Special Issue of IUFRO News with additional information about IUFRO at UNFF17

This special issue of IUFRO News focuses on the 15th World Forestry Congress - WFC https://wfc2021korea.org/- and places the focus on activities with IUFRO participation. In addition, this issue includes a section (on page 4) about IUFRO at the 17th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF17). (More reports may follow in the next newsletter!)

Read the summary report of WFC by ENB/IISD: https://enb.iisd.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/XV_WFC_1.pdf
Find recorded WFC sessions at: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/sessions

The XV World Forestry Congress was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea in Seoul from 2 to 6 May 2022. It was organized by the Korea Forest Service (KFS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The Congress provided a crucial opportunity for the global forestry community to consider the state and future of world forestry, particularly in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, while striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Under the theme of Building a green, healthy and resilient future with forests the Congress showcased the essential role of forests in the global sustainable development agenda – comprising, among other things, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Forest Goals (GFGs), the Paris Agreement on climate change, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Guided by six sub-themes, the Congress aimed to ensure that forests remain an integral part of discussions and decisions on sustainable development because of their importance for the health, well-being and stability of the planet and its peoples.

• Turning the tide: Reversing deforestation and forest degradation
• Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation and biodiversity conservation
• The green pathway to growth and sustainability
• Forests and human health and well-being: revisiting the connections
• Managing and communicating forest information, data and knowledge
• Forests without boundaries: enhancing management and cooperation

Continue at: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en

The XV WFC attracted over 15,000 participants from 146 countries representing governments and public agencies, international organizations, the private sector, academic and research institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community and Indigenous organizations. The meeting was held in a hybrid format, with 4,500 participants joining the meeting online.

Throughout the Congress IUFRO was highly visible with numerous IUFRO officeholders as prominent speakers, with a series of interesting side events and with a beautiful booth in the exhibition area promoting the IUFRO World Congress 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden. The Congress also offered IUFRO excellent opportunities to meet and discuss current and future cooperation with important partners and organizations such as the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS, Republic of Korea), Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI, Japan), FAO, private industry representatives.

For an overview of all WFC events with IUFRO participation, please have a look at:
https://www.iufro.org/events/other-major-events/wfc-2022/

Participants at the World Forestry Congress endorsed the Seoul Forest Declaration to convey the urgent need for action to achieve a green, healthy, and resilient future with forests. The Congress also heard the Youth Call for Action and the Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood. Visit: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/

In the Closing Session of the Congress, IUFRO President John Parrotta reflected on the outcomes of this historic XV World Forestry Congress. "The Congress Declaration," he said, "presents a clear set of messages regarding the critical roles that forests and trees outside of forests play in enhancing food security and nutrition, providing abundant and clean water for people, making our cities more livable, halting and reversing land degradation, promoting sustainable production and consumption, and, of course, helping to address both the climate and biodiversity crises that threaten our survival."

"Forest science has a crucial role to play in all of this. The vast pool of knowledge, experience, insights and innovation that is currently available from Western science, Indigenous science, and the traditional knowledge of local communities is fundamental to effective conservation, sustainable management and restoration of the world's forests in the face of the many challenges we face. This priceless knowledge, and the social and cultural capital that underpins it, must be fully engaged," John Parrotta said.

"Our efforts will also require the support and engagement of the public whose personal and collective decisions have significant direct and indirect impacts on forests and their governance. Therefore, effective communication about the importance of forests is critical. So, too, is forest education at all levels, from school children to university students and forestry professionals. These priorities are clearly articulated in the Seoul Forest Declaration."

Read the entire statement by the IUFRO President: https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/events/wfc22/wfc22-Congress-Resolution-statement_Parrotta_IUFRO.pdf
Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/a08ef38e-a08f-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

In a keynote speech, Qu Dongyu, Director General, FAO, highlighted three mutually reinforcing pathways depicted in FAO's State of the World's Forests 2022 report: halting deforestation and maintaining forests; restoring degraded lands and expanding reforestation, including through increased grass and bush cover to avoid soil erosion; and ensuring sustainable value chains. He stressed the importance of partnerships, and more efficient, inclusive, and holistic approaches to the sustainable use of forests.

