Breakout Session 1:
Knowledge is Power: Opportunities for landowners
Planning and implementing land stewardship practices can be challenging. Stop by this session to learn more about technical assistance, cost-share opportunities, and other creative ways to reach the goals for your forested lands!
Speakers:
Mike Downey, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Mike Barry, Forester, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Josh Rapp, Phd, Sr. Forest Ecologist, Mass Audubon
Taking the Scenic Route: Stories of indirect routes into forestry and relation professions
Natural resource careers are not often advertised to students and younger generations as an option to pursue; as a result, there are many forestry professionals who have interdisciplinary backgrounds. However, this variety of experiences are not a detriment to the professions, but rather a critical component of it. Come listen and learn how these diverse backgrounds positively impact natural resource work every day.
Speakers:
Gabrielle Hardyn, Forest Ecology, Longview Forest
Matt McKenna, UMass Amherst Forestry Student
Chris Pryor, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Stronger Together: Restoring cedar swamps through partnerships
Many restoration efforts require collaboration to be successful - restoring cedar swamps, a diminishing ecosystem across our landscape, is no different. Stop by this session to learn more about this ecosystem and why building long-term partnerships is critical to restoration and conservation projects.
Speakers:
Pam Elis, Chágwas Cultural Resource Consultants
Andre Strongbearheart Gaines-Roberson Jr., Nipmuc citizen and Forest Landowner
Andrew Randazzo, Forest Ecologist, Mass Audubon
Joelle Vautour, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Jennifer Albertine, Climate and Land Justice Director, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Toni Uliana, Conservation Agent, Town of Monson
Within Your Reach: Accessing and using federal forest data sources
How do we know what’s going on with our forests? How are changes tracked over time? How can we use this information to make better forest management decisions? Come to this session to have these questions answered, learn about publicly available forest-related data, and get a crash course on the US Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program and the Climate Change Tree Atlas.
Speakers:
Bill VanDoren, Biometrician, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Pete Grima, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Samantha Myers, Forest Adaptation Specialist, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS)
Breakout Session 2:
Changing Conditions and Changing Practices
Climate change is not only directly impacting forests, but forestry professionals, too. Foresters and timber harvesters are seeing on-the-ground conditions changing, first-hand. Come to this session to hear how professionals are being impacted by climate change, learn how they are combatting unexpected conditions and problem-solving on-the-fly, and walk away with new tactics to implement when conditions change overnight.
Speakers:
Steve Roberge, State Forestry Specialist, University of New Hampshire Extension
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Achieving your goals with a forester
Achieving goals on your land does not happen in isolation - landowners identify their goals and foresters make them a reality. Do you want to learn more about how landowner-forester dynamics work to achieve goals? Then this session is for you! Come participate in a conversation between landowners and foresters who have collaborated to put plans into action.
Speakers:
Jim Rassman, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Rob Cox, Forest Landowner
Matt DiBona, Director Land Stewardship, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Throw Your (Hard) Hat into the Ring! - Getting into the profession
What's keeping you from climbing the career ladder? There are often barriers to getting into forestry and other natural resource professions - let's talk about ways to get you in the door, get you from Point A to Point B, and figure out how to overcome obstacles by keeping you reaching your professional goals.
Speakers:
Elaine Wood, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Joelle Vautour, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Doug Hutcheson, Forester, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Innovations in Practice in the Industry
The forest sector is ever evolving; this session will explore some of the new innovations being put into practice today by industry professionals.
Speakers:
Andrew Fast, Forest Industry State Specialists, University of New Hampshire Extension
Breakout Session 3:
From Small to Large: Disturbances, their impacts, and the recovery process
Large-scale disturbances such as wildfires, wind events, and ice storms have historically, and contemporarily, had impacts across the Massachusetts landscape. These types of events have ecological impacts - both positive and negative. Stop by this session to learn more about different kinds of disturbances, the impacts they have on our forests, and what it means for a forest to be in recovery.
Speakers:
Meg MacLean, Senior Lecturer of Quantitative Ecology, UMass Amherst
Dave Celino, Chief Fire Warden, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Nicole Keleher, Director of Forest Health, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Biodiversity and the Forests of the Commonwealth
From Northern Hardwood Spruce Fir in the Berkshire Mountains to Pitch Pine Scrub Oak on the Coastal Plain, the forests of Massachusetts are diverse. Come learn about Governor Healey’s Biodiversity Executive Order, MassWildlife’s State Wildlife Action Plan, conservation planning tools like BioMap, and strategies that you can use to help ensure that our forests will continue to support a variety of native plants and animals.
Speakers:
Eve Schlüter, PhD, Deputy Director, Massachusetts Divisions of Fisheries and Wildlife
Marianne Piché, Habitat Biologist, Massachusetts Divisions of Fisheries and Wildlife
Let's Talk Forests! How and why to communicate natural resource work
You know the science in and out, but do you struggle to convey all that you know to the public, the press, or decision-makers? Come learn some tips, tricks, tactics, and tools from your professional peers to better communicate.
Speakers: TBA
Thinking Ahead: Protecting land for the long-term
Are you worried what will happen to your land after you? Do you want to make sure your forests stay forested forever? Come learn more about programs that may help protect your forests in perpetuity. In this session you will learn more about conservation restrictions (CRs), forest legacy, and estate planning.
Speakers:
Alain Peteroy, Deputy Director, Franklin Land Trust
Will Sloan Anderson, Director of Stewardship, Frankline Land Trust
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