Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Community Grants Program

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Community Grants Program is sponsored by Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). SFI provides grants to support community-based projects that promote sustainable forestry practices and environmental education.

Community Grants - forests. org The SFI Community Grants promote collaboration with the SFI Network to support local communities’ understanding of the value and benefits from sustainably managed forests. SFI Community Grants are awarded for collaborative community-based projects, activities or events that support SFI’s efforts to connect communities to forests.

Projects supported have included providing educators with tools to showcase green career pathways with students, incorporating Indigenous knowledge into forest management planning and education curriculum, and building youth engagement in outdoor education and conservation project.

Since the SFI Community Grant Program started in 2010, SFI has awarded 118 grants totaling more than $1 million invested to foster community-building projects. The 16 new grants of the 2023 program represent a record-breaking number of projects supported and more than $215,000 in total funding announced. SFI’s grant giving is on hold until further notice.

Georgia SFI Implementation Committee Influencing Biological Diversity Conservation in Georgia with Digital Outreach Tools Providing Actionable and Accessible Conservation Recommendations for Loggers, Foresters, and Landowners Across the State of Georgia Forests account for 67% of Georgia’s total land area.

These forest lands are being sustainably managed to meet the numerous needs of the state today, while ensuring resource availability in the future. But there are challenges to this bright future. Consider, for example, that 751 of Georgia’s native plant species are of “special concern.

” Some are critically endangered with no protection by law, even on state or federal land. The populations are rapidly dwindling and could become extinct if conservation actions do not occur quickly, according to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia.

How This Project Will Influence Biodiversity Conservation in Georgia The Georgia SFI Implementation Committee will leverage ongoing biodiversity conservation analysis to create targeted, professionally designed digital media products to summarize major findings. These summaries will include recommendations for conservation measures that will benefit the highest-priority Forests of Exceptional Conservation Value in Georgia.

The grant will also support a library to target landowner and wood supplier audiences. The grant will develop regionally specific outreach and education tools, including online factsheets and information packets, tailored to specific regions. The materials will present targeted, engaging forest management recommendations that will be incorporated seamlessly into existing training programs and websites.

The SFI Community Grant Program and the Georgia SFI Implementation Committee are supporting this project. This partnership includes state natural resources officials and an SFI-certified organization.

Project lead: Georgia SFI Implementation Committee Sustainable Forestry Initiative Georgia Department of Natural Resources Georgia SFI Implementation Committee Wins Award for Logger Training, Water Quality, and Community Collaboration Georgia SFI Implementation Committee: Georgia Forestry Community Habitat for Humanity Build Georgia SFI Implementation Committee Collaborates with Georgia Heirs Property Law Center The Georgia SFI Implementation Committee vigorously supports compliance with Georgia’s Forestry Best Management Practices and sustainable forestry principles outlined in the SFI standards .

The Georgia SFI Implementation Committee is part of a network of SFI Implementation Committees that respond to local needs at the state, provincial, and regional levels. SFI has been working to make a positive difference in Georgia forests since 1995. Learn more .

COPY LINK : https://forests. org/grant-georgia-sic/ Alabama SFI Implementation Committee Enhancing Forest Species Biodiversity Through Collaborative Education Alabama is blessed with rich biodiversity and myriad organizations that work hard to enhance it. But promoting and sharing that work across the state can be difficult.

This project will support compiling a wide range of biodiversity data and information drawn from across the state to provide for greater educational outreach. Maximizing the educational impact of biodiversity champions across Alabama will have a powerful multiplier effect when it comes to enhancing Alabama’s overall biodiversity.

How This Project Will Influence Biodiversity Education and Conservation in Alabama The Alabama SFI Implementation Committee is creating opportunities for collaborative educational work on species biodiversity to meet the requirements of the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard . Critically imperilled, imperilled, threatened, and endangered species in Alabama will be the focus of this educational and collaborative work.

This project focuses on bringing together various organizations to share knowledge, develop workshops and outreach programs, and create support materials. The primary focus will be on youth, private landowners, foresters, loggers, and other natural resources professionals.

The Alabama SFI Implementation Committee will partner with Alabama Project Learning Tree , (Alabama PLT), SFI’s educational initiative in the state, to help develop and deliver educational materials. The SFI Community Grant Program , the Alabama SFI Implementation Committee, and Alabama PLT are supporting this project. This partnership includes state natural resources officials, academics, educators, and an SFI‑certified organization.