A panel discussion focused on what needs to be done to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and how COVID-19 has changed our understanding of sustainability. IUFRO President John Parrotta, who was a panel member, emphasized that business-as-usual amounts to stealing from future generations and called for addressing issues driving deforestation and forest degradation. He emphasized the need for more efficient dialogue across sectors and for influencing public health decisions to significantly reduce future zoonotic disease outbreaks.

Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/7875e6af-c589-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

In this session Maria Helena Semedo, FAO, reaffirmed key findings from the State of the World's Forests 2022 report, presented at the WFC, and emphasized the need for mutually reinforcing pathways to achieving healthy forests and societies, halting deforestation and maintaining forests, restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry, and using forests sustainably and building green value chains.

John Parrotta, IUFRO, highlighted challenges including overlapping jurisdictions, where communities may have rights to forests, but mining or other industries have their own vested interests. He also drew attention to the impact of corruption, which overrides regulatory frameworks and otherwise robust laws.

Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/175b2b9f-99b9-ec11-997e-a04a5e7cf9dc

This session was moderated by Sheam Satkuru, ITTO, and John Parrotta, IUFRO. In her keynote remarks, Maria Helena Semedo, FAO, highlighted the role forestry can play in a greener post-pandemic future, stressing that maintaining healthy and resilient forests and restoring degraded land should be a part of COVID-19 response and recovery plans.

Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/9d553162-9e8f-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

Alexander Buck, IUFRO Executive Director, opened the second half of the session Strengthening communication and education. In his keynote he highlighted main findings of the Global Forest Education Project led by FAO, ITTO and IUFRO. He recommended including more forest related topics in primary and secondary curricula, providing easy-to-access learning materials, increasing stakeholder involvement in curricula development, and addressing the barriers to enrolment of women and ethnic minorities in forest education.

Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/3f9ce861-e792-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

In a keynote speech, Tony Simons, CIFOR-ICRAF, outlined a method for tracking changes in afforestation over time using direct comparisons of satellite pixels. He reported on innovative forest projects, including the Regreening Africa with Trees project, which aims to restore 1 million hectares over five years, and the establishment of the Managalas conservation area in Papua New Guinea.

John Parotta, IUFRO, stressed that in order to account for the full value of forests, methodologies should be expanded to take account of a whole range of ecosystem services, including the social and cultural, besides carbon. Sheam Satkuru, ITTO, urged cross-sectoral approaches, moving towards a circular economy, and coherent approaches to knowledge management. She highlighted education as a key factor in making the forestry sector more attractive.

Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/3b9ce861-e792-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

Building a green, healthy and resilient future with forests requires strong knowledge to anticipate future changes and shocks and their impacts on ecosystems, economies and livelihoods. Such knowledge also provides a basis for the development of strong systemic and better coordinated policies to prepare for these changes and address them.

After 10 years of collaborative work under the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Forests Trees and Agroforestry (FTA), the historical partners of FTA and a set of joining institutions, including IUFRO, got together to form a new Research for Development (R4D) Partnership, the Forests, Trees and Agroforestry Partnership, which was launched at the World Forestry Congress.

The mission of the new partnership is to support all actors - public and private (including farmers, foresters, Indigenous peoples and local communities) - to harness the power of forests, trees and agroforestry for sustainable development. It will do so by co-generating knowledge, linking scientific, indigenous, and local knowledge, co-elaborating adapted solutions and innovations, and advising on how to scale up and out for greater impact.

Replay session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyDB3LDE_FU

At this session high-level government representatives exchanged country experiences, policy perspectives and ambitions on sustainable wood as well as on how to scale-up actions and collaborate on sustainable wood-based pathways.

