Now that's a big tree!

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows visited Redwoods State Parks in California to see the world’s tallest trees. Click on the Stout Tree for more pics.

Siuslaw National Forest

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Over the past decades, federal forest management in the Pacific Northwest has undergone a dramatic shift from providing large volumes of timber to conservation values. With new demands from the public, managers have placed more emphasis on ecosystem restoration and watershed health. Fellows visited a much discussed national forest, the Siuslaw.

The Siuslaw is praised as a prime example of collaboration between environmental groups, local communities, and USFS managers. One-third of all harvest on the Siuslaw falls under Stewardship Contracting, which permits the forest to retain receipts from sales and return the value of these harvests to restoration. Project proposals are approved by a diverse group of stakeholders. Resulting projects have primarily focused on habitat improvement and stream restoration.

The majority of stewardship harvests are accomplished via thinning, which pleases environmentalists and avoids the controversy of the clearcut. Sales are rarely appealed in the Siuslaw and stakeholders on all sides appear content. Click on the photo for more pics.

Investing Globally in Forestland

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

On September 10-12, 2007 WFI held its first Global Series event in the “Who Will Own the Forest?” series of summits. The event entitled “Investing Globally in Forestland,” was attended by 275 representatives from the forest industry, TIMOs, pensions and investment community and consultants. The conference examined potential benefits and challenges to investing in timberland and was directed to investors in U.S. properties and to issues encountered by investors in acquiring offshore properties.

21 speakers from various countries presented, including WFC directors Colin McKenzie, Dennis Neilson, Bill Bradley, Ken Hines, Jeff Nuss and Rick Smith. Sponsorship for the event was at an all-time high of 18 corporations and associations: American Forest & Paper Association, Forest Capital Partners, The Forestland Group, Forest Systems, Green Crow, Green Diamond Resource Company, Hancock Timber Resource Group, John Hancock Bond and Corporate Finance Group, MetLife Timberland Finance Group, Moss Adams, Port Blakely Tree Farms, RMK Timberland Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Stimson Lumber Company, Stoel Rives, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, Timberland Investment Resources, and TimberWest.

The success of the event highlighted that interest in timberlands as an asset class remains strong. With land values in North America rising, many investors are now eyeing opportunities offshore.

Click on WFC President Gary Hartshorn for more photos.

Rehabilitation at Reed Canyon

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Reed Canyon Manager Zac Perry toured Fellows around the Reed College Canyon to discuss ecosystem resoration, or rehabilitation, the term that Zac prefers. This 28 acre area contains the headwaters for the Crystal Springs Creek. Unmanaged until 1999, Canyon rehab began with an alumnus grant. Fellows examined some of the projects in the canyon, which involve fighting invasive species such as himalayan blackberry, english ivy, wild clematis, and morning glory. Also of great interest were recently installed fish ladders, which appear to be working as salmon returned for the first time last year. More information can be found at the Reed Canyon website at: http://web.reed.edu/canyon/. Click on Ma removing some english ivy to see more photos.

WFI Update Now Available for Download

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

• Welcome to new Fellows from Nepal and Australia
  
• Eastern Oregon forest tour at MC Ranch
  
• 11th Annual International Educators Institute
  
• Updates from our Alumni
  

WFI Update can be downloaded here:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate8.07.pdf

Thanks,
Angie
WFI Program Manager

WFI Welcomes Nepalese and Australian

In August, WFI welcomed Deepak Dorje Tamang from Nepal and Nathan Trushell from Australia. Both of these Fellows signal new partnerships in sponsorship for the Fellowship Program.

Deepak is a senior development specialist with nearly 3 decades of experience working in rural development and environment, including extension, capacity building, planning and monitoring, in Nepal and other countries in South, Central and South-East Asia. He currently heads a non profit organization in Nepal called Search-Nepal (www.searchnepal.org.)

