space with a minifridge, microwave, and coffee pot. Please BYO pillows, linens, and towels.
There are plenty of tent camping spots and space for small campers/RVs. In the tent camping area there is an outdoor pavilion kitchen and outhouse. Campers can also have access to the common space and facilities in the bunkhouse. If you would like to bring your own camper please reach out to NorthWoods staff at forestry@northwoodscenter.org to reserve a parking space.

Travel and hike info: We will have NorthWoods Stewardship Center vans available for carpooling. We will be traveling on lightly managed dirt roads. We will be walking over uneven terrain.
Please bring:

your own water bottle,
snacks,
footware that can get muddy and wet,
insect repellent and/or bug net,
sunscreen,
if staying overnight, necessary items (bunk house requires sleeping gear and is a heated space. Camping requires your own camp gear).

Thanks to Northwoods for these photos!

Florida Forests & Water Forum 2023
2023-10-10 08:30 - 2023-10-11 13:00 (America/New_York)
Registration open until October 6
October 10, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
October 11, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (limited and requires special registration request email)
UF-IFAS Austin Cary Forest Campus
10625 Northeast Waldo Road
Gainesville, FL 32609
Agenda for download
This event brings together partners from across the state to discuss the connection between healthy, managed forests and clean, reliable drinking water. Join forest landowners, utilities, conservation groups, state agencies, and others as they plan for a safe, secure future for all Floridians.
For more information, contact info@southeasternpartnership.org.

Peer-to-Peer Forest Management: The Cold Hollow to Canada Woodlots Program
2023-10-10 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Recording
October 10, 2023
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Zoom webinar (join information will be provided after registration)
1.5 Continuing Forester Education Credits from SAF
This is the second in the Guild’s Communicating Forestry webinar series, by and for Guild members. Check out the previous installment with Ethan Tapper.
As we all know, communicating the benefits of forest management practices can be challenging. Cold Hollow to Canada, a nonprofit and regional partnership in northern Vermont, has addressed this challenge by convening peer networks of forest landowners who can learn from professionals while also sharing their learning and personal experiences with one another. These groups meet regularly to learn, share, and build a community of novice forest stewards, with Cold Hollow to Canada providing support and technical assistance. The program has been so successful as a tool for promoting forest stewardship and conservation that Cold Hollow to Canada was asked by other groups to document our methods in an online Toolkit that facilitates adoption or adaptation of the program as needed.
In this workshop, Guild member Nancy Patch and Cold Hollow to Canada’s Monica Przyperhart will introduce the Woodlots peer-to-peer model for communicating forest management and then guide participants through the intended use of the online Toolkit, sharing ideas for how to adapt it into new contexts or to start with simple first steps.

Climate Adaptation and Forest Carbon training
2023-10-11 - 2023-10-12
Applications are due September 1, 2023 with a limit of 50 chosen. Read on for details.
Date: October 11 – 12, 2023
Location: Gardner, Massachusetts
Description: A new 2-day graduate level Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters training session on climate adaptation and forest carbon. This Module will include two mornings of classroom training and two afternoons of field training. The entire Module will be videotaped and made available to anyone – attendees and all others – after the training session.
Speakers for this Institute Module include: William Van Doren, Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation and Recreation; Dr. Alexandra Kosiba, VT Extension Forester, Dr. Robert Seymour, Professor emeritus, Univ. of Maine; Dr. Matt Russell, Arbor Custom Analytics; Samantha Myers Fellow, USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub; Dr. Tony D’Amato, University of Vermont; Dr. David King, University of Massachusetts; Steve Roberge, UNH Extension Forester; Joelle Vautour & Keith DiNardo of MA DCR & Charles Levesque of the North East State Foresters Association and Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, LLC.
Application instructions: if you are interested in attending the training, you must complete this application.

