UMN - Department of Forest Resources

What does it mean to bring your whole self to scientific research? 🌿✨

In a feature published by Eos, Department of Forest Resources Associate Professor Danielle Ignace shares insights from her journey as an Indigenous scholar, researcher, and mentor.

For students and future scientists, Ignace offers powerful advice: embrace your full identity, values, and lived experiences as your greatest assets in science. Her work demonstrates how combining ecological science, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and authentic mentorship opens doors for future scientists to thrive.

Read the full feature and learn more about her inspiring career path on our blog or at Eos: https://eos.org/features/danielle-ignace-bringing-ones-whole-self-to-science-and-beyond

CFANS American Geophysical Union (AGU)

In a new MPR News segment, Kelly Gordon discusses the fires burning in and near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. She speaks with Lee Frelich, Forest Resources researcher, about why these fires happen, the difficulty of containing them, and what they’re teaching us about the future of Minnesota’s forests.

Listen to the full interview and learn more about how we can reduce wildfire risk and prepare for a future of increased wildfires in Minnesota on MPR News: https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/07/15/whats-fueling-northeastern-minnesotas-wildfires
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Join us in welcoming Professor Ingrid Schneider, PhD, as the new interim head of the Department of Forest Resources! 🌲🎉
A proud two-time alumnus of the University of Minnesota, Dr. Schneider has been a cornerstone of our faculty since 2001. With deep roots in our department, she brings diverse expertise in modern forestry and a wealth of leadership experience to this role. Dr. Schneider is committed to continuing to strengthen the department’s goals for partnerships, student success, and research during this transition. We look forward to her trusted guidance and congratulate her on this new role.
Dr. Schneider will serve as interim department head while Dr. Linda Nagel acts as interim dean of the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) during its search for the next dean.
CFANS Ingrid Schneider-Sougstad

Directly supporting and elevating on-the-ground management decisions is the guiding principle of these projects focused on buckthorn management and forest restoration.

A multi-year collaboration between land managers and researchers from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC), and Forest Resources began years ago with the Cover It Up! project and has now sparked a total of four research projects.
MITPPC recently published an article highlighting this partnership, its recent findings, and what they mean for the future of Minnesota’s forests. Read the full article: https://cfans.umn.edu/news/relate-and-restore
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Sending a huge congratulations to our Spring 2026 Dean’s List Honorees! A total of 22 Forest and Natural Resource Management (FNRM) students and 109 Environmental Science, Policy, & Management (ESPM) students achieved this status, with four double majoring in both programs. We are so of all their tree-ific work this semester - Join us in celebrating their accomplishments!🎊

If you’re around campus, you may have seen these boxes popping up outside of Green Hall. So, what’s all the buzz about?🐝
A brave graduate student in the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Department, Leta Landucci, is collecting nesting wasps for her research. These paper wasps love the wooden window frames of Green Hall, and who could blame them! Landucci is aiming to reduce the amount of nests built on our windows by providing these boxes and collecting them once 2-3 adults are inhabiting the space. There is little risk of anyone getting stung, and a reduced risk of finding one at your desk when you're trying to enjoy the breeze!😆⛅

Did you know today is the first National Mississippi River Day?!?🤩 The Mississippi is near and dear to our hearts, running right through the heart of campus and the Twin Cities. All 2,350 miles start here in Minnesota and connect us with 10 other states.
This may just make UMN the perfect place to earn your River Studies and Leadership certificate!😉🛶Learn more at our link & don't forget to appreciate the Mighty Mississippi!
https://forestry.umn.edu/news/earn-river-studies-leadership-certificate-rslc
CFANS 1 Mississippi

The annual U-Spatial Mapping Prize awarded four Forest Resources students with recognition in varying categories, including best overall map!

Paulina Vergara Buitrago, a recent dual PhD graduate of Geographic Information Systems and Natural Resource Science & Management, won Best Overall Map and Best Interactive Map. The Most Provocative Map prizes went to Kara Lamoreux, an NRSM graduate student, and Leo Huppke, an ESPM undergraduate. Pictured in order of mention, these maps were created by students to visualize data, show historic significance, and explore a new method of storytelling. Way to go! 🥳🗺

This contest highlights spatial thinking across departments and disciplines, demonstrating how geographic information systems (GIS) can be a useful tool for education, research, outreach, communication, and decision making. Read more and view their maps: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/students-use-gis-compete-science-where

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Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management student Emma Johnson (BS ‘26) was the student speaker for the 2026 CFANS Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 8.

Emma’s speech was nothing short of passionate, inspiring, and hopeful, reminding us of the importance of our ecosystems and our shared responsibility and role in caring for them. We are so proud of our graduates and know that her speech will have a lasting impact on our new natural resource stewards.

Emma was a research assistant in the Department of Forest Resources, working closely with Professor Mae Davenport in the Center for Changing Landscapes (CCL). She is passionate about environmental education, community engagement, and urban sustainability. These characteristics are reflected in her previous work with the CCL, Institute on the Environment, and two student positions at the Bell Museum. After graduation, she will continue to contribute to accessible environmental education at the Bell Museum as a Summer Camp Lead Educator.

Emma says, “It was an honor to speak at [commencement] on behalf of the graduating class and to celebrate everyone who helped us get to that moment. Thank you for the opportunity to share the importance of our work in CFANS and remind all of us of the responsibilities we have to one another. Thank you to my friends and family who consistently cheered me on, to the professors who taught and challenged me, to the classmates who I leaned on for support, to the Bell Museum where I found my passion for environmental education, to the Center for Changing Landscapes where I did research with amazing people, to the entire CFANS community who consistently dedicate themselves to stewardship and hope, and to all of the living beings and systems that we work with and care for, as none of us would be here without them.”

We are so 🤩

A recent article showcases four newly funded research projects at the Hubachek Wilderness Research Center (HWRC). The HWRC supports research and education through the F.B. Hubachek research endowment, a permanent fund set aside for the long-term support of the HWRC’s mission. These new, innovative projects span a range of ecological health topics, ensuring the resilience and protection of northern forests from a multi-disciplinary standpoint.

Drs. Marcella Windmuller-Campione and Danielle Ignace are working in the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire burn area to decode forest and soil rejuvenation, while Drs. Rebecca Montgomery and Peter Reich continue their B4WarmED experiment. Dr. Emily Fairfax is examining the relationship between beavers and wilderness, aiming to create a field guidebook for users to experience these interactions firsthand.

Learn more about this research: https://brief.umn.edu/awards-recognition/guardians-north-woods-new-research-initiatives-explore-future-minnesotas

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