Nepal, with 10 of the 14 highest mountains in the world, suffered environmental degradation, deforestation, and soil erosion from the 1950s-1970s due to poor policies. However, the government and private sector have since worked together for better laws and Nepal has seen much improvement since, especially in reforestation, environmental protection, conservation and biodiversity. Improvements have also been made to promote a variety of forest ownerships, including community, leasehold and private forests. National parks have been created, bringing in much needed eco- and heritage- tourism and mountaineering.

Deepak will spend 12 months researching comparative environmental legislations in the US and other Fellows’ countries in forestry, environment, national parks, conservation and biological diversity. Deepak’s study aims to identify good policy case studies that balance population, environment and development.

Nathan Trushell and his family arrived the same weekend from Australia. Nathan is employed as a regional manager with VicForests, overseeing business operations throughout West Gippsland, Victoria. VicForests was established in 2004 as a government owned business enterprise with responsibility for the commercial sale, harvest and regeneration of the state source within the state of Victoria. Over the last three years the organization has focused on designing and implementing its fundamental business model. This has included the development of a market based sales system for timber from forest resource within the state of Victoria. Over the last three years the organization has focused on designing and implementing its fundamental business model. This has included the development of a market based sales system for timber from state forest via an electronic online sales system (the first in Australia), implementation of mill door sales and the development of a sustainable forest management system certified to the Australian Forestry Standard. VicForests sells approximately 1.6 million cubic meters of native eucalypt hardwood, mainly to domestic processors in the sawn timber and pulp and paper sectors of the forest industry.

Nathan will spend six months exploring commercial forestry promotion and branding strategies within the supply chain. Despite forest management undergoing massive change over the past two decades within Australia, there is still ongoing debate surrounding production forestry, particularly within native forests. Complexities of the economic, social and environmental aspects of forest management make it difficult for evidence or scientifically based information to be easily relayed to key stakeholders. To ensure the security of the industry into the future effective promotional and branding strategies are essential. Upon return to Australia Nathan will take on a new role with VicForests as Business Development Manager and will continue some of this work.

Nathan’s wife Helen and daughters Alex and Megan join him in Portland. Helen, also a forester, is taking a break from work to enjoy the Pacific Northwest while Alex and Megan will attend school in Portland.

Schmidt Nursery Tour

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows toured Schmidt Nursery with Karl Dawson and the Neighborhood Tree Liaison Program. Click on the photo for more pics.

Environmental Educators and Researchers Work Together at IEI

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

For the 11th year, the World Forestry Center hosted the International Educators Institute. This weeklong study tour is set against the dramatic Pacific Northwest landscape and uses local examples to explore sustainability issues.

A diverse group of participants came together from around the world, including award winning environmental educators and natural resource professionals. Each day a different theme led participants to examine topics related to the Montreal Process, including research, protection, communities, disturbance, and management. Participants also exchanged best practices in forestry education and provided their own unique perspectives on global issues.

The group stayed overnight in the Columbia River Gorge. Long travel days were spent visiting with representatives of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Weyerhaeuser Learning Center, the Portland urban forest, and US Forest Service lands. For many participants, this was their first experience in the Pacific Northwest, as well as with participants from far away places such as Palestine and Denmark.

One of the key components of the program is creating an international network. Participants plan to keep in touch to exchange ideas and information. There are many stories of previous participants working together beyond the week-long course. More photos and information can be found at http://internationaleduca-torsinstitute.blogspot.com/.

Eastern Oregon Forest Management highlighted at MC Ranch

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

For the second year in a row, the WFI Fellows were invited to observe eastern forest management in La Grande, Oregon, hosted by Harry Merlo at his 13,000 acre MC Ranch, and guided by ranch manager Rex Christensen. The four-day event featured two days of equipment demonstrations led by Tom King of SuperTrak, which modifies Caterpillars into mulching machines that can process large areas of slash into mulch and woody biomass for utilization. Also on hand for the demonstrations were Rick Wagner of the Oregon Department of Forestry and several landowners and contractors.

