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Spotlight on Wisconsin Forests during Oct. 21 Premier of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell

Friday, October 09, 2020

Press release - Madison, WI (Oct. 9, 2020) – National TV program America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell travels to Wisconsin in the latest episodes of the multi-part series. Using the Wisconsin episodes as inspiration, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin will host a virtual premiere event on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. CST. This online gathering will bring together thought leaders to engage in a rousing conversation on the critical importance and value of well managed public and private forest lands in Wisconsin.

Chuck Leavell may be best known as the keyboardist and musical director for The Rolling Stones, but he is also an educated and enthusiastic forestry advocate, conservationist and tree farmer. As host of the new series, Leavell serves as the on-camera guide, travelling across the country to interview people who are passionate about the gifts we get from our woods and exploring creative solutions to complex problems impacting this important natural resource.

“The search for solutions to the problems of sustainable growth, climate change and energy conservation is increasingly inspiring thought leaders to look at one of America’s finest resources -- our forests,” said Leavell. “Whether for building or for recreation, our forests are good for the economy and for the spirit.”

In this two-part TV special, Leavell explores the forests of Wisconsin, fittingly on a Harley Davidson. Part one finds Leavell exploring Wisconsin’s Northwoods, taking viewers on a journey through Minocqua and Paul Bunyan country, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest alongside US Forest Service Job Corps members, Tomahawk for an up-close look at ruffed grouse, and the Menominee Tribal land for a lesson in sustainable forestry practiced for many generations.

In part two, Leavell heads to the southern half of the state to experience the urban wood movement in Milwaukee, behind-the-scenes at the nation’s premiere wood research facility, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, in Madison, the biodiversity of the Baraboo Hills via kayak on the Wisconsin River and hiking through an oak forest, and wrapping the Wisconsin adventure at a boisterous event in Suamico, Log-A-Load for Kids, where hundreds of kids from several elementary schools get to try their hands at being foresters for the day.

During the Oct. 21 virtual premiere event, Leavell will be joined by Tony Ferguson, Director of the Forest Products Laboratory for the USDA Forest Service, Heather Berklund, Deputy Forestry Division Administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Buddy Huffaker of the Aldo Leopold Foundation and Henry Schienebeck, Executive Director of Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association. The event will be moderated by James Edward Mills, journalist, media producer and Community Partnership Liaison, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison along with Adena Rissman, associate professor of the Human Dimensions of Ecosystem Management in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Registration for the virtual premier and screening of the episodes is available online here. Links to attend the virtual premier event and to view the episodes will be emailed to all who register.

“Public and private partners across the country are working hand-in-hand to both care for and create sustainable solutions using wood from our forests. This important work is vital to a healthy forest environment that provides world-class recreation, wildlife habitats and scenic beauty,” said Bruce Ward, president of Choose Outdoors. “Through the stories in the series and special events, we hope to educate and inspire citizens to become everyday champions.”

The series is produced by Choose Outdoors and 42 Degrees North Media and the Wisconsin episodes were made possible with support from the USDA Forest Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, Wisconsin Sustainable Forestry Institute, Ponsse North America, John Deere (McCormick), Red Wing Shoes, The Nature Conservancy, Aldo Leopold Foundation, Ruffed Grouse Society, National Forest Foundation, Menominee Tribal Enterprises, Wisconsin Urban Wood, University of Wisconsin and Harley Davidson.

Visit americasforestswithchuckleavell.com to learn more and follow along on Facebook (@americasforests), Instagram (@americasforestswithchuck),and Twitter (@americasforests)

*Photos and short promo videos available at https://tinyurl.com/AFCLWIMedia. Please credit James Edward Mills for photography use.

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Health Benefits and Impacts of Healthy Forests Bibliography

Monday, April 06, 2020

Press release from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC

Greenville, S.C. (April 06, 2020) – Add human health and well-being to the long list of benefits provided by forests. A new bibliography compiled by Paul Garbe, DVM, MPH, cites more than 30 publications and web resources that document potential physical and mental health benefits associated with trees and forests. Several resources note the complexity of correlating health with green space and call for additional work to clarify potential benefits. The bibliography is available on the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) website.

Garbe directed the program on air pollution and respiratory health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2004 to 2018 and is now a private consultant. The Endowment and the USDA Forest Service, Region 8 (Southern Region) office, commissioned the project. Both organizations seek to understand and clarify the benefits provided by forests.

“Forests provide many benefits and services, including wood for construction, fiber for paper and cardboard, energy, filtration for drinking water, climate regulation, habitat for wildlife, and recreation places,” said Carlton Owen, the Endowment’s CEO. “Now scientists are helping us understand how being in and near forests and trees can be good for our health and well-being. We hope this bibliography will stimulate interest in better understanding the human health benefits provided by trees and forests.”

