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.

is pleased to welcome internationally recognized freshwater scientist Dr. Julian Olden as the Eddie Goldenberg Researc...
08/31/2026

is pleased to welcome internationally recognized freshwater scientist Dr. Julian Olden as the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada in Freshwater Ecosystem Sustainability. 💧🌿

Dr. Olden will join UBC in summer 2027 through a joint appointment with FES and the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF), becoming a professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences.

An international authority in freshwater science, his research focuses on addressing challenges in water security, sustainable water management, climate-driven changes in freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity conservation.

Dr. Olden is one of nine world-leading researchers joining UBC as part of the inaugural cohort of the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada program.

Welcome to UBC FES, Dr. Olden! đź‘Ź

Read more here: forestry.ubc.ca/news/eddie-goldenberg-research-chairs-of-canada-announcement/

08/31/2026

How do we measure the environmental impact of bio-based materials? 🌲🔬 From sustainable forest management to reducing energy consumption during production, quantitative analysis can help us understand the environmental impacts behind the bioeconomy.

Through UBC FES micro-certificates, professionals can build the skills to assess these impacts and apply quantitative analysis to real-world challenges.

Learn more about our bioeconomy micro-certificates: forestry.ubc.ca/future-students/certificates/

Curious about how the growing bioeconomy is reshaping energy, transportation and materials — and what it could mean for ...
08/31/2026

Curious about how the growing bioeconomy is reshaping energy, transportation and materials — and what it could mean for your career? 🌱

Join us online for an information session on 's Bioeconomy Online Micro-Certificates, designed specifically for working professionals who want flexible, part-time learning they can fit around their schedules.

You’ll learn how these stackable, fully online programs can help you build practical skills in areas like renewable fuels, bio-based products and low-carbon supply chains, and how they can support your next career step in this rapidly evolving field. 💻

Ready to explore your path in the bioeconomy? Register for this week's session to learn more: https://forestry.ubc.ca/events/bioeconomy-online-micro-certificates-information-session/

Congratulations to alumnus Yale Zhu on being named one of Pulp & Paper Canada’s Top 10 Under 40.The recognition celebr...
08/27/2026

Congratulations to alumnus Yale Zhu on being named one of Pulp & Paper Canada’s Top 10 Under 40.

The recognition celebrates emerging leaders making an impact in Canada’s pulp and paper industry. As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of DicinFoam, Zhu is helping advance new uses for forestry by-products through bio-based materials and UBC-developed wood foam technology.

His work includes an Indigenous-led partnership with Wet’suwet’en First Nation to move the technology toward commercial production.

Congratulations, Yale, on this well-deserved recognition! đź‘Ź

Read more here: forestry.ubc.ca/news/alumnus-yale-zhu-named-pulp-paper-canada-top-10-under-40/

🎙️ 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

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