La Grande is located in northeastern Oregon, in an area referred to as the Blue Mountains. The area is rich in forests, with the majority owned by the federal government. The MC Ranch is nestled within dense stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and western larch, with smaller volumes of white fir and several hardwood species. Large populations of elk and deer inhabit the land, which is used for hunting. Parts of the ranch are also used for grazing cattle.
The aim of the MC Ranch is to improve forestland quality for commercial, recreational and wildlife purposes. Poor logging practices in the past left large volumes of slash on the ground, posing a fire risk. Traditionally, slash is piled and burned. However, fire risk and rising labor costs led the MC Ranch to experiment with a high-tech solution. SuperTrak equipment can cover 20 acres/day, grinding down dead trees, stumps, and downed logs into mulch chips, reducing the fire hazard, scarifying the soil and crushing pines and seeds to encourage germination, and leaving a layer of mulch on the ground which helps to retain moisture for seedlings. Currently the MC Ranch is able to use the equipment to produce “dirty chips” (with bark) which are sold to utility companies. The landowner believes that co-generation will become an important source of alternative income for timber growers.

After the demonstrations, Rex Christensen took the Fellows on a tour of areas thinned last year, including a stand that was marked by last year’s Fellows in a tree marking exercise. The Fellows even got in a few horse rides, shooting lessons and a chance to try their hand at driving a SuperTrak machine. Each day a traditional wagon train catered dutch oven food. It was an experience not to be forgotten. Click on the SuperTrak for more photos.

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.

Hancock Timber Resource Group

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows visited with HTRG to visit their Cathlamet properties. Click on Cristopher for more photos.

Belton Tree Farms

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Family forest owner Mr. John Belton, hosted Fellows for a tour of his 200 acres near Mt. Hood. The land has been in his family for over 100 years, when one of his relatives was a Portland doctor and patients occasionally paid for services with a variety of items, including land. John discussed his management philosophy and objectives with Fellows, which is quite different from other ownership groups that Fellows have visited. John focuses on niche markets for his products, which besides logs, include cherry bark for basket making, alder chips for smoking, and finished products such as picnic tables. Click on John and the salal for more photos.

Oregon SAF State Meeting

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows 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. Click on the photo of the Black Crater Fire map for more photos.

Cascade Timber Consulting

President Dave Furtwangler and Silviculture Director Bill Marshall toured the Fellows around Cascade Timber Consulting in Sweet Home, Oregon. The company manages 145,000 acres, 95% of them belonging to the Hill family trust. We spent the day learning about the company, which has about 40 employees, and their work managing forestlands. We were able to visit an active cable logging operation and meeting with the forester in charge of the timber sale. This was the first logging operation for most of the Fellows. Cris was amazed at the engineering efforts on steep slopes and decided that he never wants to be the choker setter. The company prides themselves on their ability to get a good dollar for their logs, by maximizing their sorts and logging in the wintertime when prices are at a premium (and they prepare for this by having an excellent rock road system and giving extra care to environmental concerns). The afternoon was spent seeing some of their research in their Douglas-fir seed orchard – the oldest in the PNW, started in 1961. We also were able to see some of their vegetation management plots that were set up in conjunction with OSU. The plots show varied treatments for competing vegetation in young plantations over 5 years – now I think that Ma finally understands why we use herbicides in establishing stands! Dave and Bill were gracious hosts, and were very knowledgeable and patient with all of our questions. They even brought out some great props – including Giusseppi the stuffed Mountain Beaver – to illustrate their points. Click on the photo for more pics.

GreenWood Resources

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows visited with Richard Shuren and Rick Stonex at GreenWood Resources. GreenWood breeds, tests, and grows hybrid poplars for use in the US, China, S. America, and other locations around the world. Click on Ma and his favorite clones for more photos.

