InterfaceSouth Posts
The InterfaceSouth Post is an electronic message with current interface information, such as upcoming conferences or related news articles, sent out on a weekly basis through the InterfaceSouth listserve ( click here to sign up ). Here you can sort through past InterfaceSouth Posts. You can also contact us if you want to suggest a future Post topic.
U.S. Forest Service: Unplugging America’s Children
Nov 28, 2011
Remember the feeling of wind brushing against your cheek or the momentary gasp as your boot slid on a big, slippery rock? Or, what about trees bursting with brilliant fall colors or the chirp, hoot and rustle in the woods that made you ask, ‘Who’s there?’ For many adults these memories are the stuff of their American childhood – rites of passage recalled with great affection and humor. For many, these experiences form the basis of a lifetime of enjoyment and caring for America’s great outdoors. That’s why the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) wants to help make playing in nature outdoors fun for kids again.
Since 1905, USFS has prided itself on educating the public about the Nation’s natural resources, including the 193 million acres of forests and grasslands it manages. Today that legacy continues as the Forest Service’s Conservation Education Office supports a wide variety of programs directed at pre-K to 12th grade students, their parents and educators. Programs draw from work performed by Agency experts who provide guidance in science, land management and recreation, which serves as the foundation for environmental literacy efforts. USFS also promotes partnerships with organizations that support its mission.
Read the full article and learn more about the Forest Service’s educational programs here: http://50.57.103.128/eng/magazine/article_detail.lasso?id=225
Rural-Urban Interface Forester Position in Ohio
Nov 09, 2011
The Ohio Division of Forestry recently posted an opening for a Rural-Urban Interface Forester. This is a full-time, two-year position and information about duties, salary, and benefits is included with the online listing. The application window closes November 17, 2011.
For more information contact:
Cotton Randall
Special Projects Administrator
Ohio Division of Forestry
Email: Cotton.Randall@dnr.state.oh.us
Phone: 614-265-6667
View the online job listing here.
Only Two Sessions Remaining in the 2011 Changing Roles Webinar Series
Oct 31, 2011
Join us in November for the final two webinars in the 2011Changing Roles webinar series about land-use planning in natural resources.
Session 3: What happens when we’re at the table together? A case study from Sumner County, Tennessee
November 10, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern
Speakers: Dwight Barnett, Tennessee Division of Forestry and Michael Briggs, Metropolitan Nashville Planning Department
http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinars/what-happens-when-we-are-at-the-table-together-a-case-study-from-sumner-county-tennessee
Session 4: What do you do when people start throwing food at the table? A conflict management perspective
November 18, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern
Speaker: Steve Smutko, University of Wyoming-Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics
http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinars/what-do-you-do-when-people-start-throwing-food-at-the-table-a-conflict-management-perspective
To learn more about the 2011 Changing Roles Webinar Series and/or to view archived Changing Roles webinars visit: http://www.interfacesouth.org/products/changing-roles/webinars
Analyzing the Natural Resource Extension Needs of Spanish-Speakers
Oct 25, 2011
This article, published in the Journal of Extension, highlights the need for regional, culturally relevant extension materials for Spanish-speakers. A study conducted in Florida found that extension agents felt unprepared and that they had inadequate resources to reach the growing Hispanic population in their communities. The extension agents felt that print materials, especially fact sheets and brochures, translated into Spanish would help them communicate with Spanish-speaking audiences about natural resource and environmental topics.
To read the article visit: http://treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/39159
Fall 2011 Webinar Series – Southern Fire Exchange and California Fire Science Consortium
Oct 04, 2011
The Joint Fire Science Program (www.firescience.gov) is a national, interagency partnership engaged in wildland fire research, development, and application to meet the needs of policymakers and fire managers. The JFSP provides funding for research projects to complement and build upon other federal programs.