One of the speakers was Maria Patek, Austria, Deputy Minister for Forestry and Sustainability. Ms. Patek is also a member of the IUFRO Board as IUFRO Headquarters Host Country Representative.

In her statement she highlighted Austria's long tradition in using wood as a construction material and in wood policy development. "Sustainable forest management is the basis for a successful export-oriented wood-based industry in Austria", she said and added that the sector provides significant income and jobs especially in rural areas.

Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/9438eb32-66aa-ec11-a99b-a04a5e7d3e1c

Note by the editor: Several of the aforementioned session summaries are excerpts from the WFC summary report prepared by ENB/IISD, or stem from the WFC website.

IUFRO and the IUFRO World Congress 2024 | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) team had a beautiful booth at the World Forestry Congress in Seoul. There delegates could learn about SLU and IUFRO and, of course, about the IUFRO World Congress 2024: FORESTS AND SOCIETY TOWARDS 2050, to take place in Stockholm, Sweden, on 23-29 June 2024.

Many congress delegates stopped by and showed great interest in the 2024 Congress, IUFRO and SLU. The attending team members shared information with great enthusiasm and invited everyone to the IUFRO World Congress 2024. One of the unique selling points of the booth was a video showing live webcam images from the Swedish forests where one could see the moose migration that takes place every spring. It was like a real outdoor experience in the middle of the forests and so exciting and relaxing at the same time to wait for the moose to appear on screen – something to slow you down in the middle of a hectic Congress environment.

Welcome to Stockholm - IUFRO World Congress 2024
Sweden is a forest country, with top quality forest research. The Nordic countries can show and share experiences from a variety of landscapes, industries and stakeholders. Stockholm, supported by the Nordic and Baltic countries, is looking forward to your participation in the IUFRO World Congress2024: https://www.iufro2024.com/

The importance of forests as a cross-sectoral issue in combatting climate change, biodiversity loss and disaster risk reduction, and in providing food, water, wood products, vital medicines, shelter, jobs, and security came to the fore at the UNFF17 in New York, USA, on 9-13 May 2022. Meeting in person, in a hybrid format, for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments created a roadmap of actions on forest policy issues for the next two years.

One of the main aims of the policy session was to agree on the draft omnibus resolution that featured sections on the implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 (UNFSP); means of implementation; monitoring, assessment and reporting; and preparations for the mid-term review of the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) in 2024. Read a summary report of UNFF17: https://enb.iisd.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/enb13222e_0.pdf

IUFRO confirmed its intent to continue playing an active role in UNFF by providing scientific knowledge to the Forum and its Member States to support evidence-based decision-making, efforts toward achieving the Global Forest Goals, and implementing the UN Strategic Plan for Forests.

The IUFRO delegation at UNFF17 was led by IUFRO President John Parrotta, accompanied by Andre Purret and Dikshya Devkota from IUFRO Headquarters.

Referring to the joint statement of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), in which IUFRO represents forest science, and regarding the implementation of the CPF Work Plan 2020-2024, IUFRO informed about the progress of the ongoing scientific assessment by the IUFRO-led Global Forest Expert Panel on Forests and Human Health 2023 https://www.iufro.org/science/gfep/gfep-initiative/panel-on-forests-and-human-health/. The assessment will provide reliable scientific information on synergies and trade-offs between human health and the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of forest ecosystems and trees in other land uses. It is planned to be finalized in March 2023 and will provide valuable input to UNFF18 and other international forums such as the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2023) and the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16).

This comprehensive scientific report shows REDD+ progress and effects on climate, nature and people.

Stopping forest loss and restoring degraded forests are among the key actions needed to combat climate change, conserve biodiversity, and protect human health and the environment. Deforestation and forest degradation account for approximately 11% of global carbon emissions. Around one-third of all these emissions is absorbed annually by forests - so losing them will have a big impact.

Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) created the REDD+ framework to guide activities in the forest sector. REDD+ activities are essential for countries to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate, as well as achieving other international commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 13 on climate action and SDG 15 on life on land.

