Forest Scene, Spring 2023 - Department Message

June 30, 2023
Profile image of a woman with glasses
Kristen C. Nelson, Professor and Interim Head, Department of Forest Resources

We move into the summer months with a clear reminder that our work in the Department of Forests Resources continues and grows. Our students leave campus for the advanced summer field session at Cloquet, new internships across the country, and jobs in natural resources. This summer brings research projects across Minnesota, the United States, and globally. Over the past 20 years, I have not seen a greater number of research projects in Forest Resources than this year, which means support for graduate student careers and training for our undergraduates.

This issue of Forest Scene, we share insights from long-term faculty members Paul Bolstad and Charlie Blinn on effective communication, research, and teaching. These colleagues both blend forest systems teaching and research.

Our student snapshots feature Kylee Gregory, an Environmental Sciences Policy and Management (ESPM) student who would like to work as a park ranger for the National Park Service, and Adam Langer, a Forest and Natural Resource Management (FNRM) student who alternates semesters with classes and a full-time construction job.

Finally, Steve Cook provides an alum’s retrospective of the 1970s in Forest Resources, how it shaped his career in Urban and Community Forestry, and why it helped inspire him to provide support for future students.

Thank you all for the support you provide our current and future students. 

Two student members of the Tree Ascension Club tackle a roughly 60-foot climb up a cottonwood tree on the U of M Twin Cities campus in St. Paul. They are shown hanging in the air from ropes. Both are wearing helmets, harnesses, boots, pants, and T-shirts. The sky behind them is bright blue with few clouds and you can see tree canopies in the distant background. The following text, in bold white, overlays the image: "Forest Scene: Issue 29, Spring 2023. Department of Forest Resources."

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 29 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: