WFI Update Now Available for Download

The June 2007 WFI Update is now available to download! In this issue:

• Welcome to new Brazilian Fellow, Mariane Bueno de Camargo
• Site visits to tree breeding, growing sites
• Award for Education Director Rick Zenn
• Site visits to GreenWood Resources, small woodland owners, and SAF and more
• Updates from our Alumni
  

WFI Update can be downloaded here:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate6.07.pdf

Thanks,
Angie
WFI Program Manager

Education Director Rick Zenn Recognized with Award

The Education Program at the World Forestry Center has earned top honors from Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Forestry. Rick Zenn, Education Director, received the Mary Rellergert Forestry Education Award in June at a meeting of the Oregon Board of Forestry. The third annual award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the advancement of education and understanding about forestry.

Rick Zenn has been Education Director at the World Forestry Center since 1990 and has a passion for creating programming that engages people in "hands-on" learning. He is an internationally recognized environmental educator with over 30 years experience in the field as naturalist, guide, program manager and trainer. He has worked on educational initiatives with the Smithsonian Institution, World Wildlife Fund, and the US Forest Service, and has served as advisor to many conservation and education organizations and is a member of the Project Learning Tree National Education Committee.

Students from Portland and beyond have benefited from education programs at the WFC Discovery Museum and at the center’s demonstration forests near Wilsonville and Silverton. The program reaches more than 600 schools and community groups and 10,000 children each year. WFC’s museum, camps, lectures, programs, field tours and forest education events have helped connect kids with trees and forests for more than twenty years.

The award was named to honor The Oregon Department of Forestry’s former Tillamook State Forest Education Coordinator, Mary Rellergert, who passed away in February 2004. Rellergert was a founder of the Tillamook State Forest Education Program, which provides high quality forest learning experiences for K-12 students at the Tillamook Forest Center.

Weyerhaeuser Turner Regeneration Center

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Quality timber stands begin with quality seed. There are several quality seed orchards in the PNW, where seed was originally selected in the wild for desired characteristics, and subsequent generations were propagated, bred, and tested to provide improved planting stock. Fellows visited with Jerry Barnes at the Weyerhaeuser Turner Regeneration center in Turner. The center aims to provide quality seedlings for reforestation on their own lands and also sell to landowners for a reasonable cost. Click on Mari for more photos.

Joint SAF Meeting

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows joined Portland, Salem, and Capital Chapters of SAF for a joint meeting at the Oregon Garden in Silverton. For more photos, click on the Fellows.

Foresters attending local Society of American Foresters (SAF) meetings may have noticed a few new international accents this year as WFI’s Fellows have participated in SAF events around the Portland area. SAF is composed of professional foresters and technicians and gatherings are perfect opportunities for Fellows to network with other professionals.

In addition to regularly attending the Portland Chapter meetings, Fellows have connected with various other regional SAF groups. Earlier this year, Zengwang Ma presented to the Tillamook Chapter about forest restoration in his hometown of Hebei, China. Ma was able to find many similarities between the reforestation work done in Hebei and work completed to reforest the Tillamook after a series of fires 50 years ago. In May, Matt Pope presented to the Longview Chapter and shared his experiences working in radiata pine plantations in New South Wales, Australia.

Fellows also participated in the Oregon SAF state meeting in Bend, Oregon. In addition to hearing speakers and networking, the state meeting included a field tour of east-side fire issues involving stewardship contracting, restoration, and a variety of treatments to reduce fire risk. Fellows plan to be a continued presence at SAF events, including the National Convention in October in Portland.

Annual State Urban Forestry Conference

Fellows attendedthe annual state urban forestry conference, sponsored by Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Community Trees in Salem, Oregon. The theme for this year was "How Trees Create Community" and featured speakers include Dr. Kathy Wolf of the University of Washington, Wilsonville Mayor Charlotte Lehan, and many others.

WFI Welcomes Newest Fellow from Brazil

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

On Memorial weekend, WFI welcomed Mariane Bueno de Camargo, the first female Brazilian fellow to join its international fellowship program. Brazilian participation has a long history at WFI, going back to Alexander Battistella from Battistella Ind. e Com. Ltda in 1994, and followed by three others, all from the forest products sector. Claudio Ortolan, an alumnus and currently with Klabin—Brazil's largest paper producer and exporter—was instrumental in arranging Mariane's arrival as WFI's current Brazilian Fellow.

Since her graduation from University of Parana State in 2004, Mariane has been working as a forestry engineer for a number of large multinational companies. She decided to continue her education in combination with her work and recently received a post-graduate engineer’s diploma in environmental sciences from Jaguariaiva College of Parana State University.

In her first job at International Paper Company in Parana State, Mariane’s responsibility was the forest inventory of 30,000 hectares of forest plantation. She also participated in reforestation projects with a focus on pine and eucalyptus species. Following International Paper, Mariane broadened her experience working at RIPASA Company in São Paulo State, where she was responsible for forest harvest and continuous raw material supply chain planning.

Mariane feels honored to be sponsored by Klabin S/A Company which is one of the biggest producers of paper and pulpwood in the world. Her family has a long history with the company—she is the 8th person in her family to work for Klabin.

Mariane will spend one year studying and researching current and potential markets for Brazilian wood products, as well as exploring business trends which affect demand for Brazilian plantation wood. In particular, she will focus on the molding and fencing industries.

In addition to the professional and business opportunities offered by this fellowship, Mariane is thrilled to have the experience of living in and learning about American culture. Mariane is more than sure that her one year fellowship program at WFI will not only greatly influence her future career but also make a huge impact on her personal growth.