First, download the file and include your name in the file title as you save it to your hard drive.
Public sector employees with state forestry agencies in New England and New York should not use this application – instead, they should contact their supervisor about attending.
The application is a fillable PDF file and due by email only no later than September 1, 2023.
If you choose to fill it out as a PDF file on your computer, please save the file with a file name that includes your name. If you fill it out by hand, please scan and send in via email. Either way, please send to levesque@inrsllc.com.

Why do you need to complete an application in order to be considered for the Institute Module training? There are only 50 seats available at this training and if more applications are received than seats available, those asked to register for the training will be chosen on merit based on the application answers.
Questions? Email to Charles Levesque at levesque@inrsllc.com.
A reminder – in 2017 and 2018, the Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters held 10 days of graduate level training (each year) on various silviculture topics for the forest types in the northeast U.S. Those 10 days of training were all filmed and are still available. See all the Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters materials online.
Note: The Institute workshops are designed to provide northeast U.S. foresters with the appropriate knowledge to make sound, science-based decisions for forest ecosystem management, harvests and regeneration. This project is designed so it can be used in the USDA Forest Service’s National Advanced Silviculture Program (NASP) to provide landscape-specific materials for northeast forests. The Institute offers a graduate program level of instruction for practicing foresters. Funding support has been provided by the USDA Forest Service State & Private Forestry and many private funders.

WI SAF 2023 Annual Meeting "The Good Oak"
2023-10-11 08:30 - 2023-10-12 15:30 (America/New_York)
Register (by October 11)
October 11 at 8:30 a.m. to October 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Chula Vista Resort
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Agenda for download
This year’s theme is “The Good Oak” and will feature speakers from the U.S. Forest Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Kentucky, among others, presenting the importance of Wisconsin’s oak resource to the state, throughout the nation, and across the world. Topics include silviculture, oak savanna, carbon, oak wilt, assisted migration and more. WI SAF is excited to collaborate with the Aldo Leopold Foundation to host field tours at their center in Baraboo, to include the legendary “shack” and oak management techniques.
Reserve your room by calling the Chula Vista Resort at 608-678-3119. The first 100 registrations will receive a FREE copy of the book: “Managing Oak Forests in the Eastern US”.

ForestHer NC: Piedmont Region Gathering 2023
2023-10-14 08:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register by October 9, 2023 (Registration is $10 and includes lunch and the watercraft.)
October 14, 2023
8:30 .m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cool Springs Environmental Education Ctr
945 Cool Spring Rd, New Bern, NC 28560
Join ForestHer for this Coastal Regional Gathering to learn how forests protect our coastal waterways.
Agenda
8:30 – 9:00 Check in
9:00 – 10:30 Interpretive Wetlands Walk
10:30 – 11:15 Coastal Land Trust – Protecting our Land and Water
11:15 – 12:15 Macroinvertebrates – What is that in the water!?
12:15 – 1:00 Lunch provided by Weyerhaeuser
1:00 – 3:00 (optional) kayaks and canoe available.  Your feet will probably get wet.  A guide will be on hand to help those who want it.
Contact Dakota with questions: dakota@forestguild.org

Northern Forest Birds Network 2023 Conference – Forestry for Birds in a Changing Climate
2023-10-17 08:00 - 2023-10-18 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Connecticut Warbler. Photo by Robert Royse.
Register ($50 per person includes lunch, snacks, and beverages)
October 17 at 8:00 a.m. – October 18 at Noon, Central Time
AmericInn by Wyndham Ashland
3009 Lake Shore Dr E, Ashland, WI 54806
Lunch provided on Tuesday, October 17. (New registrations after October 13 are no longer guaranteed a lunch at this late date).
Lodging is available via a room block at the AmericInn. The cost is not included in the event registration. Please arrange for lodging on your own online or by calling 715-682-9950.
8.5 CFEs for SAF are approved. Pending approval on Wildlife Society CFEs.
Agenda for download – updated on October 10, 2023
The NFBN 2023 conference will benefit foresters, biologists, land managers, researchers, and private landowners. We will showcase collaborative initiatives, while sharing about bird conservation amid climate change, and discussing bird habitat management tools.
On day one, the conference will focus on project updates from Northern Forest Bird Network and Upper Mississippi River / Great Lakes Joint Venture, Forestry for Birds initiatives in Michigan and Minnesota, and discussions of forest bird habitat best management practices (BMPs). On day two, the morning session will be focused on climate change impacts for forest bird conservation and will be followed with a discussion of how our network can use the NIACS Climate Change Adaptation Workbook to promote large- and small-scale forest resilience.
Please see the full agenda for more details.
Event Contact: Jayme Strange, jstrange@abcbirds.org

