The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment

We are taking a break this week to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but join us again next Thursday, December 5, for our last webinar of the YFF “Conserving Mature and Old-Growth Forests in a Changing Climate” speaker series. It will be a special 90-minute session titled: What’s Next on Old Growth Policy: A Panel Discussion. The panelists for the discussion include: 🌳 Sara Kuebbing, Research Scientist, Yale School of the Environment; Director of Research, Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program 🌳 Zander Evans, Executive Director, Forest Stewards Guild 🌳 Cody Desautel, Executive Director, Colville Tribes; President, Intertribal Timber Council 🌳 Sam Evans, Senior Attorney and Leader of the National Forests and Parks Program, Southern Environmental Law Center 🌳 Kacey KC, State Forester, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Nevada Division of Forestry, State of Nevada 🌳 Panel moderator: Jennifer McRae, Assistant Director of Public Engagement and Planning, USDA Forest Service This panel of forest sector leaders will discuss the implications of the National Old Growth Amendment (NOGA), its possible future under a new administration, and what our priorities should be moving forward. Through varying lenses in the sector, this panel discussion will showcase the complexity of public lands policy in an era of compounding crises. 🗓️ Thursday, December 5, 2024 🕗 12:00-1:30 pm US ET 🔗 Registration is LIVE! ➡️ https://yse.to/fall2024yff The speaker series is co-developed and co-hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program, the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, and the Society of American Foresters. The series is free and open to the public. Each session will be recorded. We offer CEUs for foresters in attendance. Learn more on our website: yff.yale.edu

This October, students had the opportunity to explore the forests of Vermont as part of the fall forestry field trip. The experience provided an overview of critical topics such as silviculture, hardwood log markets, invasive species, and forest resiliency. Along the way, students enjoyed sampling heirloom apples and taking in the vibrant fall foliage. Photo 1: Amelia 'Melly' Napper ‘24 MF, now a forester with The Ruffed Grouse Society, and USFS Forester Stacy Stratton lead a silviculture tour through the Green Mountain National Forest. Photo 2: Students observe an American beech at the New England Forestry Foundation’s Weeks Memorial Forest, with guidance from Forester Michael Redante. Photo 3: Alex Barrett ‘12 MF hosts a tour of Long View Forest Inc’s hardwood log yard, providing insights into species, grades, and the global log markets. Photo 4: Walker Cammack ‘22 MF guides students through agroforestry and working lands conservation initiatives at the Smokey House Center in Danby, Vermont. Photos: Joe Orefice

Join us on Thursday, November 21, to hear from our next YFF speaker, Jamie Barbour, Science Lead on Mature and Old-Growth Forests of the USDA Forest Service, who will present "Implementing Executive Order 14072" Mature and Old Growth Definitions, Inventory, Threat Analysis, and Policy?” In this talk, Barbour will delve into Executive Order 14072, which focuses on the conservation of Mature and Old-Growth (MOG) forests. By sharing key findings from the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management's inventory and threat analysis, Barbour will explore the significant risks posed by fire, insects, and disease to these ecosystems. Additionally, Barbour will share insights regarding the Forest Service's proposed National Old-Growth Amendment, which prioritizes consistency, proactive management, and collaborative approaches to safeguard MOG forests in the context of climate change. 🗓️ Thursday, November 21, 2024 🕗 12:00-1:00 pm US ET 🔗 Registration is LIVE! ➡️https://yse.to/fall2024yff The speaker series is co-developed and co-hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program, the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, and the Society of American Foresters. The series is free and open to the public. Each session will be recorded. We offer CEUs for foresters in attendance. Learn more on our website: yff.yale.edu 

