SAF Forest Science & Technology Board Announces 2021 Kurt Gottschalk Science Fund Grant Recipients

March 17, 2021

The SAF Forest Science & Technology Board (FS&TB) is pleased to support three projects in 2021 through the Kurt Gottschalk Science Fund Grant (KGSF).
 
The KGSF was established in 2004 and was renamed in 2016 in memory of Kurt W. Gottschalk. Administered by the FS&TB, the fund’s purpose is to support SAF Working Group communities of interest and practice in the development and dissemination of scientific findings and new technology that facilitate science-informed management. In addition, the KGSF funds the first, second, and third place awards for student presentations and posters at the SAF National Convention.

The FS&TB has awarded grants for the following projects:

  • SilviCast is a podcast that targets the transfer of information about current forest management issues and science-based solutions to field practitioners by providing a much-needed link between research and practice. Focused on silviculture, SilviCast was created by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Wisconsin Forestry Center and hosted by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' silviculturists Greg Edge and Brad Hutnik. Six episodes from Season 1 are currently available on most podcast outlets and an additional 6-10 episodes are planned for season 2. The KGSF grant will allow SilviCast to improve and expand recording capabilities to the field for more in-depth interviews with field practitioners. Additional information on SilviCast can be found here.

  • Translating Forest Measurements to the Little Screen aims to create a repository of video tutorials for fundamental topics in forest inventory and biometrics. The project provides a unique opportunity for academic advisors and students to partner with forestry professionals to enhance online training opportunities for the forestry community at large. Dr. Leah Rathbun at North Carolina State University will coordinate the project, which will run as a student (both undergraduate and graduate) competition. Individual, SAF student chapters, forestry clubs, and other groups are invited to create and submit videos from across the country to ensure a variety of ecosystems are included. Entries will be judged by inventory experts from industry, academia, government, and consulting forestry. For further information, send an email to [email protected].

  • H5II: The Second Conference on the Research and Management of High Elevation Five Needle Pine in Western North Americawill be hosted by the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation (WPEF). High Five Pine forests have great ecological and symbolic importance and are rapidly declining throughout North America. The virtual H5II conference will focus on applied forestry research involving the challenges associated with climate change, increases in fire occurrence and severity, and the spread of white pine blister rust (an exotic invasive disease), as well as advancements in science such as genome sequencing. In addition, the National Whitebark Pine Restoration Plan (NWPRP) and the proposal for listing whitebark pine as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife service will be addressed and discussed. Information on the conference can be found here.