Global Connections. Regional Roots. July 2019
To Create and Inspire Champions of Sustainable Forestry
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From Joseph Furia, Executive Director
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It is not often in one’s life that you are asked “why”? It is generally the most important question, but it is also the most difficult to answer. For me, answering “why” has been more commonplace as of late for three reasons: First, I recently lost my father and, in the writing of the eulogy, “why” was the key to understanding his career and legacy. Second, “why” has become the favorite refrain of my two-year-old son. And, third, in my first year at the World Forestry Center, I am still meeting new people who ask me “why” I came to work here.
The answers to this triad of existential inquiries are connected. They are also central to our work.
At the World Forestry Center, we believe that a future where society values and takes action to support the economic, social, and ecological benefits of forests means a healthier and happier world. My father, throughout his career at for-profits, non-profits, and government agencies, left a legacy of thoughtful stewardship of natural resources. Like my father, I want to leave the world a better place for my son. And that is why I came to the World Forestry Center – to create a more sustainable forestry future.
Stay tuned over the coming months as we continue to strengthen our programming and expand our impact.
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The World Forestry Center welcomes new Senior Staff
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The World Forestry Center is proud to announce new Directors of Philanthropy and Communications, Rick Zurow and Tyler Quinn.
Zurow, who holds an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, has over 25 years of fundraising, financial planning, and partnership development experience. He has worked for the Oregon Zoo Foundation, University of Arizona’s College of Education, Portland Community College Foundation, and the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.
A Dartmouth College-graduate, Quinn brings a background in communications, public relations, and design. He started his career in advertising at BBDO New York, before spending several years in entertainment marketing and publicity. Most recently, he served as Senior Marketing Manager at Portland Japanese Garden during its $37 million capital campaign and expansion.
Please join us in welcoming Rick and Tyler to the Center.
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Rick Zurow
Director of Philanthropy
503-488-2111
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Tyler Quinn
Director of Communications
503-488-2128
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Forestry Leadership Hall Spotlight
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In 1971, the World Forestry Center began a tradition of honoring those pioneers who have contributed significantly to the advancement of forestry. This month we are honored to spotlight Leo Anthony Isaac.
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Leo Isaac spent his life researching the Douglas fir tree and made many outstanding scientific contributions to the development of knowledge of trees and forests – especially the Douglas fir. His work with the species gave him the nickname, “Mr. Douglas Fir.” His career gained him worldwide recognition as the outstanding authority on Douglas fir silviculture.
Leo was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, it was here that learned to love the forest. He attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree in 1920. His forestry studies were interrupted by World War I when he served, during 1918, in the U.S. Air Force at Fort Vancouver, Washington.
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Following this introduction to the Northwest, in 1920 Leo joined the U.S. Forest Service as Junior Forester in the Chelan National Forest in Washington State, where he served for four years in the National Forest Administration.
In 1924 he transferred to the Pacific Northwest Research Station. During his next thirty-two years he authored more than fifty publications, which are widely accepted as basic guides in regeneration management of Douglas fir.
Over his career he was awarded countless honors and achievements, some of which include; the Outstanding Achievement in Silviculture Award at the 100th anniversary of the University of Minnesota (1951), the Western Forestry and Conservation Association Award for outstanding achievement in the field of forestry (1952), and the Society of American Forester’s award for “Outstanding Achievement in Biological Research of Benefit to Forestry” (1956).
Leo Anthony Isaac was inducted into the Forestry Leadership Hall in 1974. He was the first forest researcher to be honored. He knew and valued the forest, not only as the source of wood products and employment for mankind, but also for its great variety of wildlife, inspiration and beauty.
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We invite you to visit the Forestry Leadership Hall located on the second floor of the Discovery Museum. The biographies of all Inductees are posted on our website. To read the biographies and for more information
click here
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WORLD FOREST INSTITUTE NEWS
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International Fellows visit
IFA Nurseries
This spring, the Fellows visited IFA Nurseries in Aurora and Canby, Oregon. Since 1941, IFA Nurseries has been providing foresters and landowners with a full-service conifer seedling system. Since its establishment,
IFA Nurseries has grown over 1.5 billion seedlings. Their primary seedlings species include: Douglas fir, Western hemlock, Western red cedar, True firs and
Ponderosa pine.
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IFA Nurseries performs a variety of operations ranging from seed collection and treatment to the production of seedlings. Seeds are collected via wild pickings and from orchards. Collection is done by climbing or cutting trees and collecting cones which are mostly green because of their freshness at the time of harvest. The cones are then put into a bin where they are heated until they are dry and open. They are then shaken up to remove the seeds. Each seed then goes through several processes before it is separated from the chaff and is treated to preserve its viability.
Despite their successes, IFA Nurseries also faces their own challenges, which include frequent weeding that significantly increases labor costs, and pest control (insecticides are applied every ten days to help with slugs). Heavy rains can also pose a problem, especially at the Canby nursery, where bareroot seedlings are grown.
