With the climate crisis actively playing out in all corners of the world, future professionals equipped to address it and even offer solutions for improving planetary outcomes will be more in demand than ever before.
UBC Faculty of Forestry’s and international renowned author of Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest Dr. Suzanne Simard is finding new ways to empower citizen scientists with answers to tackling those climate challenges. Starting in January 2024, Dr. Simard and her teaching team will roll out a new UBC online course that showcases how forests can provide natural solutions to climate change and social well-being.
Forest Stewardship in a Changing Climate
Custom tailored for UBC students who do not necessarily have a background in scientific study or forestry, the course, FRST 304 Forest Stewardship in a Changing Climate, will give students a foundation in everything from restoration practices such as protection of mother trees and soils to carbon and conservation financing and the emergence of value-added industries.
“This course will cover how we can build better relationships between Western and Indigenous science. It will address how we need to get ahead of climate change by recognizing Indigenous Nations need to be leading all stewardship efforts. Students will hear how we need to work together to restore, recover and protect our forests so that they can go back to absorbing more carbon from the atmosphere, thereby mitigating climate change by as much as one third,” says Simard.
“It’s really for anybody who ever felt overwhelmed by the many climate extremes we are seeing happen right outside our doorsteps and felt a need to investigate what we can do for future generations.”
UBC Non-Studies Degree Program
In order to be able to register for the course, students must first be registered with UBC. Members of the public who are not currently registered at the post-secondary institution can apply under UBC’s non-degree studies program in order to be granted course access eligibility.
“UBC’s Non-Degree Studies is a great way to take advantage of UBC’s credit-based courses without pursuing a degree or diploma. It is a fantastic option for those wanting to take courses out of interest or looking for a way to complete requirements for professional or academic advancement,” says UBC Forestry’s student recruiter and advisor Ana Curcin.
The application deadline for enrolling in the Non-Degree program for Winter Session Term 2 (January semester) is October 15 (with the exception of Visiting students whose deadline was on July 15). After admission to UBC, students are able to register. Class will commence on January 8, 2024 and the final deadline to register is January 22, 2024.
Information on tuition fees can be found at the link here: Undergraduate tuition fees | Student Services (ubc.ca)
Financial support options for domestic and international students can be found here.
Current UBC students can register for the course here.