Thinking about a career in the forest industry, or know of a high school student who might be? We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for our next offering of the Forestry Skills Camp!

This is an immersive training experience for high school students in which you can choose the path that interests you the most! Paths include Forest Measurement & Management, Forest Products, and Chainsaw Safety & Operation. Each focus area will be taught by professionals in the industry, allowing you to learn more about the careers that are available in forestry and forest products.

The first two days of camp will be spent completing training in wilderness first aid, then the following three days will be spent immersed in the path you chose. This camp is designed to build real skills used in the forest industries and each path will provide one forestry credit at UWSP.

The 2026 Forestry Skills Camp takes place in June 2026 at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station, in Amherst Junction, WI. You can learn more and apply at the link below.

APPLY HERE!

Upcoming Webinars

AI for Foresters: Tools You Can Use! | Tues., Jan. 13

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 | 1-2:30 p.m. CT

WHERE: Online via Zoom

COST: $10

CEUs and CFEs available

Foresters are being pulled in more directions than ever—crunching numbers, writing reports, navigating regulations, and explaining it all to clients and agencies who want it yesterday. This session explores how ChatGPT can take some of that weight off your shoulders. We’ll walk through real examples where AI has been used to draft NRCS prescriptions, summarize forest notes, calculate statistics, draft expert witness reports, troubleshoot equipment and software issues, and even find order in a pile of bird observations. If it lives in your inbox, clipboard, or spreadsheet, there’s probably a way to speed it up with AI.

You don’t need to be a programmer, much less tech-savvy, to start using these tools. We’ll keep it grounded in forestry work, with plenty of field-tested examples from my own practice. Whether you want to automate routine tasks, sharpen your writing, or just get a second set of eyes on your written products (without billing hours), this session will show how AI can quietly make you faster, clearer, and more efficient.

Loss of Old-Growth Forest to Fire | Wed., Feb. 4

WHEN: Feb. 4, 2026 | 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. CST

WHERE: Online via Zoom

COST: Free | Registration not required

Fire suppression and past selective logging of large trees have fundamentally changed frequent-fire-adapted forests in California. The culmination of these changes produced forests that are vulnerable to catastrophic change by wildfire, drought, and bark beetles, with climate change exacerbating this vulnerability. Management options available to address this problem include mechanical treatments (Mech), prescribed fire (Fire), or combinations of these treatments (Mech + Fire). All three active treatments (Fire, Mech, Mech + Fire) produced forest conditions that were much more resistant to wildfire than the untreated control and Mech + Fire improved forest resilience the most. There are multiple pathways for achieving success in Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests.

Presented by:

Scott L. Stephens, Ph.D.

Professor, Environmental Science, Policy & Management, Rausser College of Natural Resources, University of California Berkeley

Learn More

New Professional Development Series

Adaptation in Action: Forest Management Strategies for a Changing Climate | Kicks off Wed., Feb. 18, 2026

Reducing the Impact of Biological Stressors

Presented by Stephen Kaufman, Forester, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Ron Waukau, Forest Manager, Menominee Tribal Enterprises

WHEN: Feb. 18, 2026 | 12:00 - 1 p.m. CST

WHERE: Online via Zoom

COST: Free | Registration not required

A rapidly warming climate threatens forest ecosystems through warmer temperatures, changing precipitation and increased stress. As the impacts of climate change increase, there is a growing need for forest management strategies that can help forests adapt to current impacts, and prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow. Participants will not only learn about the theory of adaptation but also hear from forest managers grappling with climate risk and distilling the best available science into “boots on the ground” forest management.

LEARN MORE

This series is possible through a grant from the Wisconsin SFI® Implementation Committee.

Introducing Wood & Iron Podcast!

We are excited to introduce a new logging podcast! Wood & Iron will explore the needs and challenges of today’s logger. Join our hosts as we explores business operation, policy navigation, and the future of logging with loggers from the Midwest to the West. The goal of Wood & Iron is to promote a successful and sustainable logging workforce by offering relevant and timely information that you can listen to during your time in the cab.

Produced by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Forestry Center and hosted by Manley Jobs and WFCA executive director Blake Manley, Wood & Iron is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, and many other platforms.

Want to advertise your product, company, or organization on Wood & Iron? Sponsor a season or an episode! If you are interested, reach out to wfc@uwsp.edu. Stay tuned for our first episode coming later this month!

LEARN MORE

SilviCast Podcast: Morticulture

Morticulture | Season 7 Episode 1

A dead tree is not truly dead. As trees die, they become snags, downed logs, and eventually return to the soil as organic matter. Along this journey, they host a wide range of organisms and play essential roles in forest ecosystems. How foresters think about and manage dead trees can be just as important as how they manage living ones. In this episode of SilviCast, we explore the concept of morticulture—the intentional management of deadwood in forests. Join us for a conversation with Mark Harmon, professor emeritus in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University. Dr. Harmon has spent decades researching tree mortality, wood decomposition, and the management of coarse woody debris in our forests.

LISTEN NOW

This month's episode of SilviCast is sponsored by:

SPONSOR SEASON 7 OF SILVICAST

CHECK OUT PREVIOUS EPISODES

Continuing Education Credits

The WFC offers a variety of continuing education options, such as online on-demand courses. They are pre-approved for SAF and WI-DNR Cooperating Forester credits.

ON-DEMAND ONLINE COURSES

WFC Forestry Jobs Board

Looking for the next step in your forestry career or your next hire? Check out our free forestry jobs board.

Job seekers: Check out current full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions across all forestry sectors.

Employers: Get the word out about your job openings by sending them to the WFC.

Do you have workshop or training ideas that you want the WFC to explore?

SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS

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