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

Nilo Wijaya (IFSA), a forest policy student at the University of Gadjah Mada in Indonesia, joins Jose Bolaños (IUFRO HQ) to discuss IUFRO Division 2 Physiology and Genetics with Amanda de la Torre (Nothern Arizona University) and Santiago González-Martínez (INRAE), Division Co-coordinators.

Santiago shared his fascination with conifers, showcasing their remarkable adaptations to diverse environments, such as fire resistance of species in the Canary Islands, and Amanda reflected on her journey from studying Amazonian trees in Peru to exploring the genomic complexities of conifers like Douglas fir.

From Gymnosperms to the transformative power of genomics, this episode offers a whole spectrum of tools for our forests' survival. 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 2: Tree functions and the genes that drive them

The first episode of the podcast second season features Division 1, Silviculture, with its two new co-coordinators: Pil Sun Park from Seoul National University, Republic of Korea, and Teresa De Jesus Fidalgo Fonseca from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal. The guest host for this episode is Alexander Watson from the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA) and a master's student in Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology at the Georg-August University of Göttingen in Germany.

The podcast begins with an introduction, brings out some personal experiences, participation in the Division's work, current scientific findings, and upcoming projects and conferences. Get to know the two coordinators better, discover what excites them, and learn about one moment that was most formative in their career. The two guests also debunk the misconception that silviculture is solely focused on increasing timber yield.

Read more at iufro.org

Episode 1: Care of the forests

In this special episode, Jose Bolaños from IUFRO HQ talked with Daniela Kleinschmit, professor of forest and environmental policy at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and incoming President of IUFRO; Woodam Chung, professor of forest engineering at Oregon State University, U.S.A., and incoming IUFRO Vice-President for Divisions; and Isabelle Claire Dela Paz, President of the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA).

One of the highlights of the discussion was the outlook on the upcoming IUFRO World Congress [https://iufro2024.com/] in Stockholm this summer. Our guests shared their expectations for this global gathering, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. From climate change to biodiversity loss, they underlined the myriad of challenges facing the forest research community in the coming years and highlighted innovative approaches to tackle those. And it becomes clear that collaboration, innovation, and youth engagement will be essential in addressing the complex scenarios ahead.

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast on your favourite platform or visit our website to access this episode. And don’t forget to subscribe, share, and join us on this podcasting adventure.

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

Episode 6: The way forward for forests, science and people

This episode delves into four distinct sections, each shedding light on crucial aspects of the IUFRO World Congress 2024 theme "Forests for Sustainable Societies." We are excited to present the newest episode of Branching Out. Join us as we discuss nature-based solutions (NBS) and links between forests and human health, power and equity in the forest sector and the complexity of forest governance.

Co-hosted by Yasmeen Sands from the USDA Forest Service and Deputy Coordinator of IUFRO‘s Communications and Public Relations Working Party, with Harini Nagendra, Director of the Azim Premji University Research Center and leader of the University’s Center for Climate Change and Sustainability (and keynote speaker at the Congress), Cecil Konijnendijk, Director of the Nature Based Solutions Institute, chaired the Global Forest Expert Panel (GFEP) on Forests and Human Health, Judith Kamoto from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi, and Mónica Gabay, Coordinator of IUFRO Division 9 on Forest Policy and Economics.

We explore how forests are linked to various aspects of sustainable societies, from nature-based solutions and urban forestry, to human well-being and poverty eradication, and to forest ownership, power and equity in the forest sector.

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast on your favourite platform or visit our website to access this episode. And don’t forget to subscribe, share, and join us on this podcasting adventure.

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

Episode 5: Forests for Sustainable Societies

On this episode, we discuss the relationship between biodiversity and other services our forests provide.

Featuring co-host Peter Edwards, senior researcher at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, New Zealand, along with Sally Aitken, from University of British Columbia, Marjana Westergren from the Slovenian Forest Institute, K.M.A. Bandara Conservator General of Forests from Sri Lanka, and Nazmus Sadath from Khulna University in Bangladesh, who together provide information about genetics, society's role in halting biodiversity loss and two case studies.

Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast on your favourite platform or visit our website to access this episode. And don’t forget to subscribe, share, and join us on this podcasting adventure.

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

Episode 4: How Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Services shape our world 

On this episode, we venture into responsible forest bioeconomy. Listen how forest bioeconomy contributes to sequestering carbon, mitigating climate change, creating jobs and developing rural areas.

Featuring co-host Ida Wallin, from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), along with Anne Toppinen from University of Helsinki, Nellie Oduor from the Kenyan Forest Research Institute, Verónica Loewe Muñoz from the Instituto Forestal de Chile, and Jinlong Liu from the Renmin University of China, who together provide a vast list of examples from Africa, Latin America and Asia.

New products, use of biomass challenges and innovating actions. Tune in to Branching Out: the forest podcast on your favourite platform or visit our website to access this episode. And don’t forget to subscribe, share, and join us on this podcasting adventure.

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

Episode 3: Forest in clothes, food and medicine?

Originally published on 1 June 2010, during this podcast, Tarun Bathija interviews Michael Kleine (IUFRO-SPDC Project Coordinator) to get a better understanding of the International Union of Forest Research Organization's - Special Program for Developing Countries.  The mission of the Special Programme for Developing Countries (in short IUFRO-SPDC) is to expand and foster forest research capacity in developing and economically disadvantaged countries.  According to the programme's strategy for 2007 to 2010 the IUFRO-SPDC activities cover the  following five priority areas: 

 * Enhancing core scientific competence
 * Improving information management and dissemination
 * Enhancing science contribution to policy processes
 * Promoting communication and multi-stakeholder learning processes
 * Providing institutional support to regional forest research networks

IUFRO-SPDC (interview with Michael Kleine) - by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations

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.

Jose Bolaños

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