Maine Guild Member Social Hour - Augusta
2023-10-20 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Register (free, current members and guests encouraged, buy-your-own drinks and food).
Not sure of your membership status? Contact membership@forestguild.org to confirm. Or join or renew today – we welcome you!
October 20, 2023
4:00 -6:00 p.m. ET
Cushnoc Brewing Co. Annex
3044 N Belfast Ave, Augusta, ME 04330
Join us for just a drink at the Cushnoc Brewing Co. Annex in Augusta, Maine! There is space indoors and out to gather and talk about all things forestry. We look forward to connecting with you!
Questions? Reach out to Maddie Eberly, maddie@forestguild.org

Maine Forest Climate Change Webinar & Field Tour Series: Burning as a Management Tool
2023-11-03 09:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Register for this field tour
November 3, 2023 field tour
9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Waterboro Barrens Preserve
Details for this field tour:
Location: Waterboro Barrens Preserve, owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. 25 miles southwest of Portland, Maine this serene woodland preserve is home to the state’s superb example of a boreal pine barrens, a forest biohabitat adapted to thrive after periodic fires.
Discussion: Prescribed burning as a management and restoration tool for pitch pine & scrub oak at Waterboro Barrens Preserve.
Full Series Website and Summary:
Science and Practice: Addressing Forest Climate Change in Maine
An Interactive Webinar Series for Stakeholders and the Interested Public
Join us as we dig into forest health concerns due to climate impacts at new sites around the state. Our panelists will address management & restoration efforts, relevance of long-term research, fire as a tool, biohabitat concerns, forest health threats, and unique adaptation strategies at each site. Noontime webinars are free (registration required); field tour registration includes lunch, snacks, and van transport with $25 registration and limited space.

How Carbon Credits Influence Commercial Forest Management
2023-11-13 12:00 - 12:50 (America/New_York)
Register (includes full series)
Monday, November 13, 2023
12:00 – 12:50 p.m. ET
This is one session, led by Guild member Kyle Burdick of Baskahegan Company, in the Yale Forest Forum‘s fall’s speaker series titled: Understanding Climate Smart Forestry in Practice.
Climate-smart forestry has become a buzzword across the forestry sector and beyond. In this webinar series, we will learn from practitioners and researchers about how they put climate-smart forestry into practice. We will also learn how forests can be managed to enhance their carbon storage capabilities and/or increase their resilience to the impacts of climate. We will hear from speakers from public sector organizations, nonprofits, researchers, and academics from across the U.S., as well as practitioners “on-the-ground.”
The series is jointly hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, and the USDA Southeast Climate Hub, and co-sponsored by the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture.
The speaker series is free and open to all. The webinars will be recorded and captioned, and recording links will be emailed to registrants after the live event.

