A new biodegradable packing foam developed at UBC not only potentially addresses the world’s plastic pollution crisis but also serves as an equal and true partnership example of working with First Nations.
Dr. Feng Jiang Named in the Paper360º 2022 Top 50 Power List
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship would like to congratulate Assistant Professor Dr. Feng Jiang for being named one of eight young professionals listed in the Paper360º 2022 Top 50 Power List.
Dr. Jiang is a leading researcher in his field and the principal investigator (PI) of the Sustainable Functional Biomaterials Lab in the Faculty’s Department of Wood Science. The primary goal of Dr. Jiang’s research is to convert naturally abundant biomass into functional biomaterials through cost-effective and energy-efficient methods. In 2018, Dr. Jiang was appointed Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Functional Biomaterials at UBC. Dr. Jiang is also the most recent recipient of the American Chemical Society Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division’s KINGFA Young Investigator Award.
About The Paper360° Top 50 Power List
Paper360º is a bi-monthly publication dedicated to the rapidly evolving pulp and paper industry. It is the leading publication globally for pulp and paper professionals. For the past 15 years, the Top 50 Power List has been published to recognize global leaders in pulp and paper.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s Asia Forest Research Centre Wins Open Innovation Award
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is proud to announce the faculty’s Asia Forest Research Centre’s Innovative Sustainable Forest Management Education in the Asia-Pacific Region courses is the recipient of the 2022 Open Innovation Award from Open Education Global.
These 14 graduate-level certificate online courses were developed as Open Education Resources (OERs) and are being recognized for their content, quality, and innovative open pedagogical ideas. In the decade of their existence, the courses have been widely utilized, reaching over 15,000 students globally.
During 2020 alone, when the COVID-19 pandemic made online learning predominant, the courses reached 3,000 learners in the Asia-Pacific region.
About The Asia Forest Research Centre
The Asia Forest Research Centre (AFRC) is a cross-departmental research group within the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. They work to enhance Asian forestry research by facilitating collaboration with academics, scientists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in Asia.
“The Asia Forest Research Centre provides a mechanism for collaboration and management integration between Asia and Canada, addressing gaps in forest management knowledge and the effectiveness of current management strategies” explained the Director of the AFRC and Associate Dean, Dr. Guangyu Wang, “In a region experiencing unprecedented deforestation, climate change, and general loss of biodiversity, the AFRC is critical for the sustainable and adaptive forest management of Asian forests for future viability”.
About the Award
Open Education Global (OEG) annually presents The Open Education Awards for Excellence to recognize outstanding contributions to the Open Education community. OEG presents the Open Innovation award to a program that brings a new approach to open education.
Exploring UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship with Rebecca Jin
Introduce yourself!
“My name is Rebecca Jin, and I’m a fourth but not final year student doing a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation, majoring in Science and Management, with a recent transfer from the Global Perspectives major. Reading beside a lake in the early summer with my 11-year-old dog Tony by my side is a favourite scene of mine, as is snow, or anything snow-related. Though I’m a born and bred Vancouverite, I would much prefer without rain.”
What drew you to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship and the Natural Resources Conservation program?
“How I ended up in my current program was a rather short story: I saw a video of a polar bear struggling on melting ice; this was my first encounter with climate change. I was moved to action and went on to watch a documentary about the effects of climate change on the earth’s natural environment, that’s when it really hit me. Although it’s a simple encounter, it’s a deep one too. Because of this experience, I’ve decided to focus my career on environmental studies. I conducted some research online and found that the Natural Resources Conservation program was ideal for me, so here I am.”
If you could recommend any Forestry course to everyone, what would it be and why?
“WOOD 461. This course tackled issues around globalization and sustainability. I loved how this course was delivered, and that the content really provoked some thinking and not just from a conservation perspective.
‘Examination of globalization and its impact on sustainability, including social, economic, and environmental aspects.’
Being in this field, it’s really important to think from multiple perspectives instead of just one. The potential and difficulties presented by global interconnection; the impact of decision-making on people and the environment; the interconnectedness of human-made systems and societies; how local experiences mediate the global, all of which are important.”
What are you most excited about this upcoming school year?
