UBC Faculty of Forestry

congratulates Professor Emerita Dr. Cindy Prescott who has been named a Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) / La Société royale du Canada (SRC).

Cindy’s research bridges the gap between forest ecology and forest management, contributing to the advancement of forest science and ensuring that management practices are grounded in robust scientific evidence. Her work has questioned several commonly accepted beliefs, which she rigorously tested through her own experiments and critical analysis of existing data.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4cYWkae 🔗

Recap of what a full day of stoke looks like with at Imagine Day! 🎉

Welcome to all of our new students to UBC Forestry - we can't wait to grow together for a more sustainable future. 🌲🌎

Robin Hastings, a Masters of Urban Forestry Leadership (MUFL) student has had the opportunity to work on the renewal of the Malcom Knapp Research Forest Arboretum this summer! 🌳

✍️ Read more about his experience here: https://bit.ly/4cFMl9G

Are you a current student considering the semester in Community Resilience at Haida Gwaii Institute - HGI?🌱

Join us for our upcoming online information session to learn more!

🗓️ Tuesday, September 10
⏰ 12:30 P.M.
📍 Zoom
🔗 Register: https://bit.ly/3yEEgUZ

Meet Rosalia Jaffray, one of the many students who have completed their undergraduate studies and gone on to continue their graduate studies with ! 📕🌲

"I recently completed my undergrad in Forest Operations (Harvest Planning and Engineering specialization) here at UBC and started my MASc degree in the FRESH Lab under Dr. Greg Paradis this May. 🔬

The first month of my master’s degree, I was in Chile TAing FRST 456 (Chile Field School: Natural and Planted Forests in the Global Economy) with Dr. Andres Varhola on the topic of Natural and Planted Forests in the Global Bioeconomy. We travelled with thirteen students through central Chile, visiting a range of nurseries, plantations, communities, natural forests, industrial facilities, research trials and national parks – even getting to see one of the oldest trees in the world! 🌏🌱

Throughout the trip, I found myself appreciating the depth of knowledge my undergraduate program provided and excited to pursue my research interests further. I decided to enroll in graduate studies to better understand and improve the different modelling tools used in forest planning and operations. Some of my questions about this started being answered with a few courses in my undergrad but my desire to learn more encouraged me to work with Greg and the FRESH Lab. We focus on tackling forest management problems using operations research methods, with my work specifically focused on their application in harvesting decisions. I also work in collaboration with Dr. Dominik Roeser and the Forest Action Lab on forest operations research. All three of these opportunities built off of connections I made during my undergrad. 🌲👷

Since returning from Chile, I have been working on my literature review, learning lots about modelling and operations, getting outside for a few days of fieldwork and starting to begin to answer a few more of those questions in forest management. I have also recently registered as a Forester-in-Training with FPBC and aim to register as an Engineer-in-Training with EGBC. I look forward to becoming a forester and forest engineer who will have a positive impact on Canadian forestry and abroad." 🇨🇦 🌎

Level up your sustainability management skills with our 8-week online Strategic Management for Sustainability Micro-Certificate! 🌱

Enhance your credentials while driving organizational sustainability goals. 🌍

💻 Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SWDPw4

Strategic Management for Sustainability - UBC Forestry Online Micro-Certificate The Strategic Management for Sustainability Micro-Certificate is an 8-week online program designed to give professionals applied tools to work towards their ...

UBC FORESTRY ARE YOU READY⁉️

In exactly one week, we welcome our new students at Imagine Day. The first wave of students have already moved in today and we’re stoked to meet you all!🌲🎉

Have a favourite memory? Let us know! 🏫

🎉 Celebrate 75 years of groundbreaking research at the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest! 🌲

On September 14, join us to take a journey through the forest and get a closer look at what some of these projects entailed and discovered.🌳

Details: https://bit.ly/4fB1OKT 🔗

70 Years of Research | Special Events | Wild & Immersive Since 1949, the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest has hosted over 1,000 research projects. Take a journey through the forest for a closer look.