Southern Fire Exchange Fall 2011 Webinar Series
The Southern Fire Exchange (www.southernfireexchange.org), a Joint Fire Science sponsored program dedicated to providing the latest fire science information to communities and practitioners across the South, will present a series of webinars on topics related to wildland fire and natural resource management this fall. Upcoming webinars include:
Using Smoke Prediction Models for Prescribed Burning Planning
October 19, 2011, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern
Prescribed Fire and the Public: Myths and Realities
November 16, 2011, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern
Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System
December 14, 2011, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern
To register and/or learn more about these webinars visit:
www.southernfireexchange.org/ProDev/Webinars.html
For updates from the Southern Fire Exchange, follow their Twitter account:
www.twitter.com/SEFireScience
California Fire Science Consortium Fall 2011 Webinar Series
This fall the California Fire Science Consortium (www.cafiresci.org), another Joint Fire Science sponsored program, will present a series of webinars on topics related to wildland fire and natural resource management. Upcoming webinars include:
Material and Design Considerations for Building in Wildlife Prone Areas
October 5, 2011, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern
Simulating Fire and Forest Dynamics for a Landscape Fuel Treatment Project in the Sierra Nevada
October 6, 2011, 5:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern
What Are the Characteristics of Resilient Forests? A Discussion of the Mixed Conifer Forests of the Sierra San Pedro Martir in Northern Baja California
October 20, 2011, 5:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern
GTR 220: Integrating Wildlife Habitat and Forest Resilience with Fuels
Reduction – Ecosystem Management Concepts for Mixed-Conifer Forests
October 27, 2011, 5:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern
Using the California Fire Interval Return Departure (FRID) Map Metadata: An Introduction and Demonstration, Including Challenges to Determining Reasonable Baseline Conditions
November 10, 2011, 5:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern
To register and/or learn more about these webinars visit:
www.cafiresci.org/webinar-registration-fall2011
Mapping Project Aims to Increase Virginia’s Urban Tree Canopy
Sep 12, 2011
The term “urban forest” may sound like an oxymoron to some, but to Virginia Tech Forestry Professor Randolph Wynne and Associate Professor John McGee it represents an indispensable community resource. Wynne and McGee are leading an urban tree canopy mapping project for the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, a part of the College of Natural Resources and Environment.
The tree canopy is the layer of leaves, branches, and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above.
Urban trees provide economic benefits to communities. They improve water quality, mitigate stormwater runoff, conserve energy, lower air temperatures, reduce air pollution, and enhance property values. The total compensatory value of urban forests in the continental United States is estimated at $2.4 trillion, according to the U.S. Forest Service. But the resource is being threatened by development.
Wynne and McGee say they hope their mapping project will help stop the trend. Working with the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, USDA Forest Service, the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program at Virginia Tech, and localities across the state, they use aerial photography and GIS technology to provide local government leaders with tools to assess their urban tree canopy.
Source: Virginia Tech Spotlight on Innovation
To read this complete article visit:
http://www.vt.edu/spotlight/innovation/2010-10-11-urban-tree/urban-tree.html
To learn more about the Urban Tree Canopy Analysis project visit:
http://cnre.vt.edu/gep/VA_UTC.html
The Nature Principle
Sep 06, 2011
The Nature Principle is a new book by Richard Louv addressing nature-deficit disorder in adults. Louv, a co-founder of the Children & Nature Network and the author of eight books related to the connectivity between families, communities, and the natural world, first introduced nature-deficit disorder in his book Last Child in the Woods. Initially using the term to describe the missing relationship children today have with nature, especially due to spending too much time indoors and with technology, Louv applies nature-deficit disorder to adults as well in this new book. And in order to battle the unhealthy lifestyles associated with this condition, The Nature Principle recommends time outdoors to benefit people of all ages.
To order and/or learn more about The Nature Principle visit:
http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Principle-Restoration-Nature-Deficit-Disorder/dp/1565125819/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314797128&sr=1-1
To learn more about the Children & Nature Network visit:
http://www.childrenandnature.org/
Bringing Fire Back to the Mountains
Aug 22, 2011
“Bringing Fire Back to the Mountains” is a brochure published in July 2011 by the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network. This resource is designed to enhance public outreach efforts and help educate communities about the value and use of fire in the Appalachians. The Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network is one of three fire learning networks in the Southeast and a member of the U.S. Fire Learning Network (USFLN), a program that facilitates the exchange and development of community-based approaches to restoring landscapes affected by wildfire.
To view the “Bringing Fire Back to the Mountains” brochure visit:
http://www.conservationgateway.org/sites/default/files/NC_FireInMts_Brochure.pdf
To learn more about the U.S. Fire Learning Network visit:
http://www.conservationgateway.org/topic/fire-learning-network