Volunteer Day at Magness Tree Farm

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows volunteered to help clean up Magness Tree Farm's trails and remove ivy alongside a team from Mason Bruce & Girard. Click on Nerijus and Ma for more photos.

Port Blakley Tree Farms

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Kelly Stanley allowed Fellows to tag along to an education tour with a group of fourth graders. Click on Cris for more pics.

April 2007 WFI Update now available

The newest WFI Update is now available for download from:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate4.07.pdf

In this issue, find articles on:
*New Fellow from Australia
*Outdoor recreation field tours
*Welcome to new Education Forester Jill Romine
*Recent events
*Updates from alumni around the globe

Thanks,
Angie
WFI Program Manager

Webster Nursery

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows visited Webster Nursery, a 50 year old nursery run by the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The nursery provides 10 million seedlings a year to state and private lands for reforestation. The 260 acre facilities primarily grows 9 species, including Douglas-fir, true firs, pines, and alder. Webster is Washington’s only state run nursery and has been self-funded since 1962; all seeds, salaries, improvements and operations are paid from the nursery's $2.5 million yearly revenues. Click on the transplant team for more photos.

Tree School

Tree School is a one day training created by the Oregon State University Extension. The purpose is to give small woodland owners an opportunity to learn about subjects related to tree farming. This popular training had over 700 participants. Fellows participated in various classes ranging from marketing, measurement, nursery management, and mushrooms.

Roy Wu, Oregon Department of Forestry

Fellows interviewed Roy Wu and learned about his experience working with the Oregon Department of Forestry. Roy was deputy state forester from April 2000 until his retirement in March 2004 and was responsible for staffing and organization of the Oregon Department of Forestry's (http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/) field operations and offices. He exercised leadership during the 2002 fire season, the most severe in recent history (http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/biscuit-fire/index.shtml), by providing statewide strategic focus and directing resource priorities. As deputy he worked closely with forest landowners to reorganize a portion of western Oregon field operations.

Columbia Gorge

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

To understand how Oregon manages highly used recreation areas, Fellows visited the most popular site in Oregon: Multnomah Falls. The falls are the tallest in Oregon at 620 feet and they receive over 2 million visitors each year. There were a few surprises here for Fellows, including the lack of an entrance fee and how little time visitors seemed to spend at the falls (about 15 minutes). Fellows also visited the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.
Click on Nerijus for more photos.

Silver Falls State Park and Johnson-Swanson

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Education Director Rick Zenn toured Fellows around Silver Falls State Park and Johnson-Swanson, a WFC-owned tree farm. Silver Falls State Park is home to ten waterfalls and is very popular with visitors. The management model used at Silver Falls is similar to those used in national parks. Fellows learned about managing visitors alongside wildlife such as cougars, income opportunities such as campsites and cabins, and the historic legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corp. Click on Ma for more photos.

Australian Fellow joins WFI

Matthew Pope joined WFI in March for a one-year Fellowship. He is employed by Forests New South Wales and is based in the small regional community of Tumut. Matthew has worked as an operations forester with a broad range of responsibilities including fire, recreation, weed control, and fertilizing and more recently he has been working with construction and maintenance of an 8,000 km road network. He is the first Australian to come from a background in radiata pine plantations, of which his region is responsible for 90,000 hectares.

Matthew will be investigating the use of integrated field data management systems. A competitive global market for timber products has increased the need to efficiently manage every aspect of the forestry business. The amount of information required by managers has also increased, due to greater accountability requirements for investors, environmental regulations, and certification systems. This equates to greater information transfer “to” and “from” the field with as much real time information as possible.

There is growing adoption of handheld computers to manage information in the field that goes beyond simple inventory numbers, and most questions have a spatial element. The coupling of GPS with handheld GIS for various functions allows for easy collection and management of field data. Matt’s project hopes to gain ideas for expanding upon data collection functions for more complicated user questions. For example, imagine the efficiency boost if field users could quickly find answers to questions related to management issues of boundary types, road suitability for harvest, and culvert use, without returning to the office for additional information.

