We all come to a forest by different paths, some by working on fires or looking for our first job, others through an interest in water or animals. This affinity can begin very early in life; perhaps you remember your childhood special tree or the woods in which you played. I grew up with 90-year-old oaks in the front yard and three acres of “woods” with seasonal wetlands in the backyard. Moving from New Jersey to Michigan to Mexico and finally to Minnesota, I found a way to keep people, policies, and forests central to my interests, including my 22 years of research and teaching in the Forest Resources Department and my current service as Interim Department Head.
However we may have arrived at the University of Minnesota forest resources community, we bring a passion that keeps us studying, teaching, researching, working, and recreating with a willingness to return. In this issue, we share stories of fire, water, and becoming a new member of the forest resources community.
Fire is central in two of our stories. The first covers contributions from alumnus Dr. William Patterson, recognized for his long career in fire ecology, and now circling back to provide fire education and training scholarships for current students. The second story begins long ago with the Great Lakes Anishinaabeg’s relationships with forests and fire, continuing most recently in a collaboration among the Cloquet Forestry Center (CFC) staff, firefighters from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and many other Bands for a fall prescribed burn, bringing fire back to the landscape. In both stories, students learn field practices on-site and will evaluate outcomes over time. We are growing forest relationships for the future.
Expanding to our interdisciplinary strength in the department, Dr. Diana Karwan shares news about her most recent studies focused on water flow and nutrient loading across Midwestern landscapes and the impact of urban forest change on the role trees play in water flux and quality. Forest Resources recognizes all our contributions are essential, from our Minnesota towns to our work with global partners. Drs. Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Montgomery and many city, county, federal, and non-government organization colleagues collaborate on the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change project. The project supports future land management decisions and insights about climate change adaptation in floodplain forests.
Looking to the future of forestry, Theo explains a student’s path— from an urban forest in Brooklyn, New York, to the University of Minnesota—with many options for a forest systems career. Our students are prepared for multiple careers over their lifetime, from their first job to eventual leadership in essential organizations. They take courses such as forest ecology, disturbance ecology, hydrology, advanced measurement and modeling, tribal forest management, recreation and park management, economics and policy, leadership and conflict management, and tribal forest management.
In Forest Resources, we bring the strength of multiple areas of expertise discovering and creating new relationships across fire and water, people and communities, alums and tomorrow’s foresters. The Department, with the entire forest resource community of alums and friends, has made investments in instruction through scholarships, upgrading technology, guest lectures, and mentoring. Thanks to your generosity, we can train our students to be ready for forest systems professions.
The Forest Scene newsletter is published biannually in the spring and fall, featuring stories and updates from the Department of Forest Resources. Readers can download issue 28 of Forest Scene as an interactive PDF that is fully tagged and compatible with most screen readers, or read the individual stories here in a web-based format.