PhD. Candidate Sam Adeyanju is in Ghana conducting field work with the Sunderland Lab! From beekeeping to ecotourism and shea butter production for local and international markets, such livelihood programs are being explored and supported in Northern Ghana. Sam is exploring the effects on nature, as well as impacts and challenges facing these programs.

Learn more about the work the Sunderland Lab is up to via: https://bit.ly/4g1MjM5

📚 New paper alert!

Research from the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) COLANDS initiative featuring PhD student Samuel Adeyanju reports on how inclusive engagement can bring about sustainable change to northern . 🌍🤝

Read the full paper: https://bit.ly/3YQuE3N

From conflict to collaboration through inclusive landscape governance: Evidence from a contested landscape in Ghana The Western Wildlife Corridor (WWC) in Ghana’s Northern Savannah ecological zone is a contested landscape where efforts to reverse widespread environm…

Meet Hanna Sobkowich, a 4th-year Forest Sciences student specializing in Biodiversity and Management who has been working with 's Dr. John Richardson as an NSERC Undergrad Summer Research Assistant! 🔬☀️

"This summer I have had the privilege to assist Dr. John Richardson, a freshwater & riparian ecologist and professor at UBC, on collecting and sorting data for an ongoing study in UBC’s Malcmom Knapp Research Forest. The study aims to assess the impact of various foresting practices on stream invertebrate communities, with samples taken before, after, and decades post-harvest to evaluate recovery. 🐛

Most of my work in the lab involves sorting through old samples, picking out tiny critters from sticks and stones, and learning to identify them. I have also been fortunate enough to go out into the field and collect some benthic samples myself. It was super interesting to see firsthand how the samples I’ve been working on were actually collected. 🔬

My biggest takeaway so far has been realizing just how much work goes into a large-scale research project. There are so many different factors that need to be accounted for when planning a study and then afterwards too for the data analysis. The fun part with this research has definitely been counting and ID-ing the invertebrates, but it takes hours of collecting and sorting just to get to that point. It’s just really made me appreciate the whole process." 🌲

Meet Alexandra Hankins, a 5th-year student in the Natural Resources Conservation program who has been working for Urban Systems this summer as an Environmental Consultant Co-op Student based out of Kamloops, BC! 🌲🌎

"As an Environmental Consultant Co-op with Urban Systems in Kamloops, BC, I have been introduced to the world of consulting and a wide range of projects. I have a balanced schedule of office work and field work. Some field work includes bird nest surveys, badger den surveys, amphibian salvages, water quality testing, and environmental monitoring in-stream works. One particularly rewarding experience was obtaining my electrofishing certification and using this technique to salvage hundreds of fish including juvenile rainbow trout, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, suckers, dace, and lampreys. My field work has also brought me all over BC including Lillooet, Merritt, and Vernon. 🐟

My desktop work has been equally beneficial to my learning as I write Environmental Management Reports, conduct species-at-risk searches, fill out funding and permit applications for clients, and gain knowledge on legislation requirements for various projects.👷‍♀️

This position has given me the opportunity to work closely with federal agencies like DFO, Local Government, and Indigenous communities to understand their perspectives and integrate them into environmental planning and assessment processes. Some clients I have worked with include Penticton Indian Band, Simpcw First Nation, Skeetchestn Indian Band, Whispering Pines / Clinton Indian Band, the City of Merritt, and the City of Cranbrook." 📝

🌲🚜 New research via European Journal of Forest Research 📃🌲

’s Associate Dean Dominik Roeser, Lecturer Ken Byrne, and Research Associate Omar Mologni examine anchor stability in cable yarding and the effect of cyclic loading in order to improve safety and efficiency in forest operations.

🔍 Read the full study: https://bit.ly/3WS6tiS

Cyclic loading effects and stability assessment of trees and stumps used as anchors in cable yarding operations - European Journal of Forest Research Swing yarders in running skyline configuration using either grapples or chokers represent the most common configuration for cable yarding in coastal British Columbia. In this context, whole-tree logging and short work cycles lead to heavy and repeated loads applied to the trees and stumps when used....

