YourForest is a forest management podcast seeking the idea of sustainability. Each episode is a deep dive into the the rapidly evolving world of forest management and the people that are driving that evolution. It is an exercise in developing new perspective and context to help us make the best decisions possible.
If you want to learn what's new, what's different, what's changing, this podcast is for you.
Clearcuts, Monocrops, Deforestation, Environmental Damage. These are some of the descriptors one might find in popular culture concerning forest harvest. These are wildly misleading labels. Dr.Vic Lieffers has a lifetime of research on forest harvest and regeneration and he came on to help us all understand the truth about cutblocks and the regeneration process.
Forest resources must be protected and managed using the best available science of the time. In order to hold forest practitioners to that commitment, and accountable to the public, a regulatory body was formed. The Association of Alberta Forest Management Professionals is a newly formed regulatory body made of two previously independent ones. Ryan and I discussed the importance of accountable forest management and how that accountability is upheld.
Conservation is the sustainability of all species and habitat over time. This means we have to manage our forest ecosystems to ensure everything remains as sustainable as possible, not only select charismatic species. The Alberta Conservation Association helps with that. They provide a wide range of conservation services that help keep our province's natural resources around for generations.
Climate change has begun to demonstrate its impact on our lives and our planet. One such impact is on wildfire activity. Longer fire seasons mean a higher probability of catastrophic fires. These fires have a drastic effect on our water quality. As more frequent and larger fires occur, our water resources are put at risk. Francois and I discuss his research into this problem.
Question and answer time. Derrick has a list of questions he was asked a few years back from the internet and we try to give relevant answers. Questions from how we decide what to cut, whether or not cutblocks are detrimental to the ecosystem, pine beetle, to does a bear shit in the woods. Good stuff.
Very truthful and honest perspective on indigenous culture and the hardships they have faced through persecution and assimilation. We discuss the impacts of this trauma and how it affects the forest industry today.
Discussion around the most environmentally friendly building materials, air quality, green spaces, hunting, trapping, aboriginal use, biological diversity and charismatic megafauna.
More in depth discussion regarding some of the values that forest managers are planning for. Ecological as well as species biodiversity, soil and water protection, multiple use values, etc.
Introducing the idea of publicly owned forests and the basics behind sustainable forest management.
