For members and partners of the National Network of Forest Practitioners | nnfp.org
- Director's Letter - Giving Thanks
- NNFP seeks Executive Assistant / Office Manager
- Partnerships for Sustainable Wood
- Call for NNFP board nominations
- Leadership for the Long Haul
- Upcoming Funding Opportunities
- NNFP Field Work in Montana: Digital Storytelling and Landowner Outreach
- Penn State seeks candidates for Goddard Chair
- Check out NNFP's new brochure
- Upcoming events
- Get plugged in to the online NNFP member forum
Director's Letter - Giving Thanks
While times are very hard in our nation, with the current economic crisis and broader climate crisis, there is still a lot to be thankful for. The Earth is essentially a hospitable place, with the necessary ingredients to feed and shelter all of us.
The work that NNFP members do, managing and restoring forests, creating value-added wood products, and generally doing tangible useful work is all the more important in this day and age.
At the same time, we have seen an increased interest among urban dwellers in understanding and supporting these sustainable forestry jobs.
Over the past month NNFP participated in Green Festival in DC and Green Build in Arizona. Despite the economic downturn the events were well attended, demonstrating a commitment, across the country, to transitioning to a “green” economy.
While not every person is interested, a large segment of the economy is orienting to support the type of work NNFP members do. Talking to thousands of people at the festivals bore out the fact that there is tremendous interest in supporting the “green jobs” and “green” products that NNFP members produce.
The challenge now is to move this interest into action that translates into real living wage jobs restoring and stewarding our forests and creating objects of use and beauty.
The work we do can help lead to this.
• The Sustainable Woods Network will be a step in this direction.
• Using tools of media to “tell the story” of stewardship will be a piece. And,
• Developing powerful visionary leaders to spearhead the effort will also be critical.This season I am most thankful to be involved with a group of exceptional people who hold a dream of a better world in their hearts, and who are moving ahead to help make that dream a reality.
Please take the time to honor those you know doing this work, and to support it in whatever way you can.
Gratefully,
Colin
Colin M. Donohue
Executive Director
NNFP
NNFP seeks executive assistant / Office manager
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world." Margaret Mead
NNFP is looking for one or more thoughtful and committed citizens to join our efforts to create and sustain jobs in sustainable forestry.
Over the past three years NNFP has developed significantly, adding staff and contractors in Ohio, Montana, Maryland, Missouri, Virginia, and elsewhere.
As part of our growth we have identified the need to recruit an excellent and motivated person to serve as Executive Assistant and Office Manager.
To streamline our recruiting process, NNFP is using a local recruitment company, Career Connections. http://www.careerconnections.info/jobdetails.htm?jobOrdrNo=208&companyuser=cci
Questions, comments, and suggestions for good candidates can be made to Colin Donohue, colin@nnfp.org
Download the announcement
Partnerships for Sustainable Wood
Over the past few months NNFP has partnered with several local sustainable forestry businesses and other partners to promote buying local and sustainable wood.
NNFP at Green Trade Shows in DC and Phoenix
In October we partnered with Lisa Stocker of the Rainforest Alliance and Harry Groot of the Blue Ridge Sustainable Forest Cooperative at the Green Festival in Washington DC to promote the upcoming launch of the Sustainable Woods Network (www.sustainablewoods.com).
In November we attended Green Build where we facilitated a panel on using LEED products to advance forest restoration. Participants included Peter Stark of North Slope Sustainable Woods, Ian Hanna of NW Natural Resources Group, and Scott Bagley of NNFP (sharing examples of forestry cooperatives doing restorative forestry).
The panel was very well received and we are being recruited to host another panel at Green Build in Chicago, 2010.
NNFP Tree Huggers?
NNFP Program Director Scott Bagley was recently featured in a TreeHugger.com web article. At our booth at Green Build a reporter interviewed Scott and produced an article very complimentary to our work with local and sustainable wood.
TreeHugger.com receives over 1,600,000 visitors/month and is a leading site shaping opinion among “green consumers,” so this article was a good first step in launching the Sustainable Woods Network.
The article was is called "The Local Movement Comes to Forestry."
Check out:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/local-movement-comes-to-forestry.php
Sustainable Woods Network Sneak Preview
With the coming of the holiday season, NNFP is producing a prototype web site for showcasing local and sustainable wood producers.
Sustainable Woods Network was initially founded by forestry cooperatives in the Lake States to provide linkages between producers and markets, creating incentives for sustainable forestry.