“I’m hoping to become a VP internal for the Forestry Undergraduate Society in the upcoming term. I missed out on a lot of university life because I couldn’t participate in many faculty activities while taking online classes. I’m hoping that after years of volunteer work and other services, I’ll be able to add my own ideas. Being a part of a student society allows you to give back to the campus community by organizing enjoyable activities, providing networking opportunities, and allowing students to socialize with their peers. This greatly enhances the value of the educational process.”
What has been your favourite part of your time so far here at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship?
“Supportive professors and Faculty members. Our professors genuinely cared about our mental health, hearing about our stress and offering utmost support, especially during the pandemic when everyone was stressed and there were many colleagues all over the world in different time zones. It touched me, and for that I am thankful. The ability to form relationships with your professors is a vital aspect of the college experience, and all Forestry professors have great minds and share the same enthusiasm for their research as any other Faculty member. I know this is a recurring theme, but it bears repeating: connection is beautiful.”
If you could say one thing to prospective Forestry students, what would it be?
“Try new things and don’t be afraid of them; be enthusiastic and keep an open mind. I was quite receptive to new experiences during my first two years of university. I made an effort to attend office hours, join clubs, and go to public events, but I failed in self-doubt. The only person that denied me was myself. The sooner I accepted that I need not run away from problems but rather confront them head-on, the better. Being an extrovert, I have a strong urge to interact with others, so when I come across an opportunity nowadays, such as a social event I’d like to attend or a conversation with a professor when ideas are floating through my head, I focus solely on how I can make it happen instead of letting it pass by me. Being connected with the Faculty and the university will soon make you feel at home, just as interacting with the Self Made Man statue.”
Kristen Robinson (Natural Resources Conservation)
Soil Research Assistant at Klondike Valley Nursery in Dawson City, Yukon
During this work term I have been working as an intern at Klondike Valley Nursery. So far this term I have completed many different tasks, from transplanting plants, fertilizing fruit bushes, watering plants and grafting apple trees. On top of working at the nursery, we are part of a study that is trying to better understand human relationships and connections with soil. I am excited to move into the next stage of projects which includes harvesting and picking berries from all the plants I have watched grow over the last couple months. Overall, throughout this Co-op term I have better developed my plant identification skills, understanding of plant and soil biology and allowed me to see new parts of the Yukon!
Seeing Climate Challenges in Europe Firsthand Inspires Urban Forestry Students
Touring Europe during one of the worst heat waves ever to hit the continent was both challenging and inspiring for the UBC’s Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s Master of Urban Forestry Leadership (MUFL) student group who went there in the summer of 2022 as part of their professional program.
Program Director Sara Barron vividly recalls the sobering reality of seeing the impact of climate change in countries like Italy, where drought was so apparent in places with legendary waterways like the River Po experiencing historical lows.
“We can lecture about these places but being there in person is infinitely more enriching,” says Barron who was one of the group’s guides and trip planning coordinator.
MUFL Europe Trip Includes Germany & Italy
Barron explains students who took part in the busy one-week tour covering Germany and Italy took full advantage of the trip’s many valuable experiential-learning opportunities. As they toured some of the world’s best examples of developed urban green space, they were commenting on everything from the amount of green vegetation accessible to all parts of urban populations to whether or not the deliberate positioning of urban trees factored in enough soil space to support root growth.
World-Class Urban Forestry Design Examples
Among the places visited during the trip was the world-renowned University of Padova which is the world’s fifth oldest surviving university – celebrating its 800th year in existence this year. Another was Freiburg in Germany a city that sits outside the Black Forest and has won numerous awards for its advanced environmental practices. The group even participated in a public art walk in Bosco Nordio – an ancient protected natural reserve that is located along Italy’s northeastern Venetian coast and overlooks the Adriatic Sea.
“By seeing world-class examples of pristine natural settings and urban forestry up close, students had an opportunity to reflect on these examples and consider incorporating these designs into their future careers.”
Recent MUFL graduate Taylor Melone, who works full-time as a certified arborist with Up With Trees in Tulsa, Oklahoma, says the trip was something she will remember for a lifetime.
“I couldn’t believe what we were exposed to and what we got to do,” says Melone. “It just made the whole learning experience that much more inspired and motivating, and I am able to draw on everything we saw firsthand in my day-to-day work.”