Matthew is accompanied by his wife Ainsley and children Keegan (4) and Will (2). Ainsley has recently completed her teaching degree, but she also has diverse educational and work experience, including degrees in Asian Studies and Aquaculture. Before teaching Ainsley worked with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife service as an interpretive ranger, which included fire fighting duties and managing a silver pearch fish farm. The Pope family has traveled extensively, thanks in part to one of Ainsley’s positions as a travel agent, and are looking forward to their year-long American adventure.

Oregon Logging Conference

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

The Oregon Logging Conference showcases logging equipment, tools, and techniques. Fellows explored the show. Click on the lumberjack for more pics.

February 2007 WFI Update available for download

The February 2007 WFI Update is now available for download from:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate2.07.pdf

In this issue, find articles on:
*Cristopher Lopez Paniagua's trip to Mexico
*Fellows' Speaker Series
*2007 International Educators Institute
*Recent events
*Alumni Updates

Thanks,
Angie, WFI Program Manager

Forests, Carbon, and Climate Change

Fellows attended the OFRI sponsored conference "Forests, Carbon, and Climate Change" held at Oregon State University. To learn more about the conference and report findings, download the report at: http://www.oregonforests.org/media/pdf/CarbonRptFinal.pdf

Ma presents at Tillamook SAF

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Zengwang Ma gave a presentation on forestry in Hebei, China, to the Tillamook chapter of the Society of American Foresters. The Fellows took advantage of this trip to the coast to visit Oswald West State Park, Camp 18, and Ecola State Park. Click on the guys for more photos.

Northwest Sportsman's Show

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows visited the Northwest Sportsman's Show to learn about outdoor recreation opportunities. For more photos, click on Cris trying his hand at the bow and arrow.

Tillamook Forest Center

Tillamook Forest Center

With an advertising slogan of “find yourself in the forest,” the new Tillamook Forest Center tells the story of the Tillamook, an area once devastated by a series of fires in the 1930s and 1940s. Over 800 square miles of forest was destroyed and it took twenty years to replant in Oregon’s first major reforestation effort.

As the new forest grew, it took many years for recreation interest to develop, but as people began using the forest an obvious need to manage visitors emerged. The Tillamook is now heavily used by off-highway vehicles, campers, hikers, mountain bike riders, and others. The Tillamook Center took over ten years to plan and was envisioned as part of a larger recreation planning process for this state-owned forest area.

Doug Decker, the project manager for the center, spent a day teaching Fellows about the planning process to develop this new attraction, which opened less than a year ago. Doug shared his experiences in recreation planning using the “three E’s”: engineering, education, and enforcement. He discussed how vital each component is for successful management of recreation sites.

Developing interpretive themes and education centers is of particular interest to Zengwang Ma (China) and Cristopher Lopez Paniagua (Mexico), as their projects address minimizing visitor impacts in fragile ecological areas. The Tillamook story sparked much discussion and gave Ma and Cris some excellent ideas for application in their projects.

For photos visit: http://flickr.com/photos/18377428@N00/sets/72157594536442158/

Magness Tree Farm

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Rick Zenn toured Fellows around WFC’s demonstration tree farm in Wilsonville, Magness Memorial Tree Farm. For more photos, click on the Fellows and the log cabin.

Cristopher visits Mexico

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

The Monarch butterfly is the best known of all migratory butterflies, traveling across the Americas to overwinter in Mexico. In 2000, Mexico established a reserve called the Biosphere of the Monarch Butterfly, a 56 hectare protected area. Despite its protected status, conservation is complex because so many people live within the reserve.

Mexican Fellow Cristopher Lopez Paniagua, sponsored by the US Forest Service, is designing an ecotourism plan for one of the ejidos, a community owned forestland called Cerro Prieto, in the municipality of Angangueo in Michoacan State. In January Cristopher spent several weeks meeting with ejido members and conducting visitor surveys and was joined for one week by WFC Education Director Rick Zenn.

