Title: Forestry Education in Australia – Engaging the Forest Sector

Time: Tue. March 25, 2025, 7–8 PM Pacific Time  (Vancouver)

Speaker: Dr. Christopher Weston

Associate Professor (Forest Eco, Fire & Soils)

University of Melbourne

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Dr. Christopher Weston

Professor Christopher Weston is a forest ecologist with interests in recovery of Eucalyptus forests from fire, forest soils and nutrient cycling, and forest ecosystem carbon balance. He has extensive experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in forest soils and ecosystem ecology. Recent research projects have addressed the sustainable management of Eucalyptus pellita plantations in the Tiwi Islands, impacts of the repeated burning of native E. sieberi forests in eastern Australia, and the fire tolerance of eucalypt species of differing bark type. Recently Chris was asked to contribute a post-graduate subject on “forest carbon” to a four-subject Graduate Certificate in Forestry administered through the University of Tasmania. Experience in developing and teaching this subject will be the focus of his talk to the AP-FECM webinar series.

Abstract

Over the last two decades tertiary forestry education in Australia has become fragmented and integrated broadly with environmental science programs within universities. Within most university course handbooks forestry does not appear in the name of a degree, major, or specialization at either undergraduate or graduate level. Because of the rapid decline in graduates with forestry skills, Australia’s forest sector has rallied support to create a post-graduate course through the University of Tasmania to allow current forestry professionals to further develop their skills and knowledge. This talk will address these themes in the context of the evolving landscape of forestry education in Australia and elsewhere.