UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship

UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship at the University of British Columbia

The Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia is Canada's largest forestry school and is a leader in education and research for the conservation and sustainable management of forests, forest products and natural resource systems.

🎙️ Introducing The Root of It, a new podcast from !Join researchers and experts as they dig into the ideas, research ...
08/26/2026

🎙️ Introducing The Root of It, a new podcast from !

Join researchers and experts as they dig into the ideas, research and conversations shaping our forests and environment. 🌲

With three episodes out now, there’s plenty to explore. Tune in to hear from UBC FES experts and get to the root of the research happening across our Faculty.

🎧 Listen to all three episodes now: forestry.ubc.ca/the-root-of-it-podcast/

08/24/2026

Mass timber is changing the way we build 🌲🏗️

As mass timber becomes an increasingly popular choice for taller buildings, new considerations are emerging across the design, construction and supply chain processes.

micro-certificates explore key aspects of mass timber buidlings, from structural design and life cycle assessment to fire safety, helping professionals build the knowledge to navigate this growing field.

Learn more about our mass timber micro-certificates here: https://forestry.ubc.ca/future-students/certificates/

Wood waste finds new life as biodegradable foam. 🌲A partnership between UBC and the Wet’suwet’en First Nation is pioneer...
08/21/2026

Wood waste finds new life as biodegradable foam. 🌲

A partnership between UBC and the Wet’suwet’en First Nation is pioneering a made-in-B.C. solution to the global plastic crisis by turning underused forest fibres – including logging scraps, bark, sawdust and fire-damaged wood – into biodegradable wood-based foam.

The project brings together Wet’suwet’en leadership and UBC research, led by FES Professor Dr. Feng Jiang, to turn a costly liability for the forestry sector into a high-value, sustainable product.

The Vancouver pilot plant – operated by DicinFoam, a majority-owned subsidiary of Yinka Dene Economic Development Limited Partnership (YLP), the business arm of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation – is currently producing 150 to 200 kilograms of wood foam per day. The next phase will target an annual capacity of 1,000 tonnes at a larger facility in Burns Lake.

Read more in Canada’s National Observer here: nationalobserver.com/2026/08/20/news/first-nation-led-wood-foam-project?nih=JhooWsCbt0yml6x0JPv9TEDMaWec2gLHwTMRd61lTUM

Photo credit: Clare Kiernan/UBC & Lou Bosshart/UBC

Congratulations to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Professor Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, who has received a Canada Fo...
08/20/2026

Congratulations to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Professor Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, who has received a Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) award! 🎉🌿

The award will support her research program, Capturing High-Latitude Landscape Responses to Climate Change. Dr. Myers-Smith's work explores how climate change is transforming Arctic tundra ecosystems, including changes in vegetation, biodiversity and plant growth across the Canadian North.

Using fieldwork alongside tools like drones, time-lapse cameras and satellite data, her research is helping deepen our understanding of environmental change at both local and global scales.

Congratulations, Dr. Myers-Smith! đź‘Ź

Read more here: https://forestry.ubc.ca/news/isla-myers-smith-receives-cfi-jelf-research-award/

What happens when an ecosystem loses its natural balance? 🌿🦌Across B.C.’s Gulf Islands, growing black-tailed deer popula...
08/19/2026

What happens when an ecosystem loses its natural balance? 🌿🦌

Across B.C.’s Gulf Islands, growing black-tailed deer populations have dramatically changed the landscape, with native wildflowers, understory plants and young tree saplings disappearing under the pressure of deer browsing.

In a recent CHEK News feature, Associate Professor Dr. Tara Martin discusses the impacts of deer overabundance on Gulf Island ecosystems, drawing on 20 years of research in the region. She also highlights the role that hunting, Indigenous food sovereignty and natural predators could play in restoring balance to these ecosystems.

“We accept this environment as normal,” says Martin, describing how each generation can inherit a progressively degraded landscape without realizing what has been lost.

Read the full story here: cheknews.ca/radically-different-what-deer-overabundance-has-done-to-gulf-island-flora-1340905/

Interfor, one of BC’s long-standing lumber companies, is shifting most of its corporate and support functions from Burna...
08/18/2026

Interfor, one of BC’s long-standing lumber companies, is shifting most of its corporate and support functions from Burnaby to Georgia.