Project lead: Alabama SFI Implementation Committee Sustainable Forestry Initiative Alabama Project Learning Tree Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Alabama Forestry Commission Alabama Natural Heritage Program Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment Managed Forests Are Key to Gopher Tortoise Conservation National Council for Air and Stream Improvement: Quantifying the Contribution of Sustainable Forest Practices for At-Risk Species and Terrestrial and Aquatic Communities Alabama Forestry Foundation: Wonder of Woodlands The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is represented across the state by the Alabama SFI Implementation Committee, which supports compliance with Alabama’s Forestry Best Management Practices and sustainable forestry principles outlined in the SFI standards .

The Alabama committee operates as a grassroots infrastructure, reflecting geographic and organizational diversity throughout the state. The Alabama SFI Implementation Committee is part of a network of SFI Implementation Committees that respond to local needs at the state, provincial, and regional levels. Learn more .

COPY LINK : https://forests. org/grant-alabama-sfi-sic/ Association forestière de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue ASSOCIATION FORESTIÈRE DE L’ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE Forest Literacy and Education on Forest Certification Standards: A Case Study with SFI Enhancing wetland conservation and engaging communities by providing sustainable forest management training packages.

SFI-certified forests and products are powerful tools to achieve shared goals such as mitigating climate, reducing waste, conserving biodiversity, educating future generations, and sustainable economic development. But all too often, members of the public have a limited understanding of the benefits offered by the sustainable forest management requirements mandated by SFI and other forest certification standards.

Enhancing forest literacy and encouraging a better understanding of forest certification will help spread practical, scalable solutions for markets and communities working to pursue a growing commitment to a sustainable planet.

How the Project Is Enhancing Forest Literacy and an Understanding of Forest Certification Standards The project is creating and facilitating talks promoting sustainable forest management and why forest certification offers assurance of good practices. Five workshops are also planned and a certified forests component with interactive activities will be available for high school programs.

The SFI Community Grant Program is supporting this project. SFI will also provide technical assistance to ensure certification standards are interpreted and presented correctly. How this Project Builds SFI Community Engagement High schools and community groups will be directly engaged by this project.

The public will be reached through the region’s network of more than 90 libraries. This partnership includes conservationists, government officials, and SFI‑certified organizations.

Project lead: Association forestière de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue Sustainable forestry Initiative Quebec SFI Implementation Committee Norbord La Sarre (SFI-certified company) Resolute Forest Products (SFI-certified company) Eacom Val-d’Or (SFI-certified company) Table Forêt Laurentides—Growing Forest Education in Québec by Building a Forest Ambassador Network Association Forestiére Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean—Helping Youth Rediscover Quebec’s Forestry Culture Maine Tree Foundation—Educating Maine’s Guidance Counselors about Forests and Green Career Pathways About Association forestière de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (AFAT) AFAT is a non-profit organization with about 600 members, comprising 200 companies and organizations, as well as 400 individuals.

AFAT represents the many faces of the forest sector. The association is governed by a 15-person board of directors. AFAT has a team of five full-time staff.

Each year, six to eight school leaders are hired to deliver the AFAT school educational program and to welcome the general public during their visits to Parc-Aventure Joannès. Learn more (French only). COPY LINK : https://forests.

org/association-forestiere-de-labitibi-temiscamingue/ Alabama Forestry Foundation The Alabama Forestry Foundation will develop learning materials and indoor/outdoor training sessions to educate stakeholders about some of the unique communities within Alabama’s landscape.

A $10,000 grant from SFI Inc. will help this project broaden the knowledge and expertise of foresters and loggers, and help tell the story of why it is critical to conserve Alabama’s diverse communities of animal and plant species. It will also help link how responsible forest management contributes to conserving this special ecosystem.

Information on how to recognize, appreciate, and conserve these areas during active forest management will also be included.

In addition to the Alabama Forestry Foundation, partners include the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , Alabama Forestry Commission , Alabama SFI Implementation Committee , Alabama Tree Farm , Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service .

The Alabama Forestry Foundation was founded in 1978 to advance knowledge of managing and using Alabama’s forests; promoting the stewardship and sustainable management of Alabama’s forest resources; and protecting the property rights of Alabama’s forest owners. COPY LINK : https://forests.

org/grantalabamaff/ American Bird Conservancy - Workshops Working with Forest Landowners to Reverse Population Declines of American Bird Conservancy Managed Forests for Birds Workshop This project will deliver a workshop that explains how sustainable forestry can play a critical role in reversing the alarming decline in bird populations. An estimated three billion birds have been lost in the U.S. and Canada since 1970.