Angangueo is the second most popular Monarch site to visit. Most Cerro Prieto ejido members were loggers until the creation of the reserve in 1996. Now they must struggle to find enough ecotourism dollars to make ends meet. They are hampered by national versus local politics, low skill levels (they have limited training in tourism or English), and lack of funding.
In the most popular sanctuary as many as 4000 tourists visit per day, putting enormous pressure on the monarch’s habitat. There is therefore need to create alternative sources of employment and productive projects for these communities so that they will not deplete the monarch’s natural habitat.

Cristopher’s trip gave him first-hand experience with the needs of ejido members, as well as visitor wants and needs. He will spend the remainder of his project developing training sessions for ejido members on topics of interpretation, customer service skills, and basic English lessons. He will also design trail signs and interpretive flip-guides to help tourists better understand the reserve. Cristopher was well received by ejido members, who lamented that so many foreign aid groups and national government programs are initiated but the benefits never reach down to their level.

For more photos, click here.

Oxbow Metro Park

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows spent a day exploring Portland urban parks and sites, including Oxbow Metro Park, The Grotto, and McMenamin's Edgefield. Click on Nerijus for more photos.

Winter Dinner with Harry

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows spend a blustery evening enjoying the warm hospitality of WFI founder Harry Merlo. Click on the group photo for more pictures.

Farewell Lee!

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Korean Fellow Seol Woong Lee bid farewell to WFI in January. He will spend one month in Seattle working for his employer in Korea, Eagon, at their Seattle branch office. Click on Lee's photo for more pictures from his farewell lunch and pictures of his final poster.

December 2006 WFI Update available for download

The December 2006 WFI Update is now available for download from:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate12.06.pdf

In this issue, find articles on:
*New Fellows from Lithuania, Mexico, and China
*Seol Woong Lee returns to Eagon
*Program Manager visits WFI Alumni in China
*Recent events

Thanks,
Angie, WFI Program Manager

Winter Mill and Forestland Tour

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

In December Fellows took a 4-day road trip through southern and central Oregon to explore several wood products mills. The first stop was Roseburg Forest Products, where we visited their Roseburg stud mill and engineered wood products mill. A trip to the Hinkle Creek Watershed study area completed the introduction to this vertically integrated wood products company. The second company visited was Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors, where Fellows first viewed their Bend ponderosa pine millwork facility. After the raw material is sawn, much is manufactured at the adjacent factory into high-end windows and doors.

Click here for photos of:
Roseburg Forest Products
Jeld-Wen
Tumalo State Park
Idleyld Lodge
Susan Creek Falls
Lava Lands
Diamond Lake

Coho Rendesvouz

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Peter Hayes of Hyla Woods hosted Fellows at their annual tree farm event, Coho Rendesvouz. The event celebrates the return of the salmon to the forest, as well as the holiday season. Fellows hiked, looked for spawning fish, and cut Christmas trees. Click on Cris for more photos.

Starker Forests

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Dick Powell of Starker Forests introduced Fellows to the forestry business in the Pacific Northwest. Dick explained the history and philosophy behind Starker, a family owned forestry business. Fellows then visited the Philomath Log Yard and Hull Oakes Lumber Mill. Click on the Fellows for more photos.

Program Manager Visits WFI Alumni in China

So many photos! Such an amazing trip!
http://web.mac.com/jds2/iWeb/China/China%20homepage.html

Thanks to WFI’s Chinese alumni, WFI Program Manager Angie DiSalvo had the opportunity to visit China in November. Her three-week adventure involved promoting the WFI Fellowship Program, as well as time to visit with past participants and experience China.

