DURHAM, N.C. – The 91 Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters will host a free daylong symposium, “Forestry and Conservation: Understanding and Creating Linkages,” from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, November 9, in the Christensen Reading Room of the Levine Science Research Center. Advance registration is required by Monday, November 5.

The event will feature panel discussions by experts from the Nicholas School, government, industry and environmental NGOs on four critical topics in forestry today. The topics and panelists are:

  • Timber management investment organizations (TIMOs)
    • Scott Jones, Forest Capital Partners
    • Fred White; Forestland Group
    • Chris Zinkhan, Forestland Group
  • Global change and ecosystem services
    • Rob Jackson, Nicholas Professor of Global Environment Change, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, 91
    • William Hohenstein, director, USDA Global Change Program Office
    • Steve Ruddell, director of forest investments and sustainability, Forecon Inc.
  • Forest certification
    • Norm Christensen, professor of ecology, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, 91, and board of directors member of Sustainable Forestry
    • Chris Davidson, manager of forest certification, International Paper
    • Joann Meyer Cox, Meyer-Cox Forestry Consultants
    • Allison Welde, manager of conservation partnerships, Sustainable Forestry Initiative
  • Forestry in conservation
    • Bob Bilby, chief environmental scientist, Weyerhaeuser Company
    • Richard Broadwell, land protection specialist, Triangle Land Conservancy
    • Will McDow, southern forests project manager, Center for Conservation Incentives, Environmental Defense
    • Rusty Painter, land protection director, Conservation Trust for North Carolina