Keeping Forests as Forests – Tax programs and other incentives for the Georgia landowner
2023-11-16 06:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Register
Thursday November 16, 2023
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Webinar on zoom (join information will be sent after you register)
Join the Forest Stewards Guild for an evening of learning about ways to keep forests as forests. We will be joined by experts on tax incentive programs, conservation easements, and the Georgia Forest Legacy Program. Come prepared with questions about your land!
Agenda for download:

6:00 – 6:20 | The importance of keeping forests as forests and the GA Forest Legacy Program
6:20 – 6:40 | Tax Incentives to Keep Forests in Forests – The Georgia Forest Land Protection Act and the Georgia Conservation Use Program (Georgia Department of Revenue)

6:40 – 7:00 | LandYield: Connecting Family Forests to Carbon Markets (Josh Fain, LandYield Director)
7:00-7:20 | Conservation Easements 101 – Athens Land Trust
7:20-7:30 Q&A Panel

Contact Dakota Wagner at dakota@forestguild.org with questions. This program was made possible through support from Graphic Packaging International LLC.

Fueling Collaboration Panel Discussion Series: Fire History as a Bridge Between Ecological Knowledge Systems
2023-11-16 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Register
November 16, 2023
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
Approved for 1.5 Category 1 CFE’s by the Society of American Foresters.
This panel discussion will explore how different types of fire history information (Indigenous Knowledge and physical archives), when considered together, provide improved context for understanding the ecologies and processes that are linked to the restoration and stewardship of fire-adapted communities. The panelists include Indigenous Knowledge holders and practitioners, and experts in tree-ring, sedimentary, and archeological fire history, who have collaboratively used fire history information to bridge cultures and knowledge systems. The discussion will use case studies in the Upper Great Lakes Region where a diverse set of partners wove these types of knowledge together to restore cultural fire to the benefit of globally-rare pine barrens communities.

66th Annual Forest Pest Management Forum
2023-11-28 07:30 - 2023-11-30 16:30 (America/New_York)
Register (by November 24th, 2023)
November 28 at 7:30 a.m. to November 30 at 4:30 p.m. ET
In-person at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown in Ottawa, Ontario and virtually via Zoom Hosted by the Canadian Institute of Forestry.
Lodging, sponsor, and contact information is all available on the full forum website
Agenda for download
Organized by Natural Resources Canada in support of the National Forest Pest Strategy, the Forum is the largest and most significant gathering of forest pest management experts, managers, and practitioners in Canada. The objectives are to share information on current and future forest health conditions, forest pest control operations, environmental issues, and the development of new technologies for forest health monitoring and management, as well as to discuss the latest research findings.

Federal policy on mature and old growth forests
2023-12-05 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Anchorage)
Register
December 5, 2023
12:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Presenters: Zander Evans and Rhiley Allbee, Forest Stewards Guild
On April 22, 2022, the Biden Administration issued Executive Order 14072, which directs the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of the Interior to define, inventory, identify threats towards, and develop policies to mitigate threats to, mature and old growth forests. Dr. Zander Evans will provide some background on what has happened since and the next steps in the process. The US Forest Service has produced an inventory of mature and old growth forests, and a threat assessment is nearly complete. The webinar will also include Rhiley Allbee’s analysis of mature and old growth in collaborative landscape restoration efforts.

Prescribed Fire for Forest Management: Fire in Northern Pine Systems
2023-12-06 09:30 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Register
December 6, 2023
6:30 am Pacific / 7:30 Mountain / 8:30 Central / 9:30 Eastern
1.5 hours
Brian Palik and Jed Meunier will be the presenters in this session of the year-long webinar series from the Wisconsin Forestry Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Dr. Palik will explore the ecological considerations of prescribed burning in Northern Pine Systems. John Schwingel, Wisconsin Fire Manager, The Nature Conservancy will moderate.