This is the equivalent of more than a quarter of all birdlife. These findings were reported in the world’s leading scientific journal, Science, by researchers at seven institutions, including the American Bird Conservancy.

How This Project Will Help to Reverse Population Declines of Forest Breeding Birds This workshop brings together SFI-certified forest management companies, forest harvesting professionals, and family forest landowners for discussions regarding forest management, bird habitat, and the critical role of managed forests in reversing population declines of forest breeding birds.

This project will train and educate people who are engaged in actions affecting the future of our forests. It will also offer Continuing Forestry Education credits. The workshop combines classroom-style presentations and forest-site discussions.

This approach has proven to be valuable in several other states in training people in best practices at each stage of forest management to provide positive habitat conditions for birds.

The birds range from species that readily respond to certain management practices such as harvest and replanting, thinning and burning, to bird species that require special considerations and advanced planning such as retention of snags, retention of large trees for nesting, or enhanced streamside management zones. The SFI Community Grant Program is supporting this project.

Bringing together partners from across the SFI network including forest industry, forest managers, wildlife biologists, state government representatives, and the Georgia SFI Implementation Committee will ensure that many perspectives and interests required for effective forest sustainability will be shared. Participants will include influential representatives of forest ownership and management.

The diverse project partners will also ensure that they leverage resources and make the right connections for a productive workshop that can be replicated for additional impact. How this Project Builds SFI Community Engagement This project will elevate and enrich the link between people and forests by engaging both natural resource professionals who live and work in local communities as well as family forest owners.

By bringing forest, wildlife, and harvesting professionals together with local landowners, the project will build a sense of community and appreciation of the different perspectives on forest management. With the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) involved in planning and execution, the project will directly engage the key wildlife conservation organization in Georgia.

The participation of Georgia DNR wildlife biologists and ornithologists as instructors will lend credibility and create opportunities for additional workshops in Georgia. The project leaders will also use their connections to Migratory Bird Habitat Joint Ventures to further network and engage bird conservation organizations and federal wildlife agencies with a mutual interest in well managed forests.

This partnership includes conservationists, researchers, SFI certified organizations, and family forest owners.

Project lead: American Bird Conservancy Sustainable Forestry Initiative Georgia SFI Implementation Committee The Westervelt Company (SFI-certified organization) Timberland Investment Resources, LLC (SFI-certified organization) Georgia Department of Natural Resources American Bird Conservancy: Bird Friendly Forests – Opportunities for Private Forest Owners in the Southeastern United States American Bird Conservancy: Bringing Back the Forest Birds, Phase II ABC Wins SFI President’s Award for Putting SFI’s Scale to Work for Birds Bird Conservation Reaches Continental Scale through New Partnership with the Boreal Avian Modelling Project Collaborating for Conservation of Managed Forested Landscapes SFI supported a Canada warbler workshop for conservationists and resource managers convened by Nature Canada The American Bird Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.

ABC acts across the full spectrum of threats to birds to safeguard the rarest bird species, restore habitats, and reduce threats, unifying and strengthening the bird conservation movement. Learn more . COPY LINK : https://forests.

org/grant-american-bird-conservancy-workshop/ American Forest Foundation: Project Learning Tree From Nature’s Perspective Fostering an appreciation and understanding of the natural world is critical to healthy development in kids; yet in North America studies consistently find that kids are spending more time indoors and losing this essential environmental connection.

To address this issue the American Forest Foundation’s Project Learning Tree (PLT) program received $5,000 to partner with Michigan Project Learning Tree and the Grand Traverse Conservation District to sponsor a conference for PLT Coordinators and educators in order to provide meaningful arts and environmental education to Michigan students while creating a model that can be implemented nationwide by other PLT state program networks.

The grant offers an ideal opportunity for AFF, PLT, the Conservation District and local schools to partner in providing a lasting impact. The Conference attendees gained professional development experience allowing them to widely implement Project Learning Tree. Additionally, students from local schools were given the opportunity to share their Project Learning Tree journals and artwork with the larger conference audience.

Supporting the SFI Standard The project supported SFI 2010-2014 Standard Objective 17: Community Involvement in the Practice of Sustainable Forestry, including Performance Measure 17. 2 requiring program participants support and promote public outreach, education and involvement related to sustainable forest management.

Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12. PLT is a program of the American Forest Foundation . COPY LINK : https://forests.

org/grantaffplt/ Arkansas SFI Implementation Committee Partners with Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation for PLT Workshops Teacher Conservation Tour Workshop Series This extensive educator workshop, led by the Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation, focuses on the environmental, ecological, and economic benefits of Arkansas’s forestlands and timber industries.

These benefits are often not fully appreciated by people outside the forest sector. Engaging teachers, who in turn will educate students, is an effective way to build understanding of and support for Arkansas’s sustainably managed forestlands. The SFI Community Engagement Grant Program is supporting this project.

This project’s strong youth education component supports a core SFI priority. SFI offers teacher training and engages students in environmental education through Project Learning Tree (PLT) activities. PLT is an initiative of SFI that uses trees and forests as windows on the world to increase youth understanding of the environment and actions they can take to conserve it.

PLT activities will be incorporated in the project. These workshops provide extensive background information and knowledge to help educators incorporate PLT lessons into their course material and better teach on topics of forestry and natural resources management. Educators who have attended these workshops in the past have used the information with their students in career preparedness classes and job skill enhancement.

How the Project Builds SFI Community Engagement The workshops offer opportunities for the Arkansas SFI Implementation Committee to collaborate with Arkansas PLT and the Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation to offer quality hands‑on education promoting sustainable forestry practices and wise use of wood resources. The Teacher Conservation Tour is one of the premier professional development workshops in Arkansas.

This extensive educator workshop focuses on the environmental, ecological, and economic benefits of Arkansas’s forestlands and timber industries. The sessions and onsite tours provide educators with a lot of time in the woods, learning about the interaction between forests, the environment, and the economy.

Participants tour forest product manufacturing facilities, view forest ecosystems, and harvesting and replanting operations all while learning valuable information about our forest communities. Participants also meet and learn from natural resource professionals and members of the forest products industry who are in the field conducting this work on a regular basis.

This partnership includes educators, researchers, government, and SFI Program Participants.

Project lead: Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation Sustainable Forestry Initiative Arkansas Forestry Commission University of Arkansas Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Services Green Bay Packaging (SFI Program Participant) Weyerhaeuser (SFI Program Participant) Project Learning Tree is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12.

About the Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation The Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation sponsors a landowner education and assistance program for landowners seeking forest management information.

As part of this program, the foundation holds a number of landowner education workshops throughout the state and publishes a variety of educational guides to provide landowners the information they need to make sound forest management decisions. It also serves as an information and education source to Arkansas’s teachers and students.

The foundation offers teacher training as part of the Project Learning Tree curriculum as well as summer teacher training workshops and other activities. The Arkansas Forestry Association is the only private, nonprofit organization that speaks for the entire forestry community in Arkansas. COPY LINK : https://forests.

org/grant-arkansas-sic/ Association Forestière Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean ASSOCIATION FORESTIÉRE SAGUENAY-LAC-ST-JEAN Helping Youth Rediscover Quebec’s Forestry Culture Forests and Forest Products, a Culture to be Rediscovered The Forests and Forest Products, A Culture to be Rediscovered Program, from the Association forestière Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean , has a track record of delivering tangible and measurable results when it comes to connecting youth to forests through education.

Making these connections is good for youth because it can inspire a lifelong interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and open up rewarding career paths. Forests benefit too as youth enhance their understanding of the central role forests play when it comes to environmental, recreational and economic values.

The association tours elementary schools from September until June offering a half-day program that takes place in classrooms and in woodlots near schools for fourth-, fifth- and sixth‑grade students. The program reaches about 12,000 students every year. School-based forest education aims to educate youth about the social, economic, ecological and cultural importance of the forest environment and sustainable forest management.

The association also wants to promote forestry and wood as an element of sustainable development and to interest young people in careers in forestry. Connecting youth to forests is a key focus at SFI. Fostering an appreciation and understanding of the natural world is critical to healthy mental and physical development in youth.

But today’s American and Canadian kids spend more time indoors than previous generations. That’s why a key component of SFI’s community engagement is educating youth and getting them outdoors, to ensure they can be effective future leaders and have a strong understanding of the value of responsibly managed forests.

Forests and Forest Products, A Culture to be Rediscovered gets kids outdoors and potentially opens up STEM-based career options. Workshops organized with college- and university‑level STEM and architecture technology students are designed to generate interest in forestry and forest products and related technical careers and professions.