Many of the studies focus on the air-quality impacts of trees and forests. One study suggests that nitrogen dioxide removed by trees in Portland, Oregon reduced respiratory problems. In contrast, another found no scientific consensus that urban trees reduce asthma by improving air quality and, in some circumstances, can degrade air quality and increase asthma. It issued a "call to action" for interdisciplinary research on the human health effects of spending time in or near green spaces. Other sources cited in the bibliography address mental health and well-being and crime reduction.

While Owen emphasized the importance of following CDC social distancing guidelines in a world shaken by COVID-19, he believes that "...recreation in forests is one of the most effective ways we can lower stress and anxiety, while at the same time enjoying a pleasant and positive experience.”

# # #

For more information contact:
Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice president, alicia@usendowment.org

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) is a non-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation's working forests and forest-reliant communities.
www.usendowment.org

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Atop Rotary Peak | Youth Outdoors

Sunday, October 07, 2018

On September 9th, laughs and foreign languages were heard from the top of Loveland Pass, 11,991′ above sea level. The group was full of high school students from across the world, from Peru to Germany, and Rotarians from the Denver-Metro area.

The Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Exchange allows international students to partner with Rotarians in Denver and other cities across the U.S. to live with three seperate host families over a nine month period.

“Our daughter was involved with the program during her gap year between highschool and college,” explained one of the host couples. “She loved her experience in Chile, so we couldn’t wait to host a student from another country and give them the opportunity of seeing what high school is like for an American student.”

The hike on September 9th took place on the trail atop Loveland Pass and finished up on Rotary Peak. After the hike concluded, the group gathered on the Divide for lunch and conversation. The students might not have spoken the same language, but the smiles seen in the outdoors are universal. Learn more about the hike here:

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Our Future Forests: Four Ways the Outdoor Recreation Community Can Help

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Our Future Forests: Four Ways the Outdoor Recreation Community Can Help

By Bruce Ward and Brian Kelleghan

When wildfires devour our forests the entire outdoor recreation community suffers: hikers, hunters, anglers, kayakers, mountain bikers, four-wheelers, campers, snowmobilers, skiers, birdwatchers, mountain climbers, and even people who just like taking scenic drives. Severe droughts and the increasingly hotter and longer summers have led to more frequent and catastrophic wildfires. While efforts to safeguard our forests depend greatly on national and state policies, individuals can help protect our shared cathedrals of conifers and the surrounding natural environment most of us enjoy.

Here are four things you can do to help save the forests and watersheds that all of us in the outdoor recreation community love and cherish:

1. Advocate for increased funding for U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and their sister agencies so they can reduce the number of catastrophic wildfires before they start. All these agencies have been grossly underfunded for years and likely will remain so in this era of record federal deficits.

2.Educate yourself. Learn why our land management agencies must thin the forest – that is, remove dead wood and even live trees. Understand, too, when the agencies set controlled burns they are mimicking nature and the natural process to clear away overgrowth that ignite and feed huge wildfires.

3.Volunteer. The agencies need help restoring landscapes and watersheds after devastating wildfires occur. You can help plant trees, clear trails, and educate homeowners, campers, and other forest users about fire prevention and mitigation. Support organizations like the Boy and Girl Scouts who dedicate thousands of volunteer hours every year.

4. Support funding sources that help our forests. The National Forest Foundation’s Skier Conservation Fund provides millions of private sector dollars with matching federal funds to assist land managers working with volunteers. Lottery dollars can be directed to fund recreation and conservation efforts. Your philanthropic donations can be directed to the volunteer organizations that are helping get work done on the ground.

We in the outdoor recreation community – regardless of how we choose to enjoy the forests – are not helpless. We have a voice, we have votes. We need to take action.

Mr. Ward is the founder and President of Choose Outdoors, based in Denver and serves on Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Council and is chair of the Mile High Rotary Club Youth Services Committee

Mr. Kelleghan is the owner of Bison Designs, a Mountain View District and Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America and Vice Chair of Choose Outdoors.

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Resources

Some of our favorite resources that explore topics including our public lands, youth and the outdoors, access, and the environment.

Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv

U.S. Forest Service
National Park Service
Forest Business Network

Spotlight on Wisconsin Forests during Oct. 21 Premier of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell

Health Benefits and Impacts of Healthy Forests Bibliography

Atop Rotary Peak | Youth Outdoors

Our Future Forests: Four Ways the Outdoor Recreation Community Can Help

Resources

Some of our favorite resources that explore topics including our public lands, youth and the outdoors, access, and the environment.

Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv

U.S. Forest ServiceNational Park ServiceForest Business Network

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U.S. Forest Service
National Park Service
Forest Business Network