![A woman in a black shirt, black glasses, and shoulder-length hair smiles in front of a brick wall. Besides this photo, text reads, "Department Message from Kristen C. Nelson. Forest Scene Issue 29, Spring 2023."](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-06/dept._message-fs_2023.jpg?itok=-RPPuSxi)
Forest Scene, Spring 2023 - Department Message
From the Spring 2023 edition of the Forest Scene newsletter: A letter from Dr. Kristen Nelson, Professor and Interim Head of the Department of Forest Resources, to our community.
![The cover of the spring 2023 edition of Forest Scene sits at left; at right, text reads, "Now Available: Forest Scene, Spring 2023, Issue 29."](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-06/forest_scene_spring_2023.png?itok=ncSXIKaf)
Forest Scene Newsletter - Spring 2023 Edition
The Spring 2023 edition of the Forest Scene newsletter is out, featuring stories, tips, and insights from our community of experts and students.
![A screenshot of WCCO's Talking Points show featuring Lee Frelich as a guest. Show host Esme Murphy is at left and Lee Frelich is at right.](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-06/talking_points_the_health_risks_from_minnesotas_hazy_skies.png?itok=OKYQg4t7)
Lee Frelich discusses wildfires on WCCO's Talking Points
Lee Frelich was recently a guest on WCCO's Talking Points with Esme Murphy. The episode, which aired June 21, 2023, focuses on the health risks of smog caused by forest fires. As a forestry expert, Frelich provides context for why wildfires are getting bigger and more frequent as well as the role forest management can – and can't – play in wildfire prevention.
![A photo of a wildfire, in which a single evergreen emerges from a field of smoke; grasses underneath it are aflame. Bold text overlays the image, reading: "New Video: Learn about the Canadian wildfires from Lee Frelich."](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-06/new_video_learn_about_the_canadian_wildfires_from_lee_frelich.png?itok=pjpU4KGo)
Lee Frelich discusses Canadian wildfires on Almanac
Lee Frelich, director of the Center for Forest Ecology at the University of Minnesota, stopped by TPT's Almanac last Friday to discuss why the Canadian wildfires are so severe and Minnesota's risk of similar fires.
![A photograph of a Minnesota lake on a sunny summer day. The sky is clear, the water is a deep blue, and wildflowers and grasses are in the foreground. At the top of the image, maroon text reads, "'Co-creating automated local water quality monitoring technology' project wins grant funding from Institute on the Environment."](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-06/co-creating_automated_local_water_quality_monitoring_technology_project_wins_grant_funding_from_institute_on_the_environment.png?itok=mUmKeUAT)
New project will prototype robotic monitoring of local water quality
Forest Resources Professor Ingrid Schneider is part of a multidisciplinary team awarded a 2023 Institute on the Environment Impact Goal grant to assess the potential for robotic monitoring of local water quality.
![Maroon box with "We're hiring: Academic Program Coordinator" in white text. To the right is a yellow circle overlaid with a laptop showing trees on its screen.](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-06/academic_program_coordinator.jpg?itok=mpKdKOSZ)
Now hiring: Academic Program Coordinator
The Department of Forest Resources is recruiting for an Academic Program Coordinator (SS Pro 2-Multidiscipline, 8462MD). This position plays the primary role in administration of the academic programs for the Forest and Natural Resource Management (FNRM) undergraduate program, the Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management (ESPM) undergraduate program, and the Natural Resources Science and Management (NR) graduate program.
![Over a maroon background is a screenshot of the paper "The global contribution of soil mosses to ecosystem services" and its coauthors. Above the screenshot, in large gold text, is the phrase "New paper published in Nature Geoscience."](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-05/new_paper_published_in_nature_geoscience.png?itok=VKH9OmW_)
Global contribution of soil mosses to ecosystem services
Forest Resources faculty member Peter Reich was a coauthor of "The global contribution of soil mosses to ecosystem services," a new paper published in Nature Geoscience. Per the paper's abstract, the results of the team's research highlight "the contribution of mosses to soil life and functions and the need to conserve these important organisms to support healthy soils."
![Over a maroon background is a screenshot of the paper "Linked Linked disturbance in the temperate forest: Earthworms, deer, and canopy gaps." Above that, "New paper published in Ecology" is written in gold text.](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-05/linked-disturbance-temporal-forest2.png?itok=hdr0_2dL)
Linked disturbance in the temperate forest: Earthworms, deer, and canopy gaps.
"Linked disturbance in the temperate forest: Earthworms, deer, and canopy gaps," a new paper co-authored by Department of Forest Resources Adjunct Professor and Center for Forest Ecology Director Lee Frelich, was published in Ecology. Per the paper, research shows that "earthworm invasion is linked to deer presence and gap-creating disturbances, which provides new insight in multiple disturbance theory, aboveground–belowground dynamics, and temperate forest management."
![Over a maroon background is a screenshot of the CFANS article "U of M to lead new AI Institute focusing on climate-smart agriculture and forestry." The title is written in white text above the image. Below it in yellow text is the subtitle, "The new AI-CLIMATE institute will leverage artificial intelligence to create more sustainable agriculture and forestry industries." "Story by CFANS" is also written in gold text below the image.](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-05/story_by_erin_adler_star_tribune_1.png?itok=g-iIhrRS)
U of M announces national artificial intelligence research institute
The University of Minnesota announced that it will receive a grant to lead a new National Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, called the AI Institute for Climate-Land Interactions, Mitigation, Adaptation, Tradeoffs and Economy (AI-CLIMATE), in an effort to develop climate-smart forestry and agricultural practices.
![Over a maroon background is a screenshot of the Star Tribune's article "Elms were once a staple of Minnesota's tree canopy; this is how researchers hope to bring them back." Below that in gold text is, "Story by Erin Adler, Star Tribune."](/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_third/public/2023-05/story_by_erin_adler_star_tribune.png?itok=__PFYq28)
Researchers hope to bring elms back to Minnesota's tree canopy
University of Minnesota researchers, including Urban Forestry Outreach & Research (UFOR) manager Ryan Murphy, helped to plant about 80 disease-resistant American elms at a public event in Bloomington. The trees are part of the U of M's Elm Selection Program, which seeks to restore elms to the ecosystem following decades of loss due to Dutch elm disease.