The Quebec SFI Implementation Committee (SIC) will work to help ensure connections to forest products certified to SFI and Project Learning Tree materials. Project Learning Tree, an SFI program, is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12.

Forests and Forest Products, A Culture to be Rediscovered offers an opportunity to expand PLT Canada, an initiative of SFI, in Quebec. How the Project Builds SFI Community Engagement This is a great program to engage a variety of youth, from primary grades to technical schools that also include architectural students.

The primary partner is the Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks but multiple schools, regional municipalities and Employment Quebec are also included. The support of the Quebec SIC will also build connections between SFI Program Participants, youth, educators, and government officials at the municipal and provincial levels. This partnership includes SFI Program Participants, youth, educators, and government officials.

Project lead: Association forestière Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Sustainable Forestry Initiative Quebec SFI Implementation Committee Quebec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks Five regional municipalities Four school districts (Rives du Saguenay, Lac St.

Jean, Pays de Bluets, de la Jonquiere) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PromoScience Program Project Learning Tree , an SFI program, is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12.

The Marten Monitoring and Youth Knowledge Transfer Program , led by the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi in Quebec, is evaluating the impact of wildlife management guidelines on marten populations and transferring knowledge to Cree youth.

Funding from SFI helps the Earth Rangers School Assembly Program offer a curriculum-linked assembly presentation, for grades 1 to 6, that uses science-based information to educate students about the importance of conserving biodiversity across Canada.

Founded in 1942, the Association forestière Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean (French only) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, informing and educating the regional population about the importance of forests, the environment and sustainable development. The association uses interactive educational workshops in schools and forests, and its annual conference, for training and knowledge transfer.

The Forest Products, A Culture to be Rediscovered Program works to help the residents of the Lac Saint-Jean area understand the challenges facing forests as well as their economic, social, environmental and cultural importance from a sustainable development perspective. COPY LINK : https://forests.

org/grantsaguenay/ Thinking Outside the Bark: We Show our Faces in all the Different Green Spaces Creating an Environment for Students From Diverse Backgrounds to Thrive in Natural Resources Careers A 2019 US Census Survey found that fewer than three percent of foresters and conservation scientists identify as Black American.

There is a general lack of awareness of green jobs among communities of color and a corresponding lack of awareness of the many contributions to forestry made by these same communities. This helps explain why Auburn University faces challenges recruiting students from diverse backgrounds.

Through Auburn’s Minorities in Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) program, the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment is striving to create an environment where students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and grow in the many career paths that the natural resources field offers.

SFI and MANRRS formalized a partnership aimed at ensuring young Black Americans have greater opportunities for rewarding careers in the forest and conservation sector at the end of 2021 with a signed memorandum of understanding .

How This Project Will Help Attract Underserved Youth to the Forest and Conservation Sector Auburn University will increase awareness of career opportunities in the forest and conservation sector through a train-the-trainer model that focuses on a new one-of-kind resource—the SFI-PLT-MANRRS Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers guide.

The guide is designed for middle and high school students, pre-professional youth, parents, and natural resource professionals looking to increase diversity within the natural resources professions. This is a first-of-its-kind career resource guide developed in partnership with SFI, Project Learning Tree (PLT), SFI’s educational initiative, and MANRRS.

The guide introduces young people to the many jobs in the forest and conservation sector. Within this guide, 22 Black professionals currently working in the sector share their green career journeys in hopes of inspiring the next generation. The guide offers a range of resources, including green career factsheets that summarize the top 14 jobs in the green job sector with salary ranges, skills, and education needed for each career.

This project will also support a Junior MANRRS Leadership Institute, which will be used to engage students from Tuskegee University, a historically Black university in Alabama. A three-day program builds the pathway for future forestry and natural resources students, along with a week-long Natural Resources and Sustainability Summer Leadership Academy. The SFI Community Grant Program is supporting PLT Facilitator training.

In addition, Auburn University hopes to have its students become PLT-trained to help with the forestry exposure programs that they host in the community. These programs are used to attract youth to the forest and conservation sector. This partnership includes Auburn University faculty, Tuskegee University faculty, forestry professionals, teachers, and SFI and PLT staff.