In a recent Vancouver Sun article, professor Dr. Harry Nelson provides context on the move and what it reflects about the changing forest sector in BC. He discusses Interfor’s continued presence in the province, the company’s growing operations elsewhere in North America, and the broader trend of consolidation within the industry.

Dr. Nelson also reflects on what it means to see a company with deep roots in BC shift more of its corporate presence outside the province.

đź”— Read the full Vancouver Sun article here: vancouversun.com/business/interfor-moves-corporate-functions-from-burnaby-bc-to-us-union-calls-it-kick-to-the-gut

08/17/2026

Build your skills. Expand your knowledge. Take the lead. 🌲

UBC Forestry and Environmental Stewardship’s professional micro-certificates offer flexible, online learning designed for professionals and learners looking to build capacity across forest resource management, the bioeconomy and mass timber buildings.

Delivered over just eight weeks, these programs are designed to fit alongside full-time work or studies while connecting learners with current research, real-world applications and expertise from leaders in the field.

Ready to turn knowledge into action?

Learn more and apply today here: https://forestry.ubc.ca/future-students/certificates/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24002731323&gbraid=0AAAAADtFgKCzHCBj9DIGm35tiNBknm2ho&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkOvTBhDgARIsAKUNyRtJb4NEXCF6-N5Mq7mJycjggRKqrHqPTf4V8rLJPGP7Av-GRa_8eiQaAvpWEALw_wcB?login

How would firefighters respond to a wildfire in Stanley Park? 🌲🔥In the recent Vancouver Sun article, assistant profess...
08/14/2026

How would firefighters respond to a wildfire in Stanley Park? 🌲🔥

In the recent Vancouver Sun article, assistant professor and fire safety engineering expert Dr. Felix Wiesner weighs in on how a wildfire in Stanley Park could impact surrounding communities.

While several factors could help prevent a fire from spreading from the park into downtown Vancouver, Dr. Wiesner highlights the risks posed by wind-blown embers and the importance of fire-resistant construction. He also discusses how building codes and FireSmart principles can help communities better prepare as damaging wildfire seasons become increasingly common across BC.

đź”— Read the full Vancouver Sun article here: vancouversun.com/news/how-would-firefighters-respond-wildfire-stanley-park

From wildfire to renewal: what happens next? 🔥🌱In the latest instalment of CBC Ideas’ Healing the Land series, assista...
08/13/2026

From wildfire to renewal: what happens next? 🔥🌱

In the latest instalment of CBC Ideas’ Healing the Land series, assistant professor Dr. Jennifer Grenz explores what comes after the flames, revisiting the site of the 2021 McKay Creek wildfire in B.C.’s Interior.

Four years after the wildfire, new life is emerging from the ashes, alongside new questions about recovery, restoration and what the future holds for the land.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-23-ideas/clip/16230933-what-emerges-ashes-wildfire

Registration and abstract submissions are now open for IYSF 2026!The Fourth International Young Scientist Forum on Clima...
08/11/2026

Registration and abstract submissions are now open for IYSF 2026!

The Fourth International Young Scientist Forum on Climate Change will bring together emerging researchers, leading experts, and global partners under the theme: AI-Empowered Forest-Based Solutions

📅 December 8–9, 2026
đź“Ť Fujian, China, with online participation available
🌿 Field trip: December 10

Organized by the UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, and Nanjing Forestry University, the forum welcomes graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, early-career researchers, faculty members, and practitioners from around the world.

The programme features six integrated scientific sessions covering artificial intelligence in forest science, bamboo innovation, forest carbon and nature-based climate solutions, wildfire and disturbance forecasting, protected areas and watershed governance, and forests, ecosystem services and human well-being.

Participants may apply for oral or poster presentations by submitting an abstract of up to 150 words.

⏰ Abstract submission deadline: September 15, 2026
🎟️ Early-bird registration deadline: September 15, 2026

Learn more and register here: đź”— https://iysf.sites.olt.ubc.ca/

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UBC Faculty Of Forestry, 2424 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T1Z4

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Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

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