Background

To recognize and celebrate the ending of the International Year of the Forest an International Symposium highlighting much of the excellent research conducted both in Canada and the United States will be held at the University of British Columbia on February 24 and 25, 2012.  This symposium will present ongoing and recently completed research by graduate students based at the University of BC, the University of Washington and those working with FP Innovations. These students are not only conducting research that will have international impacts but they represent the problem solvers of the future. To recognize the growing importance of indigenous peoples and forests there will be an added emphasis on this area but presentations and posters will include a broad range of topics and issues to reflect the breadth of research activities at these three institutions.

For UBC students please submit your request to david.cohen@ubc.ca accompanied by an attached Abstract of your research. The Abstract should include a brief Background, Problem statement (or research hypothesis), Methods of analysis, and for those who have collected data Results and Conclusions. With a 400 word limit this should be brief.

Students who have graduated from UBC in the 2010 will also be considered for presentations and/or posters.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact David Cohen directly.

The Symposium

The symposium will consist of three sessions and a reception and poster session.  The three topic areas are:  forests/environment, products/technology, and markets/policy.  There will be preference given to research that focus on indigenous peoples in each of the three topic areas.

Each session will consist of short (15 minute) presentations of ongoing or recently completed research.  Authors will prepare short two page Executive Summaries or short (4-6 pages) peer reviewed papers that will be published in a conference proceedings. There will also be posters of work by graduate students from all three institutions.

This will be a two day symposium with the first day consisting of presentations, posters and a dinner at the UBC campus. The second day will consist of field trips with a focus on BC’s indigenous peoples, the First Nations.

Important Dates

Nov. 18, 2011        Abstract submitted for review for presentation or poster. Maximum 400 words.

Dec. 9, 2011        Notification of acceptance of papers and posters.

Jan. 27, 2012       Submission of PowerPoint presentation, Executive Summary or short paper for review.

Feb. 24/5, 2012    Symposium and field trips

Cost

Those presenting will have meals, travel, lodging and the symposium registration fee covered by sponsoring organizations.

Field trips will be paid for by those attending the field trips.

Contact People

University of British Columbia - Dr. David Cohen (david.cohen@ubc.ca)

University of Washington - Dr. Ivan Eastin (eastin@u.washington.edu)

FPInnovations - Dr. Christopher Gaston (Chris.Gaston@fpinnovations.ca)