Dr. Yanping Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Forestry’s Research Institute for Resource Insects hosted Angie in Yunnan Province. In the capital of Kunming she participated in the International Neem Conference, learning about the neem propagation, plantations, and products, which was the subject of Dr. Zhang’s Fellowship project. Successful meetings were held with SW Forestry College, RIRI, and Zhongke Biological Company. Angie was met by WFI Australian alumnus Tony Scherl, and together they toured Yunnan cities of Dali and Xishuanbanna with Dr. Zhang’s wife. Yunnan is famous for its spicy food, minority cultures, and diverse array of plant life. Chinese hospitality lived up to its reputation, and Angie and Tony were amazed by their gracious hosts.

Moving to the capital city of Beijing, Xiaoli Wang and the State Forestry Administration were most helpful in arranging meetings and tours. Angie also visited with WFI alumnus Jialu Xie and International Educators Institute alumnus Hehe Zhang. Angie met with Hehe’s working group, China’s first environmental NGO, Friends of Nature. Of course, a trip to the Great Wall, shopping, and having Peking Duck on Thanksgiving day were in order as well. There was much talk swapping stories of life in Portland.

After the work portion of the trip was completed, Xiaoli accompanied Angie and husband Jon to SE China to visit Hangzhou, Nanxin, and Shanghai for some rest and recreation. This region of China is famous for its small water towns, beautiful gardens, and booming commerce.

The best part of the trip for Angie was trading places – Angie’s job involves giving tours and guiding Fellows through a foreign environment, and it was humbling to be on the receiving end of this hospitality. It was a wonderful experience to see Fellows “in their element” and to gain a first-hand appreciation for their dedication to their careers and families. Although the return flight to Portland was a sad one, these new memories and connections made a lifelong impression.

October WFI Update Available for Download

The October 2006 WFI Update is now available for download from:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate10.06.pdf

In this issue, find articles on:
*"Who Will Own the Forest? 3" Summit
*Fellowship Hosts
*East Coast Forest Tour
*Recent Events

Thanks,
Angie, WFI Program Manager

August WFI Update Available for Download

The newest WFI Update is now available for download at: http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate8.06.pdf

In this issue, find articles on:
*Farewell to Kyungtae Park, Jasjit Walia, and Pei-jung Wang
*Welcome to Seol Woong Lee
*Fellows visit Merlo Corporation Ranch in eastern Oregon
*Wallowa Resources visit in eastern Oregon

thanks,
Angie, WFI Program Manager

Merlo Corporation Ranch

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

WFI benefactor Harry Merlo invited Fellows to learn about forest restoration in east forests on his ranch near Pendleton. Fellows spent three days in the field with manager Rex Christenson learning about game management, restoration, reforestation, and cattle ranching. Click on the group photo for more pics.

Hopkins Demonstration Forest

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Manager Tim Lichen toured Fellows around Hopkins Demonstration Forest, a 140-acre demonstration forest open to the public for self-guided exploration, tours, workshops, and education programs. Click on Tim Lichen for more photos.

9th Annual International Educators Institute

The International Educators Institute (IEI) is an intensive 8-day study tour that brings together some of the most successful classroom teachers in the US and abroad to the World Forestry Center to exchange information about utilizing best practices in forestry education. This year's group included participants from India, Australia, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil, China, Korea, Norway, Mexico, New Zealand, South Carolina, Oregon, and Idaho. Past participants have called this unique educational opportunity the highlight of their professional career. Participants have taken home countless new techniques and resources and made many new friends for life. Participants in IEI return to their classrooms with new tools, new inspiration, and an active global network of colleagues and resource specialists. Click on the group photo for more pictures.

Hoyt Arboretum

Hoyt Arboretum, one of WFC's neighbors in Washington Park, hosted Fellows to discuss ways to collaborate. Hoyt Arboretum's plant collection is made up of just under 10,000 individual trees and shrubs, representing nearly 1000 different species. Their purpose is to grow the broadest possible range of woody plants from around the world. All of the plants have labels with the scientific and common names, and the geographic origin of the species. With Fellows coming from many different regions of the world, the opportunities to work together are endless.