Maine Forest Climate Change Webinar & Field Tour Series: Long-term Watershed Research
2023-12-06 12:00 - 2023-12-08 13:30 (America/New_York)
Full series website
Dec 6, 2023
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Register for this webinar or entire series
Mike Howie, American Forest Management and Ivan Fernandez, University of Maine Professor of Soil Science. Long-term research: the intersection of science, recovery and climate; ecological implications from the past and current research that will help address climate concerns for the future.
Dec 8, 2023
9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Bear Brook Watershed (Lead Mtn, nr Beddington)
Register for this field tour
Site is part of long-term research to determine the effects of acid deposition on surface waters and their related watersheds. BBWM program of research encompasses an array of scientific objectives that include acid deposition, climate change and carbon sequestration, nitrogen saturation, base cation depletion, and studies of the evolution of watershed biogeochemistry under prolonged experimental acidification.
Full Series Summary:
Science and Practice: Addressing Forest Climate Change in Maine
An Interactive Webinar Series for Stakeholders and the Interested Public
Join us as we dig into forest health concerns due to climate impacts at new sites around the state. Our panelists will address management & restoration efforts, relevance of long-term research, fire as a tool, biohabitat concerns, forest health threats, and unique adaptation strategies at each site.
Noontime webinars are free (registration required). $25 field tour registration includes lunch, snacks, and van transport. Each tour has limited space.

Fueling Collaboration Panel Discussion Series: The Future is Smoky
2023-12-14 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Register
December 14, 2023
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
Approved for 1.5 Category 1 CFE’s by the Society of American Foresters.
With increasing wildfire activity due to changes in climate, smoke will likely become more prevalent and continue to have an effect on society. Earlier this year, smoke from Canada wildfires lowered air quality in the eastern U.S. to its worst levels in recorded history. As the climate heats up and creates drier conditions, smoky skies will grow increasingly common. Health concerns and prescribed burning actions needed to restore functioning ecosystems will be impacted by already smoky conditions across the country. Panelists include research meteorologists, air quality experts, and fire practitioners. Together, they will explore how we can address and adapt to a smoky future.

Fire in Southern Pine Systems: Prescribed Fire for Forest Management ​Webinar Series
2024-01-03 08:30 - 10:00 (America/Chicago)
Registration and full series information
January 3, 2024
8:30 – 10 a.m. Central Time
Online via Zoom
Fire ​into the Future: Geospatial Technology to Identify and Categorize Fire in the Southeast
Join us as we explore the ecology of southern pines, the reintroduction of ​​fire into fire-adapted ecosystems, and the legacy of prescribed fire and how the “old” links with the “new” with burning in longleaf pine. Participants will discover the importance of the Tall Timbers Private Lands Fire Initiative and hear about​ the cutting edge technology of the Southeast fire map, which helps​ with both on the ground management and re​search.
Dr. Nowell’s talk will focus on detecting fires in the Southeast United States, and will include discussion of satellite detection difficulties, an overview of current products across this region, and future scientific improvements of satellite-based datasets to detect even more fire. In particular, discussion will focus on the Southeast FireMap product – a product that is based on the USGS Landsat Burned Area dataset, but is uniquely tailored to the Southeast US. Preliminary study results that illustrate the utility of using Southeast FireMap to answer scientific questions will also be shared.​
This webinar is part of the Wisconsin Forestry Center’s free webinar series that explores several facets of prescribed fire related to forests and forest management. They invited speakers to provide their perspectives and offer advice on how to advance prescribed fire as a forest management tool.

Give Me That Old Growth Religion: Understanding the Cultural Diversity of Forest Cultures
2024-01-08 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Register
Monday, January 8, 2024 (note change from original date)
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Zoom webinar (join information will be provided after registration)
1.5 Category 1 Continuing Forester Education Credits by SAF are pre-approved.
This is one of several in our Communicating Forestry webinar series, by Guild members.
In this seminar, interdisciplinary scholar and former forester Jason M. Brown will explore the ways that trees and forests have shaped myth, religion, and spirituality throughout history. In addition, he will discuss how the various cultures that form around trees and forests inform the ongoing conflicts over forestry and forest management. Discussion will explore how understanding these perspectives might contribute to better public dialogue and management processes.
Jason M. Brown is a Lecturer with the Department of Global Humanities and also teaches with the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He grew up in California and studied anthropology as an undergraduate. He earned joint Masters degrees from Yale in forestry and theology. He writes at holyscapes.org.

