THE FORESTRY SOURCE Published monthly by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), The Forestry Source (ISSN 1084-5496) provides SAF members and other natural resource professionals with news regard-ing developments within the forestry profession as well as the activities and policies of SAF. Views and opinions expressed in The Forestry Source are those of the authors and do not nec-essarily reflect the views or opinions of SAF or its staff and members. Publisher: Managing Editor: Terry Baker tbaker@safnet.org Morgan Fincham mfincham@safnet.org Editorial Offices and Advertising Sales 2121 K Street NW, Suite 315 Washington, DC 20037 Tel (202) 938-3911 www.safnet.org Correspondence: Address all editorial corre-spondence to the Editor at the above address. Advertising inquiries should be directed to Morgan Fincham at (202) 938-3911. Subscription rates: $70 for individuals in the US and Canada ($132 in other countries); $144 for institutions in the US ($216 in other countries). Subscriptions for members is included in annual dues. For information regarding subscriptions, address changes, and purchasing single edi-tions, call 866-897-8720. Permission to reprint: Individuals, and nonprofit libraries acting for them, are permitted to make fair use of the ma-terial in this publication; for example, copying an article for personal or classroom use. For repub-lication, or systematic or multiple reproduction of copyrighted material, permission must be ob-tained from SAF, with a fee for commercial use to be determined. To request permission to re-publish or reproduce material, contact the Editor at the address above. Proper notice of copyright and credit to The Forestry Source must appear on all copies made. Permission is granted to quote from The Forestry Source if the customary acknowledgment accompanies the quote. Postmaster: Send address changes to The For-estry Source, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 315, Washington, DC 20037, Attn.: E. Cooke Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. © 2024, Society of American Foresters. ISSN 1084-5496. Society of American Foresters The mission of the Society of American Forest-ers is to advance sustainable management of forest resources through science, education, and technology, promoting professional excellence while ensuring the continued health, integrity, and use of forests to benefit society in perpetuity. President: Rebecca Barnard RBarnardSAF@gmail.com Vice-President: Bettina Ring Bettina.Ring@tnc.org Immediate Past President: Sam Cook scook.wcf@gmail.com Chief Executive Officer: Terry Baker tbaker@safnet.org Board of Directors (District): Ed Morgan (1); Dr. Ron Boldenow, CF (2); John Todd (3); Greg Jos-ten, CF (4); Amber Marchel (5); Karen Bennett, CF (6); Aaron Cook (7); David (Tony) Doster, CF (8); Victor Ford, CF (9); Scott Sager, CF (10); Ja-son Holland (11). Non-voting members of the Board of Directors: John Bailey, Chair, Forest Policy Committee; Quinn Kawomoto, Young Professional Represen-tative; Logan Nutt, Chair, House of Society Del-egates; Dr. Kristen Marie Waring, Chair, Forest Science and Technology Board; Connor Austin, Chair, Student Executive Committee. National Office Department Directors: Elizabeth Buhl, Director, Events and Marketing; Morgan Fincham, Director, Publications; Naomi Marcus, Director, Professional Development; Susanne Metz, Chief Financial Officer; Darnell Pinson, Director, Membership; Lori Rasor, Director, Strategy and Partnerships; Erin Turner, Director, Credentialing; Danielle Watson, Director, Policy and Public Affairs. Navigating the future of natural resources careers one paddle at a time: participating students explore the science of nature via canoe. Photo credit: Trees For Tomorrow staff. nities such as Milwaukee, Detroit and tribal communities. In addition, students that are enrolled in the Job Corps Program at Black -well in Laona, Wisconsin, are also targeted with special funding. Funding NRCEW Meets Several SFI Priorities This workshop is a great example of mem -bers of the wood, paper, and forest manage -ment industries coming together to support a workforce development program for high school students. The SFI Community Grant Program and WI SFI Implementation Com -their Urban Connections program, target -ing youth from underserved communities. Several Forest Service employees, in addition to staff from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, also serve as instructors. Project Learning Tree (PLT) is SFI’s ed -ucational initiative. PLT training and cur -riculum has served as inspiration for many of Trees For Tomorrow’s NRCEW activi -ties during the workshop. One of NRCEW’s core sessions, Forestry Field Tour Day, aligns with the PLT lesson “Monitoring Forest Heath,” where students work with a profes -sional forester, conduct a forest inventory, forests with alignment with PLT’s “Forest to Faucet” lesson. Another core session during the Careers Exploration Week is “Ecologi -cal Restoration and Invasives Management,” where students explore how invasive species alter the forest landscape, learn about com -mon characteristics of invasive species, ex -plore different control approaches, and meet with a local invasive species control manag -er: based on PLT’s “Forest Invaders” lesson. Success Stories “The Natural Resources Career Exploration Week proj-ect was a great fit for SFI’s Community Grants Program (https://forests.org/communitygrants/) because of our shared support for career readiness in the forestry and conservation sector. There’s a wide diversity of careers in forestry and conservation, but young people often aren’t exposed to those opportunities. Events like Trees For Tomorrow’s are needed to allow young people to explore the variety of available career paths while also connecting with professionals of all backgrounds who have resources and advice to share. We must collabo-rate to prepare the next generation of professionals for an inclusive workforce to support the sustained health of our communities and our planet.” —Nadine Block, Senior VP of Community and Government Relations at the Sustainable Forestry Several success stories have emerged from these funding initiatives. High school stu -dents who have benefited from such pro -grams often report increased confidence in their abilities and a greater interest in pur -suing natural resources careers. They gain hands-on experience in fields such as forestry, wildlife management, environmental science, and conservation, all while building valuable networks in the industry. Moreover, initiatives like mentorship and apprenticeship programs and scholarships further support these students as they navi -gate the path to higher education and careers in the natural resources sector. The Road Ahead Initiative mittee’s (SIC) Grant Program both served as project sponsors by providing grant funding to help reduce program fees for participat -ing students in 2023. Several SIC members also serve as instructors during the week, in -cluding representatives of Domtar and Lyme Great Lakes Timberlands. In addition, the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) is pro -viding funding for the program through and assess the ecological value of forests. In addition, PLT’s “Nature of Fire” serves as the inspiration for the fire control session, where students explore the role that planned and unplanned fires have on the landscape, how to be more fire safe, and learn the impact that fire control managers make in managing natural resources. Students also participate in a session about hydrology in the northern Funding dedicated to natural resources ca -reers for high schoolers with an emphasis on diversity is a strategic investment in the fu -ture of environmental stewardship and the forest industry. As these programs continue to expand, more students from diverse back -grounds will be encouraged to pursue careers in fields critical to addressing environmental challenges. By supporting and encouraging this next generation of natural resource pro -fessionals, we not only help ensure the health of our planet but also foster a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for all. FS Diane L. Gunderson is the creative and mar-keting director at Trees For Tomorrow. For more information on Trees For Tomorrow, the Natural Resource Careers Exploration Week, contact Cheryl Todea, Executive Director at ctodea@treesfortomorrow.com. 2 THE FORESTRY SOURCE
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