Bull Run Watershed

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows visited with watershed educator Briggy Thomas at the Bull Run Watershed. The Bull Run, located east of Portland near Mount Hood, provides exceptionally clean, unfiltered water to the City of Portland and is the primary water source for the city. The Bull Run watershed is co-managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the City of Portland under special legislation known as the Bull Run Act, Forest Service regulations and formal agreements between the two agencies. The Bull Run Act requires the Forest Service to consult and coordinate with the City on plans and activities for the watershed. Click on the photo for more.

Oregon SAF President meets Fellows

Oregon Society of American Foresters president Lena Tucker met with Fellows to discuss SAF. The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is the national scientific and educational organization representing the forestry profession in the United States. Founded in 1900 by Gifford Pinchot, it is the largest professional society for foresters in the world. The mission of the Society of American Foresters is to advance the science, education, technology, and practice of forestry; to enhance the competency of its members; to establish professional excellence; and, to use the knowledge, skills, and conservation ethic of the profession to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of forest resources to benefit society.

Wallowa Resources and Eastern Oregon

Fellows spent four days exploring the far northwest corner of Oregon in Wallowa County. One and a half days were spent with Diane Snyder, Executive Director of Wallowa Resources. This community based non-profit works to provide economic opportunities for the community that are in line with ecological restoration goals. Fellows participated in a tour of WR projects along with the Board of Directors of Sustainable Northwest. Additional highlights of the trip featured the Mount Howard Tram, exploring the story of Chief Joseph, and discussing issues in rural communities. For more photos, click on the group photo above.

June 2006 WFI Update Published

The newest issue of WFI Update is now available for download at:

http://wfi.worldforestry.org/news.htm

The newest issue features:
*welcome to Pei-Jung Wang, new Fellow from Taiwan
*Farewell to Xiaoli Wang from China
*Recent field tours
*Visits to Greenwood Resources and Longview Fibre
*Special visit from Korean alumnus In Chul Jung

Thanks,
Angie DiSalvo
WFI Program Manager

Dinner with Harry

Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Harry Merlo, the "Father of WFI", hosted fellows at his home for a wonderful evening of food and wine. Click on the group for more photos.

Farewell, Xiaoli!

Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

After a year in Portland, it was time to say goodbye to Chinese Fellow Xiaoli Wang. Of course, what better way to celebrate than with Xiaoli's famous cooking? Xiaoli and housemate Michele hosted a wonderful potluck dinner, complete with dumping and spring roll making lessons. Over 250 dumplings were made! Click on Xiaoli and Sara for more photos.

Longview Fibre Company

Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Jay Holland, tree farm manager for Longview Fibre, toured Fellows around land he manages near the Tillamook. In addition to ordering perfect weathe, Jay showed Fellows some amazing sites, including active cable logging systems, helicopter flying of cedar for shakes and shingles, and salmon stream habitat restoration. Click on Pei-jung for more photos.

Fellows meet with Jim Brown

Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Jim Brown, former State Forester for Oregon, met with Fellows to discuss his experiences working for ODF and the state. His extensive career spanned an important period in Oregon's forests. Jim noted that the biggest changes in forestry that he has seen over time included forester's roles becoming more politicized, federal land management moving from providing a wide variety of services to only environmental services, the increased use of public involvement, wood supply becoming more global, and the development of the sustainability concept.

Mt. Hood National Forest

Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute.

Fellows visited with Natural Resources Staff Officer Lisa Norris at Mt. Hood National Forest. Lisa shared her experiences working with the USFS and gave an excellent overview of operations at Mt. Hood. The Mt. Hood NF is uniquely located near the urban center of Portland, and received a large number of visitors each year. Managing for multiple resources and uses is a challenge, but obviously one that Lisa greatly enjoys.