Rooted in Research: Adapting to Extreme Weather Wild Cards - Adaptation Workbook
2024-01-10 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Register for this or entire series
Wild Cards and the Adaptation Workbook – David Bengston (NRS) and Stephen Handler (NRS, NIACS, USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub)
January 10, 2024
10:30-11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
Approved for 1 CFE credit through the Society of American Foresters and The Wildlife Society.

Full series summary:
Join the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, USDA Northeast and Northern Forests Climate Hubs, and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) for this webinar series.
Between floods, severe storms, and wildfires, nearly everyone in North America has recently experienced an extreme weather event firsthand. Extreme events will become more commonplace as the climate continues to change. These events pose new challenges for forestry and natural resource management that may require new, adaptive ways of thinking to address them.
An introductory presentation on “Wild Cards” in natural resource planning and NIACS’s Adaptation Workbook will set the stage for this mini-series and provide context for the following sessions. Thereafter, we will explore three different types of extreme weather events, showcasing the latest research on these topics and discussing relevant management implications.

Rooted in Research: Adapting to Extreme Weather Wild Cards - Wildland Fire
2024-01-17 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Register for this or entire series
Increased Incidence of Wildland Fire – Nicholas Skowronski (NRS) and Steven Miller (USDA Forest Service Eastern Region)
January 17, 2024
10:30-11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
Approved for 1 CFE credit through the Society of American Foresters and The Wildlife Society.

Full series summary:
Join the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, USDA Northeast and Northern Forests Climate Hubs, and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) for this webinar series.
Between floods, severe storms, and wildfires, nearly everyone in North America has recently experienced an extreme weather event firsthand. Extreme events will become more commonplace as the climate continues to change. These events pose new challenges for forestry and natural resource management that may require new, adaptive ways of thinking to address them.
An introductory presentation on “Wild Cards” in natural resource planning and NIACS’s Adaptation Workbook will set the stage for this mini-series and provide context for the following sessions. Thereafter, we will explore three different types of extreme weather events, showcasing the latest research on these topics and discussing relevant management implications.

Southeastern Guild Gathering: Oak Regeneration in Eastern Forests
2024-01-17 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Register to attend in-person in Asheville
Register to attend virtually over Zoom
Wednesday, January 17, 2023
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET
In person: 1577 Brevard Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 (follow signs to the training center).
Online: via zoom
Attendance either in-person or virtually is approved for 1 CFE credit from SAF.
Dr. Tara Keyser will explore the intricate ecology and sustainable management practices of upland oak forests. By detailing the vital role of these ecosystems, the audience will gain understanding of the factors influencing oak forest dynamics and sustainability. The presentation will highlight effective management strategies and foster a comprehensive understanding of upland oak forest conservation and resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Agenda:

4:00 – 4:30 Welcome and introductions
4:30 – 5:30: Presentation
5:30 – 6:00: Q&A

Speaker bio: Tara Keyser is a Research Forester and Director of the Center for Forest Restoration and Management with the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station in Asheville, NC. Tara received her BS in Forest Ecology and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MS and PhD in Forest Sciences from Colorado State University. Tara’s work is focused on advancing the sustainable management of upland oak ecosystems in the eastern US, with a focus on developing ecological forestry practices for the conservation of diversity and resiliency to changing to conditions.

Fueling Collaboration Panel Discussion Series: Phenology of Fire: Listening to the Plants and Animals
2024-01-18 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Register
January 18, 2024
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
Approved for 1.5 Category 1 CFE’s by the Society of American Foresters.
Season of fire. Opening the burn window. Both of these focus on one of the elements that make up a fire regime – frequency, intensity/severity, extent/scale, and seasonality. Decades of spring-and/or autumn-centric fire can cause a site or landscape to respond very differently than when burned repeatedly across all flammable seasons. Summer burns can produce differing fire effects including increased species richness averages, biomass, and stem counts (especially forbs), and breaking up the plant species dominance resulting from dormant season burn windows. Our panelists will bring fresh voices to how we can learn from listening to our fire-dependent plants and animals and let the fire effects lead us toward desired outcomes.