We are excited to announce the 31st Annual Conference of the Yale Chapter of the International Society of Tropical Foresters, taking place in person in New Haven, CT, with some hybrid format options from January 31 - February 1, 2025. This year’s conference, titled Governing Resilient Tropical Forest Systems, will explore critical issues surrounding the governance of tropical forests, which play a vital role in global climate regulation, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions. It will delve into key topics such as the integration of scientific research and traditional ecological knowledge, the impact of land tenure and Indigenous management, the effectiveness of economic incentives like payments for ecosystem services, and successful models of stakeholder collaboration across different geographic scales. We are thrilled to welcome an amazing set of speakers from different disciplines spanning academia, government, and civil society, including our keynote speakers: Carlos Manuel Rodriguez (CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility), Santiago Gowland (CEO of the Rainforest Alliance) and Rhett Ayers Butler (Founder of Mongabay). Applications for posters, speed talks, and the ISTF Innovation Prize are due November 22. This year, we are also hosting a photography contest open to all university students! Submissions will be accepted from October to December 15. Find more details about each of these on ISTF’s website (https://istf.yale.edu) If you have any questions, please write to istf@yale.edu. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Join us on Thursday, November 14, to hear from our next YFF speaker, Anthony D’Amato, Professor of Silviculture and Applied Forest Ecology, and Forestry Program Director at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, at the University of Vermont (@uvm_rsenr). He will present "Silvicultural Strategies to Support Mature and Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across Diverse Ownerships." In his talk, D’Amato will explore silvicultural options for managing for mature and old-growth forest conditions across a range of forest and ownership types in the U.S. D’Amato will discuss the consistency of these strategies with other objectives and programs tied to biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation, and forest adaptation. 🗓️ Thursday, November 14, 2024 🕗 12:00-1:00 pm US ET 🔗 Registration is LIVE! ➡️ https://yse.to/fall2024yff The speaker series is co-developed and co-hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program, the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, and the Society of American Foresters. The series is free and open to the public. Each session will be recorded. We offer CEUs for foresters in attendance. Learn more on our website: yff.yale.edu

Join us on Thursday, November 7, to hear from our next YFF speakers, Cristina Eisenberg (Eisenberg Cristina, PhD) and Susan Prichard. Eisenberg is the Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Director of Tribal Initiatives in Natural Resources at the Oregon State University; and Prichard is a Research Scientist at the University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. They will present "Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science Approaches to Forest Adaptation." In their talk, Eisenberg and Prichard will synthesize the best available Western Science and braid it together with Indigenous Knowledge (IK), a model called Two-Eyed Seeing, to consider the historical, pre-settlement context of Mature and Old-Growth forests, as well as forward-looking strategies for climate change adaptation. 🗓️ Thursday, November 7, 2024 🕗 12:00-1:00 pm US ET 🔗 Registration is LIVE! ➡️ https://yse.to/fall2024yff The speaker series is co-developed and co-hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program, the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, and the Society of American Foresters. The series is free and open to the public. Each session will be recorded. We offer CEUs for foresters in attendance. Learn more on our website: yff.yale.edu

Join us on Thursday, October 31, to hear from our next YFF speaker, Heather Slayton, State Forester of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, who will present "Considerations in Managing Mature and Old-Growth Forests on Non-Federal Lands in the United States." In this talk, Slayton will discuss several considerations in managing mature and old-growth forests on non-federally owned forest land and implications for the forest industry, climate resilience, and overall forest health. 🗓️ Thursday, October 24, 2024 🕗 12:00-1:00 pm US ET 🔗 Registration is LIVE! ➡️ https://yse.to/fall2024yff The speaker series is co-developed and co-hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program, the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, and the Society of American Foresters. The series is free and open to the public. Each session will be recorded. We offer CEUs for foresters in attendance. Learn more on our website: yff.yale.edu

Calling all COP16 attendees! 🌳 Don't miss this COP16 side event hosted by the Brazilian Tree Industry (IBA), the WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and PEFC International. Join Gary Dunning, Executive Director of The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment and The Forests Dialogue, as he moderates a panel discussion on successful forest practices and innovative projects. Learn how these initiatives are driving biodiversity conservation and addressing the challenges faced by forestry stakeholders worldwide, all while contributing to the Global Biodiversity Framework: 🗓️ Wednesday, October 30, 2024 🕗 11:30-12:45 pm 📍CBD COP 16 – The Netherlands Pavilion See you all there! #COP16 #Forestry #Biodiversity

Calling all alums, students, and friends of the University: We will be holding a reception next Monday evening, October 28 in Vancouver while attending the Society of Ecological Restoration North American conference. Please send us a message if you can join us!

🌳 We're hiring! Hiring a Forest Program Administrator at the Yale School of the Environment Join the historic Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment as a Forestry Program Administrator. The School is celebrating its 125th anniversary of conserving and managing forests and is looking for a motivated and detail-oriented administrator to coordinate and develop budgets, oversee event management, and administer day-to-day operations. The position is split between 1) The Forest School and its integrated events hub the Yale Forest Forum and 2) The Forests Dialogue, a program at the School providing a multistakeholder dialogue platform for international leaders in the forest sector. The position is hybrid, based in New Haven, CT, and will play an integral role in supporting our education and leadership in forestry worldwide. Position description and application: https://bit.ly/40bcUAY