Register Here: Partnership to Host Two Mid-Winter Webinars on Climate Change and Forestry

The Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts is hosting two mid-winter webinars focused on stewarding our forests and the services they provide amid a changing climate:

January 25, Noon - 1 pm: Climate Change and Forest Management 101

February 2, Noon - 1:15 pm: Waste or Resource?: A Panel Discussion on Wood Residue

All are welcome to attend. To register, please click the links above.

​On January 25 at noon, Alexandra Kosiba, PhD, will present “Climate Change and Forest Management 101,” which will address how climate change and other stressors pose a threat to our forests and how we can think about and manage forests to bolster their resilience and adaptation to change. Kosiba will discuss how forests help us mitigate climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide and the important tradeoffs we need to keep in mind. Alexandra (Ali) Kosiba is a forest ecophysiologist and Extension Assistant Professor of Forestry at the University of Vermont. As the Extension Forester, she creates resources and conducts applied research to help woodland owners, foresters, and decision-makers better understand the impacts of climate change and other stressors on Vermont’s forests and management techniques to improve forest resilience. A licensed forester, Ali serves as a regional educator on forest carbon science and management and is the state lead on the Vermont Forest Carbon Inventory. She also works on various forest health topics, like planning and management for at-risk tree species, land planning for maintaining critical forest services, and forest monitoring. Before coming to UVM, she was the Climate Forester for the State of Vermont, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation – and the first climate forester in the nation.

On February 2 at noon, the Woodlands Partnership will host the webinar “Waste or Resource?: A Panel Discussion on Wood Residue.” Joining this discussion will be Ben Kargère of Williams College, who will share findings from his study on how wood residue is being handled in the Northwest Massachusetts region, Sean Mahoney of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Emily Boss of the Massachusetts Woodlands Institute, Jay Healy of Hall Tavern Farm, and Andre Strong Bear Heart Gaines, Jr., a citizen of the Nipmuc people. The discussion will focus primarily on potential uses of woody debris or residue in the region: low-value woody materials that are often a byproduct of town utility or roadway maintenance or sawmill operations that cannot or should not be left in place. These materials often have low value in the current marketplace, though there may be creative and beneficial uses for the material within the community. The public is welcome to listen to the panel and contribute to the discussion to follow.

The mission of the Woodlands Partnership is to “both conserve our forests and enhance our region’s rural, land-based economy across the Northern Berkshire Mountains, hill towns, and riverside villages of northwestern Massachusetts.” Both webinars will address the complex issue of how best to achieve those goals. Recordings will be available to those who register, and time will be made for Q&A. 

Please reach out to Sophie Argetsinger with questions at sargetsinger@newenglandforestry.org