🌲 Ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and deep-rooted knowledge of Haida Gwaii? Join the Haida Gwaii Institute's Semester in Community Resilience! 🌊

This program will allow you to learn from local communities and experts about sustainability, traditional ecological knowledge, and resilience in the face of climate change. Whether you're passionate about environmental stewardship, Indigenous perspectives, or community development, this experience will empower you to make a real impact.

📅 Applications are open now! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn and grow in one of the most beautiful and ecologically rich regions in the world.

👉 Find out more and apply today: https://hginstitute.ca/community-resilience/

A recent paper on the effects of log booms from Associate Dean Scott Hinch and his Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Lab has been chosen as Editor's Choice by the Canadian Journal of Forest Research!🪵

Congratulations to all contributors!👏

📄 Read: https://bit.ly/3X486eY

Like much of British Columbia, the aggressive wildfires of recent years have threatened Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation (SXFN) and citizens are concerned about wildfire risk to their communities. SXFN and Tree Ring Lab researchers partnered to research wildfire risk on SXFN traditional territory.

Forestry PhD candidate Mike Stefanuk's role in the project is to study SXFN’s wildfire history. He uses dendrochronology – tree-ring science – to reconstruct past fire events and gain insights into the history of fires around SXFN. Through his research, he acknowledges the significance of traditional Indigenous cultural fire use and land stewardship practices in SXFN’s history.🌍

Read more:

Indigenous Research and Engagement in the Time of Reconciliation | UBC Forestry Mike Stefanuk, a PhD candidate at UBC Forestry, shares his experience working with the Tree Ring Lab in SXFN traditional territory.

Recent PhD. graduate Corinne Bassett along with colleagues published a study analyzing the content of urban forest management plans (UFMPs) across Canadian municipalities. 🗺️🍁

🏙️ Read more about how UFMPs are evolving and what the implications are for future conditions: https://bit.ly/3yz95dt

Meet Cole Parker, a 4th-year Natural Resources Conservation student who has been working for Chartwell this summer as a Junior Field Technician based out of Squamish, BC. 🌲👷

"Working with Chartwell this summer has been an unreal experience as each day brings something different. From traditional forestry layouts, to road design and surveying, to old growth and silviculture assessments in some of coastal BC’s gnarliest terrain. 🗻

One of my favourite projects I’ve been lucky enough to take part in this summer is the Western redcedar old growth assessments across Howe Sound. This involved a helicopter ride southbound from the Squamish airport to the west side of Howe Sound deep into the Mill Creek Valley, our drop zone was a small section of the river bank with an opening in the canopy. Our objective was to survey predetermined plots through the block, tag and bore the largest trees within those plots, and share this data with the province’s Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) to identify at-risk old-growth ecosystems for deferral. ✏️

Long story short, the trees were ancient and massive… every large cedar we took a core sample from was between 2.5 to 3.5 metres DBH and over 1000 years old. It was a surreal experience to witness such astonishing old growth so close to Squamish." 🌳

"Within the Faculty of Forestry, people speak about their research and collaborations with infectious passion and it’s clear that there is a culture of supporting people to explore and create tangible and thoughtful change."🌎

Meet Tara Atleo, haḥuuła.👋

She joins as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest Resources Management and will play a key role in our newly launched Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship program.

Through her work at UBC, she hopes to explore and legitimize the empowerment of Indigenous law and governance in economic considerations for land-based decision-making in a way that directly supports communities’ work within their territories.

Learn more about Tara in our latest 🔗

In The Spotlight: Tara Atleo, haḥuuła | UBC Forestry Tara Atleo, haḥuuła, joins UBC Forestry as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest Resources Management.

In 2009, the UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing at took on the challenge to help create the podiums and medal trays for the Olympic Games.🏅

Read more about the experience as we cheer on athletes at !

https://bit.ly/3WEjvSi
University of British Columbia

Crafting History: UBC Forestry's Contribution to the 2010 Olympic Games | UBC Forestry UBC Forestry contributed to the fabrication of 23 Olympic Podiums and 100 medal trays for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.