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 is podcast for you.
Do we have a moral obligation to Nature? Most people extend moral standing to their family, friends, town, country, maybe as far as human species. What about beyond that? Animals? Sure, they have a nervous system and they can be cute. What about things that are nothing like us? Trees? Fungi?… Rocks? What universal force obliges us to act respectfully toward them? Does ethics even apply to rocks? Or was this just the tired ramblings of an overthinker? Listen and see…
How important are forests? How important is the wood we harvest from forests? The answer to both questions is - crucially important! We can imagine the role forests play in ecological function of the globe, but have you ever really considered where we would be without wood? The truth is we are dependent on both, and that is not going to change. In the re-release of his 1989 book “A Forest Journey” John Perlin explores the “Role of trees in the fate of civilization.”
Trees communicating? Protecting their offspring? Sending warning signals? Even helping “competing” species? These are some of the incredible things we have heard about the “Wood Wide Web”. But, is it true? Or has the story got ahead of the science? A team of mycorrhizal researchers has discovered some painful truths about these fungal connections we have all come to be fascinated with. Justine Karst breaks down the myths and misconceptions about Common Mycorrhizal Networks (CMN), and the pain it caused her to do so. The first 50min is the science, the last 50min is the story behind it.
Against all odds, one species is making a comeback! Whitebark Pine! At the top of the mountain, where few other trees even try to survive, this species thrives. It is a keystone species that has developed a particularly peculiar way of spreading its young about the mountain side. Co-evolution anyone? If you like old trees, cool birds, species killing fungi, and most importantly, a story of hope, than this is the podcast for you!
Imagine a forest full of hardwoods (leafy trees). Then imagine towering sentinel Pines standing a full tree length above the rest. Now imagine a full forest of these Pines. That is what the North woods of eastern North America use to look like. Today, the Eastern White Pine is scarcely a remnant of what it use to be. The reason? It built America. A foundational tree in every sense of the word. White Pine is a keystone species, an ecological driver and one of the tallest, straightest, and fattest trees in the North woods. John Pastor came on the podcast to tell the human and ecological history of this species, and it truly opened my eyes.
Fire is many things; wild, controlled, rejuvenating, destructive, cultural, ecological, and most obviously, dangerous. Science writer Jacob Margolis lives in California where fire has become a constant worry. As a result, he plunged headfirst into the world of fire and came out with one of the best podcast series on fire that is available today. The Big Burn starts from the beginning and allows listeners to make sense of fire and to help them better understand, and therefore better cope with, the reality of fire.
The old ways are changing. Technology moves fast, and with it our methods and strategies for managing the landscape. Artificial Intelligence, or machine learning, presents an incredible opportunity in forest management. Better and faster data means more time spent on other values. Values like biodiversity, clean water, carbon storage and recreation. Today we find out how far we have come and what lies ahead! Hopefully not Skynet…
Public forests hold a lot of value for people. Clean water, fresh air, organic food, rich ecosystems, recreation opportunities, and timber for our homes. Now, it is forest professionals job to manage the public resource for these values. Only, how do we know what the public values? Have we asked? This episode is about social license, and the idea of a forest profession that is forever moving forward to better protect the public interest.
Many of us have heard of invasive species. We may even know a few species that are wreaking havoc in your local area. You have heard the doom and gloom of extinct species and ecosystem collapse. However, have your heard the success stories? How people have successfully managed to reclaim native landscapes and return species from the brink of extinction? Well, this is the good news story for you! We talk invasive species eradication on islands, and what we can learn from it.
In Honour of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada I am re-releasing one of my favourite episodes. Assistant Professor Matthew Wildcat breaks down the history and meaning of Canadian treaties with Indigenous people. He explains that we are all treaty people and that everyone has a role to play in upholding the rights and freedoms treaties represent.
Cultural Fire is something we have discussed quite a lot on this podcast. Today, we get to hear from some folks in Parks Canada about how they will be opening up the door to cultural fire. Some really open minded and thoughtful people at Parks have made it possible for Indigenous voices to be heard and for real change to be made. Getting Good Fire back on the land, in a place that is synonymous with “wilderness”, is a huge step in the right direction for understanding our relationship to land.
Wildfires and Climate Change… what a combo. Dr. Susan Prichard came on the show to talk about how we might start to adapt our forests to the impacts of a changing fire regime due to a rapidly changing climate. What tools and methods can be used to help mitigate some of the most dangerous aspects of the fire reality we live in today.
That’s right, logging Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. Blasphemy you say? We have to protect the resource! We have to keep it “pristine”, “untouched”, “wild”! Well…you are not alone in that thought. However, we are now realizing that maybe “letting nature take care of itself” is not the best strategy. Time to think outside the box. Jasper had a problem, they took a risk, and a lot of people learned a lot of neat things.
Bear safety information is more riddled with opinions and ego than twitter. Guns vs spray, brown bears vs black bears, run vs play dead, climb a tree vs run down hill. Let the science of bear safety clarify things for you. Kim Titchener has nearly 2 decades of working with bears doing research, education, and even babysitting the big furry animals. She lays the groundwork and dispels the myths you have been hearing your entire life. Clarity is found here. This is not your fathers bear safety tips.
Our forests are being stolen! One tree at a time! And it can all be blamed on poverty. After logging towns are surrounded by protected areas and all of the industry has stopped, what are the people who have created a life there for generations supposed to do? It is their identity, who they are, it is all they know, logging, and it has been taken away. Some of those desperate people continue to do what they know, and it is costing the rest of society dearly.
Forests suck up roughly 30% of our carbon emissions annually. If we want a fighting chance against climate change, we need them to keep doing this, and if possible to suck up more. However, there are different theories as how to best manage forest for carbon storage. Luckily, some research has shed some light on this issue. Do new forests suck up more carbon than old? How does carbon released during a forest fire compare to carbon released during harvesting? How do we do the most good for the most people?
How can we build a relationship with forests that everyone can be proud of? How can we stand up for forests while supporting human development? How can we be a part of forest climate solutions? We need public engagement! Forest Proud can help with that. We talk forests as climate solutions, forest values, tree data, and my favorite, tree equity!
Plant a tree. Plant another tree. Plant 1,999,999,998 more. That is what Canada is planning to do in the name of fighting climate change. 2 Billion trees planted by 2030. The Canadian Forest Service estimates that by 2050, the 2 billion additional trees planted could reduce GHG emissions by up to 12 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2e) annually – the equivalent of taking over 2 million gasoline-powered cars off the road each year. If that is not a big deal, I am not sure what is. Today we talk with representatives from The Canadian Forest Service(Government), Coast to Coast Reforestation (Nurseries), and Project Forest(Afforestation and Silviculture) to try and cover all the angles of this monumental task.
What would forestry look like if Indigenous cultural values were the driving force behind management decisions, instead of western values? How would it be different? What would it mean to put timber as a secondary priority to ecosystem health? What if the primary intention of harvesting was to accomplish some ecosystem goal? What happens to the ecosystem? The community? The money? Let’s find out.