Project lead: Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment Sustainable Forestry Initiative Minorities in Natural Resources and Related Sciences program Tuskegee College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers News Release: New Publication Helps Young Black Americans Explore Career Paths in the Forest and Conservation Sector Memorandum of Understanding between the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences Auburn University’s Rural Studio About the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment Founded in 1947, the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE), offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a variety of natural resources disciplines.

Its core undergraduate degree programs include forestry, wildlife ecology and management, and natural resources management, as well as graduate degrees at the master’s and PhD levels. In recent years, CFWE curricula has expanded beyond its core programs with the adoption of three new undergraduate degrees: geospatial and environmental informatics, sustainable biomaterials and packaging, and wildlife enterprise management. Learn more .

COPY LINK : https://forests. org/grant-auburn-university/ Auburn University's Rural Studio Lion’s Park Boy Scout Hut Build Through the SFI Community Partnerships grant program, Auburn University’s Rural Studio completed a student design-build project. The Lion’s Park Boy Scout Hut provides the Boy Scouts of Greensboro, AL a much needed headquarters.

Supporting the SFI Standard The project will support SFI 2010-2014 Standard Objective 7: Efficient Use of Forest Resources and Objective 17: Community Involvement in the Practice of Sustainable Forestry, including Performance Measure 17. 2 requiring that program participants support and promote public outreach, education and involvement related to sustainable forestry management.

In addition to the Auburn University’s Rural Studio, partners include Boy Scouts of Greensboro, Al; Probate Judge of Hale County and the Greensboro, AL Lions Club. Rural Studio is an off-campus design-build program of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at Auburn University. It gives architecture students a more hands-on educational experience.

The students work within the community to define solutions, fundraise, design and, ultimately, build remarkable projects. COPY LINK : https://forests.

org/grantauburn/ Newfoundland Breeding Bird Atlas—Citizen Scientists Map the Birds of Newfoundland’s Sustainably Managed Forests Engaging citizen scientists to deliver the province’s first breeding bird atlas to map the distribution and abundance of all breeding bird species in Newfoundland Having solid baseline data about the distribution, abundance, and health of bird populations is essential for sound conservation and management decisions.

Newfoundland is home to an abundance of waterfowl, waterbirds, land birds, and shorebirds, but much of the island is remote and difficult to access, and consequently information on Newfoundland’s bird populations is largely lacking. To address this gap, Birds Canada is working to deliver the first Newfoundland Breeding Bird Atlas—a multi‑year project to map the distribution and abundance of all bird species breeding on the island.

The Atlas has two main objectives: to establish standardized baselines for the status, distribution, and abundance of breeding bird species; and to increase public engagement and awareness of birds, their habitats, and citizen science. Producing the Atlas allows for the accomplishment of both goals, because much of the data collection is carried out by citizen scientists.

How the Project Is Producing a Breeding Bird Atlas and Carrying Out Targeted Bird Surveys Surveys will be conducted through a combination of partnerships with government, NGOs, and industry, paid field technicians, and volunteer citizen scientists. The project relies on a three-pronged approach. First, it focuses on encouraging trained citizen scientists to survey forested areas that are relatively easy to access.

Second, dedicated field technicians are hired to survey remote areas. Finally, Bird Studies Canada is collaborating with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, an SFI‑certified company, to train their field technicians to collect Atlas data—either in person, or through the deployment of automated recording units.

These units can be programmed to make acoustic recordings at specific times over days or weeks; this acoustic data can be used as a proxy for Atlas surveys in locations that are difficult to access. The SFI Community Grant Program is supporting this project.

SFI will also help to widely disseminate the Atlas so it can be used by government, industry, and conservation organizations to evaluate the success of current management strategies and inform decisions about land management, conservation, and development.

How this Project Builds SFI Community Engagement Project funding will be used to enhance outreach to Newfoundland’s francophone communities, by completing translation of the Atlas website, and offering a bird identification workshop and Atlas training session in French. These sessions will be recorded and posted online where volunteers can easily access them.

The Atlas also provides job and training opportunities in the conservation sector for young women who have been hired, and will continue to be hired, into coordinator and field technician positions.

In addition to offering these sessions to staff at Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, the project will also focus on hosting sessions specifically aimed at under-represented communities, such as new immigrants to Newfoundland and Indigenous groups, by collaborating with organizations such as the Association for New Canadians and the Miawpukek First Nation.

This partnership includes conservationists, government officials, and SFI‑certified organizations. Project lead: Birds Canada Sustainable forestry Initiative Corner