PLENARY SESSION 1
What is a Forester?
Wednesday, October 25, 4-5 p.m.
Moderator: Austin Himes, Mississippi State University
Panelists: Tom Fox, Rayonier; James Lewis, Forest History Society; and Linda Nagel, Utah State University
Our opening plenary will provide a welcome to the forests of Kentucky and Tennessee, and then speak to the continually evolving forest sector. Think the paper industry is dead? From more traditional printing, packaging, and specialty papers to dissolving wood pulp and casting release papers to nanocellulose to lignins and beyond, our first keynote speaker will give you renewed confidence that the paper industry is “manipulating cellulose” in ways you have never imagined to remain relevant in the computer age. This plenary will also highlight how our profession continually needs talent and innovation likewise to remain relevant in economic, ecological, and social contexts.
PLENARY SESSION 2
A Forest Legacy – The Past, Present and Future
Thursday, October 26, 8-9:30 a.m.
Moderator: Thomas Jackson,
Enviva
Speaker: Kedren Dillard,
Shipley Associates
Kedren Dillard, a fifth generation forest landowner, shares her experience and ongoing journey of maintaining history while building for the future on her family farm in Southern Virginia. Her story of navigating family decisions, finding modern solutions to land management and upholding the property's legacy will resonate with all. Learn how one landowner works to maintain family forestland now and in the future.
PLENARY SESSION 3
Moving beyond "Traditional": Indigenizing Forestry at its Roots
Friday, October 27, 1:15-3 p.m.
Moderator: Krause,
Michigan Technological University
Panelists: Serra Hoagland,
Rocky Mountain Research Station; Dawn Blake,
Yurok Tribe; Melonee Montano,
Great Lake Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has recently been gaining attention throughout the world. However, local indigenous communities and the knowledges they hold have been in existence and evolving since time immemorial. Join this session as we elevate and listen to indigenous voices and discuss our ways of knowing through a forestry lens. Session panelists will discuss cultural and ecological significance of fire on landscapes, indigenizing forest management, building inclusive collaborations with indigenous partners, and respecting and valuing indigenous knowledges.
Meet the Speakers