Ongoing Biochar Research:
Into Ecological and Economically Sustainable Applications in Small and Mid-size Managed Ecosystems
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A collaboration between Dovetail Partners, Virginia Tech, and the University of Minnesota was awarded a Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) grant in 2018. The project, titled Life-Cycle Assessment of Biochar in Agricultural and Forest Ecosystems: Effects on Production, Soil Fertility, and Economic Impact was developed to explore “real world” applied research into how biochars produced locally would affect soils and ultimately their crops. The study sought to determine the impact of biochar amendments on soil carbon and nutrient retention on working lands across a variety of soil types, cropping systems, and climates in the United States.
The motivation for this project arose from the perspective that little specific information has been available historically to landowners and managers about effective rates of biochar application, application methods, and anticipated benefits to crop yield, soil fertility, or carbon sequestration. Standards for testing biochar have been proposed but are not consistently used and the necessity to match biochar characteristics to soils is an added variable (as compared to chemical inputs which are fairly homogenous, with known outcomes in a given application).
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It's Our 20th Anniversary! |
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Here at Dovetail, we are proud that our collaborations continue to further and fulfill our mission while creating an inspiring path forward and empowering sound environmental decisions. But, we could not have done it without you. Whether it’s sharing our reports, signing up for the Dovetail newsletter, interacting with our posts on social media (LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook), donating, or simply, visiting our website, thank you for your support. We are all in this together, and we are grateful for the journey to this milestone and what lies ahead!
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We’ll have Anniversary related announcements throughout the year, and we are doing Flashback Fridays on LinkedIn. We would love for you to share any memories you have or how you have worked with Dovetail over the years. Feel free to reach out to us at: [email protected] or 612-333-0430.
Happy New Year and Happy 20th Anniversary to Dovetail!
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How Prefab Wood Can Make Housing More Affordable |
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This new blog from ThinkWood highlights the need for more affordable housing in the U.S. and the recent report by Dovetail Partners and New York City–based development firm Spiritos Properties LLC. The collaborative effort of authors Kathryn Fernholz and Jeff Spiritos—delves into the origins of the nation’s housing shortages, the historical efforts to deliver more affordable housing over the past 100 years, and the new opportunities on the horizon to construct more affordable housing using efficient prefabricated mass timber. The Housing Coalition’s 2020 annual report showed that rental rates are out of reach for nearly every worker in the bottom 50% of the national wage distribution. And with research showing that housing is a major social determinant of essential health and well-being, this is a critical and urgent problem to solve. |
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Northern Minnesota Counties: A Step Ahead |
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“Think global; act local.” The phrase has been used in numerous environmental and business planning contexts. It conveys an urgency for us to deliberate the health of the entire planet, but to take the necessary actions that can make positive impacts in our own back yards that contribute to global health. |
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Two northern Minnesota counties have taken that axiom to heart. In 2014, Aitkin and Carlton counties began conducting ‘bat surveys’ in their respective county managed forested lands. They did so with the support of and in coordination with Dovetail Partners, Inc., a natural resources think-tank based out of Minneapolis, and with support from Enbridge, Sappi North America, and UPM Blandin Paper. |
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Oshkigin Spirit of Fire is officially selected for the Inaugural End of the Road Film Festival |
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Oshkigin Spirit of Fire is officially selected for the Inaugural End of the Road Film Festival in Ely, Minnesota. The End of the Road film festival will take place February 9-12, 2023.
Oshkigin Spirit of Fire highlights the deep, reciprocal relationship with the land and the traditional use of fire in the Ojibwe culture. The filming took place, with permission, on the reservations of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe in Minnesota and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe in Wisconsin.
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Harry Groot from Dovetail worked alongside the US Biochar Initiative, and Wilson Biochar--to produce an open sourced marketing/education document. You can find the document here.
The world has a carbon problem. Some places (the atmosphere) have too much of it. Other places (soil and farmland) have too little carbon. Biochar can fix the carbon cycle in a way that benefits people and nature. Biochar fixes carbon by taking it out of the atmosphere and putting it into soil and products for human use. Check out this document to learn more.
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The Accessible Community Tree Inventory: Expanding State Capacity for Planning and Risk Management |
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Final project materials for AUTI and forest storm mitigation planning now available
The project to support Accessible Community Tree Inventory has now been completed with final materials and impact measures being made available.
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The pilot project was administered by Dovetail Partners and funded in part by the USDA Forest Service's National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Program, as recommended by the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC). Inventory activity using Accessible Urban Tree Inventory (AUTI) has been completed with pilot communities in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Nevada (US Air Force), Nebraska, Maine, Florida, Vermont, and California. A total of 24 states have been engaged in AUTI demonstrations and testing. Urban Forest Metrix is offering direct support for the software. The project also developed the Community Forest Storm Mitigation Manual and Workbook for a national audience - reviewed by a leading expert in federal disaster relief for the most up-to-date information and weblinks. The materials were prepared by the Green Infrastructure Center. In 2022, staff distributed 157 digital copies of the manual and workbook to attendees of the Partners in Community Forestry Conference.
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Skyscrapers Built of Wood, Feb 9th. 10am ET |
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Kathryn Fernholz of Dovetail Partners will speak on Feb 9th as part of the
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at University of North Carolina Wilmington and the Science and Environmental Academy (SEA and Coffee) lecture series. The presentation is titled "Skyscrapers Built of Wood" and will speak to our built environment being responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions and the innovations to address this - including new uses for one of our oldest building materials: wood. The presentation will explain “mass timber”—engineered wood products used to build buildings more than 20 stories high. It is a cheaper, faster, lighter and carbon-storing material, but it also poses challenges. Can skyscrapers built with wood save our cities, our climate and our forests?
Register by January 26.
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Thank you for reading our newsletter! |
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Please take a moment to answer our 8 question survey. |
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Dovetail supports progress and change to address inequality. |
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Copyright © 2023 Dovetail Partners, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Dovetail Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Dovetail Partners, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.
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