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IFA Nurseries' impact on Richard's work in Malawi
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I work in a plantation back home in Malawi and run a nursery that raises about one million seedlings a year. There are many areas in which my nursery could use some improvement. Visiting a site that produces ten times more than what I produce was a very good learning platform. Though the practices in Oregon are not exactly the same as what happens in the tropics, most operations are similar. For example, in Malawi, field planting is done between December and April, while in Oregon that’s when sowing is done. I was impressed with the sowing methods, nursery management, and seedling transportation. Though we may not have the same opportunity as far as equipment access is concerned, the Pacific Northwest's thinking is something that can help us to improve our operations back home in Malawi.
Thank you to our International Fellow from Malawi, Richard Banda, for your insights into the IFA Nurseries study tour.
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International Fellows visit Columbia Land Trust's project site at Mount St. Helens
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In June, the International Fellows visited the Columbia Land Trust’s project site at Mount St. Helens bordering the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The tour was hosted by Cherie Kearney (WFC board member), Ian Sinks, and Renata Kamakura. The Columbia Land Trust is a non-profit organization that provides sustainable funding for biodiversity conservation in five regions (Coast Range and Estuaries, Willamette Valley, West Cascade, East Cascade and Columbia Plateau) throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Executed in four phases over a 10-year timeline, this project encompasses the conservation of 20,000 acres of forest in an area of high ecological importance due to the presence of innumerable waterfalls, wildflowers, and a high number of endemic species that depend on old-growth forests to survive. This area comprises an integral part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
The Columbia Land Trust uses a legal tool called a conservation easement to implement conservation and restoration strategies in the Mount St. Helens region. A conservation easement (also called conservation servitude) is when an organization or institution buys the development rights of private land with the purpose of preserving it in perpetuity. A conservation easement is a voluntary act that, through an agreement between the involved parties (in this case, the Columbia Land Trust and landowner), establishes an area in which future land use cannot be changed.
Conservation easements are an extremely efficient tool when evaluated using a triple-bottom line framework. First, from an ecological aspect, the conservation easement has brought the return of wildlife to the area. For the landowner, conservation can come with high financial costs. Through a conservation easement, the landowner can transfer this responsibility and, at the same time, earn some income through the sale of part of their property. The resulting improved wildlife habitat and migration corridors also make it possible to continue social activities, such as recreation, hunting, and fishing.
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Ana’s perspective on what she learned from Columbia Land Trust's project
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The biggest lesson that we learned is that climate change mitigation and a growing economy are not mutually exclusive (we must do both!). The Columbia Land Trust believes that communication is first and foremost a collaborative effort. Cherie inspired me when she mentioned that, in conservation, it is important to listen to the voices of others. Talk to other interested parties (for example, Congress, the production sector, local communities, and landowners), listen to their demands, identify their priorities, and discover what they have in common. This process is an intangible investment and the key to establishing meaningful, long-term working relationships
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Thank you to our International Fellow from Brazil, Ana Kanoppa, for your insights into the Columbia Land Trust study tour.
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2019 International Fellowship Program –
Forestry Lightning Talks
September 12, 2019
5:30-7:30 pm
Cheatham Hall, World Forestry Center
International Fellows present their final presentations
Join us for an evening listening to the Fellows' stories about the natural resource lessons they have learned during their six months in the Pacific Northwest and how they hope to apply those lessons when they return home.
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Join us for back-to-back events on
Timberland Investing & Forest Products Markets
Who Will Own the Forest? I September 17-19, 2019
Forest Products Forum I September 17, 2019
World Forestry Center
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TREEmendous Second Saturday celebrates
Smokey's 75th birthday
August 10, 2019 | 10:00 am - 5:00 pm | Discovery Museum
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Join us as we celebrate Smokey Bear's 75th birthday! Since his creation in 1944, Smokey Bear has taught millions of Americans about their role in wildfire prevention. Seventy-five years later, Smokey's message is as important as ever.
Visit the Discovery Museum on Saturday August 10 as we honor Smokey's milestone birthday. Enjoy birthday treats, Smokey-related crafts, and a visit from the Birthday Bear himself!
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The Forest Store has a variety of Smokey Bear merchandise to commemorate the occasion. (Remember Museum Members get 10% off!)
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New exhibit brings history of logging to life
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The World Forestry Center is pleased to present a new exhibition on the second floor of our Discovery Museum,
Logging Equipment Through the Years
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Learn about the Hanchett Sharpener, the Bardon Choker Hook (patented by ESCO Corporation), and several other varieties of saws, some of which date back to the late 1800's.
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This temporary exhibition was made possible through the support of these generous donors:
Fred and Barbara Heller
The Friends of Paul Bunyan Foundation, an Associated Oregon Loggers entity
Garry Betts
Dick Renoud
ESCO Corporation
Johnny Mifflin
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For more information about the World Forestry Center, please contact
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