The site has had a make-over and a new data structure. Currently we are populating the site with sample firms, and will be taking input and revising the site for a more active roll-out in 2010.
To sign up for the “roll out” of the site, visit www.sustainablewoods.com
Call for NNFP Board Nominations
Are you a current member?
As the end of 2009 draws close, NNFP will be electing four new board members. The board is a critical part of NNFP, setting broad vision, strategy, and policy, as well as helping the organization secure financial and other resources necessary for its survival.
The board is elected by vote of the membership, with recommendations by the nominating committee of the current board. All current members will be eligible to nominate candidates. Candidates must be current NNFP board members at time of election.
If you are a current member you will receive a nomination form shortly via e-mail. If you are not a current member, please visit www.nnfp.org and join or renew online.
For more information contact Colin Donohue at colin@nnfp.org.
Leadership for the Long Haul
A major factor in social change is the presence of inspired leaders with a vision for a better future.Leaders working in non-profits, business, and government help their organizations adapt to change, and improve the impacts they have on people’s lives. Yet developing new leadership is often overlooked.
This year NNFP was privileged to premiere its leadership program, led by Barbara Wyckoff. The program received rave reviews from participants as having been a transformative experience, helping them become better leaders.
Registration is open for the 2010 program, Creative Leadership: Cultivating visionary, authentic, and high achievement leadership, a 7-month program with 2 retreats and ongoing leadership coaching.
More information:
http://www.nnfp.org/Activities/Leadership.htm
NNFP Field Work in Montana:
Digital Storytelling and Landowner Outreach
Storytelling as a tool for outreach and engagement of landowners
Over the last year, NNFP has been partnering with the Swan Ecosystem Center (SEC) in Condon, Montana to develop a strategy to connect with, inform, and engage new landowners in the Swan Valley region. Land in the Swan Valley has undergone ownership changes in recent years that include—like many other places around the country—some second-homeowners and retirees moving to the area to enjoy a quieter rural lifestyle. Although SEC has an active base of landowners who already are engaged in forest stewardship practices, connecting with landowners in rural areas can still be challenging--especially landowners who are seasonal residents. Read more at http://forestpractitioners.ning.com/profiles/blogs/storytelling-as-a-tool-for
Restorative Forestry and Local Wood Manufacturing
NNFP's Leslie Horner and Pradeep Edussuriya recently visited member business North Slope Sustainable Wood while in Montana and was able to see the full-cirlce tour of how wood that has been harvested using restorative forestry practices makes its way to several Missoula businesses to be manufactured into LEED-certified products including windows and flooring. Click on the link below to view a photo album and to read about this great story of restorative forestry and value-added wood products that are locally sourced and manufactured. http://forestpractitioners.ning.com/photo/albums/restorative-forestry-and-local
Upcoming funding opportunities
Visit the "Funding Leads" page of the NNFP website for additional details about upcoming funding opportunities from the following federal programs and private foundations:
USDA Risk Management Agency
USFS Wood Education Resource Center
Northeast SARE Partnership Grants
North Central SARE Farmer Rancher Grant
Western SARE Professional + Producer Grants
Western SARE Farmer/Rancher Research & Education
Northeast SARE —Farmer Grants
USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program
USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant program (RBEG)Captain Planet Foundation
Fund For Wild Nature
The Lazar Foundation
The Sapelo Foundation
Laura Jane Musser —Environmental Stewardship Program
Compton Foundation —Environment and Sustainability Program
Jessie B. Cox FoundationVisit the "Funding Leads" page of the NNFP website for additional details about these upcoming funding opportunities.
Penn State Seeks candidates for goddard chair
Link to to announcement from NNFP's "Employment Opportunities" page
Upcoming Events of Interest
"Innovation in Conservation Dialogue" Webinar.
US Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
Wednesday, December 9th at 1:00 pm EST.
http://usendowment.org/latestnews.html
See other events by linking to the Events page on NNFP's website
Stay tuned for the announcement about NNFP's Winter Webinar Series
NNFP's New Brochure
Link to a pdf of the full brochure
get plugged in by joining the
nnfp online member forum
Specific discussion groups formed so far relate to:
- Web marketing
- Policy
- Community-scale biomass
- Innovations in landowner outreach
- Forest landowner cooperatives
- Women and working lands
- Others
Check it out at: http://forestpractitioners.ning.com/