Tribal Forestry: Understanding Current Issues and Challenges
2024-01-19 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Register for this series (attend what you can)
Thursdays from January 18 to April 25
12:00 – 12:55 p.m. Eastern Time
(Note: there will be no webinars on March 14 and 21)
The series is free and open to the public. Each session will be recorded and posted to the website. We will offer CEUs for foresters in attendance. More information is forthcoming.
Tribes and First Nations have been forest stewards since time immemorial on the land that is currently called North America. In the face of climate change, tribes and First Nations continue to work with institutions, NGOs, and federal and state agencies to support Indigenous sovereignty and resilient forested landscapes. This webinar will focus on the current state of tribal forest management and Indigenous stewardship with a series of speakers from different tribes, universities, non-profits, and agencies. Beginning with an introduction to tribal forestry and the trust responsibilities, topics will include the history of forest stewardship on tribal lands in North America, federal laws and tribal forestry, contemporary uses of plants and wildlife stewardship, fire, conclusions from the Indian Forest Management Assessment (IFMAT), tribal co-management, and the future of tribal forestry in the face of climate change.
The series is co-developed and co-hosted by The Forest School and the Yale Center for Environmental Justice at Yale School of the Environment, and Salish Kootenai College.

Rooted in Research: Adapting to Extreme Weather Wild Cards - Extreme Precipitation
2024-01-24 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Register for this or entire series
Extreme Precipitation and Flooding – John Campbell (NRS) and Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne (NRS, University of Vermont)
January 24, 2024
10:30-11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
Approved for 1 CFE credit through the Society of American Foresters and The Wildlife Society.

Full series summary:
Join the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, USDA Northeast and Northern Forests Climate Hubs, and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) for this webinar series.
Between floods, severe storms, and wildfires, nearly everyone in North America has recently experienced an extreme weather event firsthand. Extreme events will become more commonplace as the climate continues to change. These events pose new challenges for forestry and natural resource management that may require new, adaptive ways of thinking to address them.
An introductory presentation on “Wild Cards” in natural resource planning and NIACS’s Adaptation Workbook will set the stage for this mini-series and provide context for the following sessions. Thereafter, we will explore three different types of extreme weather events, showcasing the latest research on these topics and discussing relevant management implications.

Keeping Forests as Forests – Incentive Programs for the North Carolina Landowner
2024-01-24 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
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January 24, 2024
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Agenda
Join the Forest Stewards Guild for an evening learning about ways to keep forests as forests. We will be joined by experts on tax incentive programs, conservation easements, and carbon markets. Come prepared with questions about your land!
6:00-6:20 | Present-Use Valuation Program (NC State University Extension)
6:20-6:40 | Carbon Program for the Family Forest Owner (American Forest Foundation
6:40-7:00 | The Wildlife Conservation Land Program (NC Wildlife Resources Commission)
7:00 – 7:20 | Introduction to Conservation Easements (Working Lands Trust)
7:20 – 7:30 | Q&A
This program was made possible through support from WestRock.

Family forest landowner preferences for managing invasive species
2024-01-25 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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January 25, 2024
10:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time / 12:00 Noon Central Time / 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Presenter: Dr. Shady Atallah, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Family forest landowners own and manage much of the world’s forests, but we know little about their willingness to control biological invasions on their properties. Using a choice experiment, we find that landowners prefer mechanical methods and strongly oppose chemical methods when controlling the spread of an invasive shrub. Their choices are heterogeneously affected by ecosystem service outcomes resulting from control, namely timber production, trail recreation, and wildlife viewing. Landowners view their decision to control the invasive species on their land as a complement to the control by neighbors, offering further support for the areawide management of forest invasive species.