Just like the other professional Master’s programs at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, the MUFL cohort can participate in an international tour of urban forestry destinations that can enhance the learning experience and foster community for an online cohort exponentially, says Barron.
Next year the hope is to plan another international overseas tour in May 2023 to Germany and the Netherlands.
Master of International Forestry Field School Returns to Quesnel
In partnership with the City of Quesnel and their Forestry Initiatives Program, UBC’s Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship hosted its Master of International Forestry (MIF) field school for the third year in a row.
This year, 16 students and their professors spent two days in Quesnel to give students the opportunity to speak with: land managers, small businesses, government reps from the local First Nations, the municipality, provincial government, as well as industry experts.
MIF Cohort from Many Parts of the Globe
“The field school gives students the opportunity to learn about the relationships between people and forests and how these influence economic development and ecological sustainability,” explains MIF program coordinator James Langston. “The group of students we had with us this time are from so many different parts of the world including the UK, China, India, Indonesia, Cameroon and El Salvador.”
Langston explains further the group’s collective research interests lie in strengthening their local economies while also ensuring a healthy relationship with the land.
“We have become particularly passionate about fostering innovation through small and medium forest enterprises; and exploring how inclusive decision-making between First Nation and non-First Nation peoples results in better land use practices,” Langston says further.
During the trip, the group visited numerous sites including the City of Quesnel’s Forestry Innovation Centre, the devastating 2017 Plateau forest fire with BC Wildfire Service, West Fraser’s operations, Moose Meadow Farm. The MIF group also spent time around Williams Lake with Zirnhelt Timber Frames, and Alkali Resource Management of the Esk’etemc Community.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Collaboration Helping With More Resilient & Innovative Economy
The MIF program is part of the larger UBC Vibrant Forest Landscapes Lab, which has been collaborating with the City of Quesnel since 2020 to support research focused on identifying policy constraints and opportunities for small tenure holders and secondary wood manufacturers in BC.
The collaborative work between the Forestry Initiatives Program and the UBC Vibrant Forest Landscapes Lab is reported to be helping Quesnel transition towards a resilient and innovative forest economy that aligns with broader goals of landscape management and reconciliation.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s JOHSC Wins Safety Award for Innovation
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is proud to announce the faculty’s Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) received the 2022 award for Innovative Promotion of Safety Culture at this year’s UBC Safety Day.
About Forestry’s JOHSC
The Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Safety Committee monitors the overall safety program within the faculty. This year, the committee spearheaded the modernization of the Field Safety Manual by improving the document, updating policies and procedures such as impacts of climate change, and making it available digitally. Additionally, they have taken the initiative to update the building protocols and signage in regard to the proper disposal of non-hazardous wastes such as laboratory glass and Styrofoam.
About the Award
The Innovative Promotion of Safety Culture Award is given annually to four safety teams or committees across the University. It is awarded to groups that have applied innovative and creative methods to promote safety culture, promote the safety committee team, provided safety assistance and/or address health and safety issues within their area of responsibility.
Abigail Brown (Natural Resources Conservation)
Orchard Health Research Assistant at BC Ministry of Forests in Vernon, BC
I have been working for the BC Ministry of Forests in the Kalamalka Seed Orchard. I have been working on exploring the potential for applying cover cropping into the orchard management strategy, surveying in cover crop trials to evaluate weed suppression potential and beneficial insect populations, as well as continuing surveys for beneficial insect biodiversity across several seed orchard sites. I have also been participating in general pest management and other maintenance activities in the orchard. I have enjoyed learning more about the importance of biodiversity in agricultural systems and am excited about the contributions I am making to improving orchard management in the province!
Julia Thain (Forest Sciences)
Undergraduate Research Assistant at UBC (Forest and Conservation Science) in Vancouver, BC
This summer, I have had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for the Forest Insect Disturbance Ecology Lab at UBC. I have been assisting the grad students with their research primarily on the alder bark beetle, its fungal symbiont, and its effects on red alder stands in the Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island. The field work I have been doing involves insect trap collections, external R-surveys, and finding newly attacked trees. I also have been gaining lab experience by doing DNA extractions and sample prep for qPCR assays for the fungus associated with the alder bark beetle.