Season 3 of Branching Out: The Forest Podcast, hosted by Gerda Wolfrum from IUFRO HQ, explores how IUFRO scientists work across disciplines to address emerging issues through Task Forces. In the second episode we discuss why innovation matters in the forest sector, the different forms it takes, and how science underpins scaling up of innovation. Hear from Task Force co-leads Lyndall Bull, an Australian forester specializing in innovation and the bioeconomy, and Rajat Panwar, a professor of responsible and sustainable business at Oregon State University, along with co-host Leila Rossa Mouawad from the American University of Beirut and Deputy Coordinator of IUFRO’s Communication Working Party.

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast [https://www.iufro.org/podcast]! Listen on Spotify [http://spoti.fi/3Kzq69l] and Apple Podcasts [http://apple.co/3UAa0B1], and don't forget to follow us!

Podcast website: https://www.iufro.org/podcast 

Episode 2: New ways of doing things

Season 3 of Branching Out: the forest podcast, hosted by Gerda Wolfrum from IUFRO HQ, aims to explore how scientists in IUFRO work across disciplines to tackle emerging topics. This work takes place in Task Forces, and the first episode talks about bioeconomy and how to build an integrated vision of the forest-based sector within a bioeconomy. It features Ivana Živojinović, a senior scientist at Boku University in Vienna, Austria, and Ricardo Vargas Carpintero, based in Colombia, who recently obtained his PhD from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, along with co-host Fernanda Gonzalez from IUFRO HQ.

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast [https://www.iufro.org/podcast]! Listen on Spotify [http://spoti.fi/3Kzq69l] and Apple Podcasts [http://apple.co/3UAa0B1], and don't forget to follow us!

Podcast website: https://www.iufro.org/podcast

Episode 1: Breaking down silos

The final episode of Season 2 of Branching Out: The Forest Podcast, hosted by Jose Bolaños from IUFRO HQ, focused on IUFRO Scientific Division 9 – Forest Policy and Economics. The episode features Janette Bulkan from the University of British Columbia in Canada and Lukas Giessen from the Technical University Dresden in Germany, along with co-host Gerda Wolfrum from IUFRO HQ. Janette and Lukas coordinate Working Parties on Indigenous peoples and forest landscapes and A.I. methods in forest social sciences, respectively.

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast! Listen wherever you enjoy your podcasts, on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to follow us! More at iufro.org!

Episode 9: Not About Trees

Forests as Lifelines After Shocks, the very first episode of this new show, dives into how communities bounce back when confronted with rising climate pressure and political uncertainty. The discussion moves beyond a narrow definition of ecosystem health to explore resilience as the measure of a system’s ability to cope with disturbance and change without 'collapsing'. 

The conversation centres on how the interconnected system of our communities, economies, and forests can absorb shocks, adapt, or even transform. This holistic approach aligns with IUFRO's 2025 study, Forests as Pillars of Social and Economic Resilience prepared as part of the Global Forest Expert Panels (GFEP) initiative.

More at iufro.org

Forests as Lifelines After Shocks

This episode, hosted by Jose Bolaños from IUFRO HQ, focused on IUFRO Scientific Division 8 – Forest Environment. The episode, featuring Co-Coordinators Alexia Stokes (INRAE, France) and Chabi Djagoun (University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin), along with co-host Paz Constanza Zenteno Painemal (Conny), from IFSA and an intern at IUFRO HQ, delved into the crucial role forest science plays in confronting global environmental challenges. 

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast! Listen wherever you enjoy your podcasts, and don't forget to follow us! More at iufro.org!

Episode 8: Holistic approach to forest environment

In Episode 7, host Jose Bolaños (IUFRO HQ) and co-host Raghav Sharma from the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) spoke with Tod Ramsfield (Natural Resources Canada/University of Alberta) and Maartje Klapwijk (Swedish University of Agricultural Science), Co-Coordinators of Division 7, Forest Health. They explained that their Division focuses on the interactions between trees and harmful biotic impacts, which are broadly divided into forest pathology (diseases, often caused by fungi) and forest entomology (insects).

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast! Listen wherever you enjoy your podcasts, and don't forget to follow us!

Episode 7: What is a Healthy Forest?

In this episode, we talk about the work of IUFRO’s Division 6: Social Aspects of Forests and Forestry. Hosted by Jose Bolaños, IUFRO HQ, and Ngozi Edum, IFSA, this episode features Purabi Bose, Co-Coordinator of Division 6.

For too long, the social dimension of forests and forestry was seen as a "soft skill", with people's participation often overlooked. This episode addresses that challenge, emphasizing that people's participation is crucial. You'll uncover how Division 6 serves as a key platform, fostering cooperation and interdisciplinary communication within the scientific community.

More at iufro.org

Episode 6: From tree-only to participation 

In this episode of Branching Out, host Jose Bolaños is joined by Franka Brüchert and Roger Meder, Co-Coordinators of IUFRO Division 5 Forest Products, to explore how wood can define the 21st century. From traditional timber to cutting-edge innovations like beech wood textiles featured at Berlin Fashion Week, the conversation dives into the versatility, sustainability, and future potential of forest products. Discover how wood is reclaiming its place in architecture, fashion, and global markets—and why Division 5 is considered the heart of forestry.

Episode 5: A century of wood 

How can we manage forests for a future we can’t fully predict? In this episode of Branching Out: The Forest Podcast, we dive into the work of IUFRO Division 4—Forest Assessment, Modelling and Management. Co-coordinators Dr. Bianca Eskelson and Dr. Don Hodges share how data, simulation tools, and emerging technologies like AI are helping forest scientists and decision-makers explore alternative futures. From wildfire risk to green jobs, we explore the science behind forest planning in an uncertain world—and why local knowledge and collaboration remain essential. If you're curious about the future of forest science, this episode is for you.

Presented by Jose Bolaños (IUFRO HQ) and Nele Römer (IFSA).

Episode 4: Modelling the Future of Forests

Dante Bertocci (International Forestry Students’ Association, IFSA) joins Jose Bolaños (IUFRO HQ) to talk to one of Co-Coordinators of IUFRO Division 3: Forest Operations, Engineering, and Management.

René Zamora-Cristales (Oregon State University and World Resources Institute) explains that this Division focuses on how forestry activities are carried out - from seed collection and forest restoration to logging and resource management. He emphasizes that forest operations go far beyond timber harvesting, playing a key role in biodiversity conservation and forest landscape restoration.

He also highlights that meeting global restoration targets, such as 350 million ha of forest landscapes by 2030 goal set by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, requires careful planning. Without proper operations and engineering, even well-intentioned restoration efforts can fall short.

We invite you to tune in to the Branching Out: the forest podcast. Listen wherever you enjoy your podcasts, and don't forget to follow and review!

More info at iufro.org [https://www.iufro.org/publications/iufro-podcasts/]

Episode 3: The how of forestry

Welcome to Branching out: the forest podcast, where we connect forests, science and people. We aim to break down complex forest related topics so you can discover the role of forests and trees for people and nature, and also inform you about what is going on in the world of forest research. This podcast is brought to you by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, IUFRO.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy and position of IUFRO. Their appearance on the show does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

Branching out

The IUFRO Campfire Chats are a spinoff of Branching out: the forest podcast. Each episode starts with a timely forest-related news item, then moves to a roundtable with three perspectives - an IUFRO scientist, a practitioner, and a policy expert - delving beyond the headlines to clarify complex issues.

IUFRO Campfire Chats

IUFRO is a non-profit scientific network that fosters global collaboration for people and research organizations working on forests.

IUFRO

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