New Mexico Tribal Forest and Fire Summit
2024-01-30 07:30 - 2024-02-01 14:00 (America/Phoenix)
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January 30, 2024: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)
January 31, 2024: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with optional social mixer until 7:30 p.m. (MT)
February 1, 2024: 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (MT)
Santa Ana Star Casino, 54 Jemez Canyon Dam Rd, Bernalillo, NM 87004
There are a limited number of rooms reserved for folks traveling from long-distances.
Agenda
Though the event is focused on New Mexico, you’ll find many of the topics are relevant across the Southwest.
Day 1: To equip tribal or tribal-affiliated natural resource managers and practitioners with an understanding of the burn planning process to work towards good and thorough surveying, burn plans, and implementation. Together we’ll learn about elements of prescribed fire planning, which parts of burn plans can be co-created, and BIA’s process for approving burn plans. We’ll share lessons learned from challenges and successes throughout.
Day 2: This workshop session will bring everyone together to share challenges, concerns and roadblocks that are affecting Tribal projects. We will break into small groups to discuss these obstacles and brainstorm ideas and solutions on how to overcome them. The expected outcome is to have a clearer idea on common challenges and obstacles affecting Tribal projects and how we can tackle these collectively.
Day 3: Field visits in Jemez Pueblo and Sandia Pueblo, New Mexico.
This event is sponsored by the Forest Stewards Guild, New Mexico Forestry Division, The Nature Conservancy, and Trees, Water & People.

Rooted in Research: Adapting to Extreme Weather Wild Cards - Ice Storms
2024-01-31 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Register for this or entire series
Ice Storms in the Northeast – Lindsey Rustad (NRS, USDA Northeast Climate Hub) and Lloyd Irland (The Irland Group)
January 31, 2024
10:30-11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
Approved for 1 CFE credit through the Society of American Foresters and The Wildlife Society.
Full series summary:
Join the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, USDA Northeast and Northern Forests Climate Hubs, and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) for this webinar series.
Between floods, severe storms, and wildfires, nearly everyone in North America has recently experienced an extreme weather event firsthand. Extreme events will become more commonplace as the climate continues to change. These events pose new challenges for forestry and natural resource management that may require new, adaptive ways of thinking to address them.
An introductory presentation on “Wild Cards” in natural resource planning and NIACS’s Adaptation Workbook will set the stage for this mini-series and provide context for the following sessions. Thereafter, we will explore three different types of extreme weather events, showcasing the latest research on these topics and discussing relevant management implications.

Prescribed Fire as a Restoration Tool for Savanna Communities: Rx Fire for Forest Management ​Series
2024-02-07 08:30 - 10:00 (America/Chicago)
Registration and full series information
February 7, 2024
8:30 – 10 a.m. Central Time
Online via Zoom
Join Jeb Barzen and Brendan Woodall as they discuss ​Restoring Savanna Communities in Wisconsin with Rx Fire at Ecologically Meaningful Scales
Jeb Barzen will focus on addressing the potential for restoring savanna communities in Wisconsin at ecologically meaningful scales through use of prescribed fire and through expanding social tools such as carbon credits or environmental labels. Most vegetative communities in Wisconsin, including a variety of savanna communities, are fire-dependent and the Wisconsin landscape is approximately 85% privately owned. A 10-fold increase in the implementation of prescribed fire is needed and our current capacity to implement those fires is limited by the number of trained people to burn safely and the incentives necessary to allow private landowners to deploy Rx fire sustainably over decades and across broad landscapes to achieve ecologically significant impacts. ​ ​​ ​​
Brendan Woodall will dive into the details on what he does as a Private Lands Biologist through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and discuss how fire is used as a restoration and management tool in savanna communities on private land. There are many barriers and limitations to actually being able to get fire on the ground safely, such as socially, financially, and logistically.
This webinar is part of the Wisconsin Forestry Center’s free webinar series that explores several facets of prescribed fire related to forests and forest management. They invited speakers to provide their perspectives and offer advice on how to advance prescribed fire as a forest management tool.