The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) launched its report about the outcomes of more than 10 years of REDD+ implementation at the WFC. This global assessment report, prepared by IUFRO's Global Forest Expert Panel (GFEP), showcases the effects of REDD+ implementation on forests, carbon, biodiversity and people. Authors of the report spoke about the current challenges faced and trade-offs in implementing REDD+ and looked to possible pathways for the future.

Participants at the launch event heard from the report's lead authors: John Parrotta, IUFRO President; Constance McDermott, University of Oxford; Marieke Sandker, Carbon Expert; Valerie Kapos, UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); Bhaskar Vira, University of Cambridge; and Stephanie Mansourian, IUFRO consultant. Local experts from India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Chile, Costa Rica, and Brazil shared their experiences via video messages. Development partners from the UNFCCC - Dirk Nemitz - and the Government of Germany - Darinka Blies - spoke about lessons learned regarding donor support and rulemaking.

The event was moderated by Christoph Wildburger, GFEP Programme Coordinator, and Nelson Grima, GFEP Project Manager. It took place in hybrid format during the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 4 May 2022.

Source of summary: https://enb.iisd.org/redd-outcomes-socioecological-impacts 

Download the report and policy brief:
https://www.iufro.org/science/gfep/follow-up-studies/biodiversity-forest-management-and-redd-2021/

Replay webinar: https://youtu.be/N1RBozz4OGQ

Playback of the GLF live interview about REDD+ and the report on 23 May:
https://news.globallandscapesforum.org/56942/over-10-years-in-what-has-redd-achieved/

Read: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/cameroonian-activist-wins-wangari-maathai-forest-champions-award-2022/en 

Activist Cécile Ndjebet of Cameroon won the 2022 Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to preserving forests and improving the lives of people who depend on them.

Presented by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), which is chaired by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the award was conferred at a ceremony during the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

"This award celebrates Cécile Ndjebet's energy and dedication over three decades in promoting women's rights to land and forests. She has actively shown that women's participation in forest governance and preservation is fundamental to achieving sustainable forest management," said FAO Deputy Director-General and CPF Chair Maria Helena Semedo.

Through the African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests, which she co-founded in 2009, Ndjebet has become a leading voice, both in Cameroon and internationally, in building global recognition on the importance of gender equality in forest management. The organization now has 20 member countries across Africa.

"Men generally recognize the great role women play in improving families' living standards," Ndjebet said. "But it is important for them also to agree that for women to continue to play that role, and even improve in that role, they need secure access to land and forests."

Watch the video interview with Cécile Ndjebet:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfnL5rjvM0w
Replay session: https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/9f553162-9e8f-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9
About the award: https://www.fao.org/collaborative-partnership-on-forests/initiatives/wangari-maathai-forest-champions-award/en

Report by Daniel Boehnke, IUFRO

During the WFC, IUFRO hosted a side event with FAO and ITTO to present the findings and recommendations of the latest and largest project on global forest education, which has been underway for the last three years and recently concluded.

The global study on forest education identified gaps at the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels, as well as technical and vocational training, and has recommendations which this session addressed. While recognizing the diversity of forest education across regions, the study identified a need to include more social issues and traditional knowledge in forestry curricula, further improve generic competences, increase practical experience, and improve gender and minority equality. Filling gaps in the curricula, providing more practical training and opportunities for internships and work, and improving digital readiness are some of the actions that could be taken to prepare students better for jobs after graduation.

To tackle the key gap of limited access to forest education resources, new digital platforms have been developed and were presented during the session. They were available for exploration throughout the duration of the congress and are continuously being improved.

The session was moderated by Daniel Boehnke of the IUFRO Headquarters and was opened with welcome remarks by Gerardo Segura Warnholtz of the FAO, where he highlighted some examples of forest education gaps which early career professionals experience. The findings and recommendations were then presented by the co-lead author of the global report, Mika Rekola of the University of Helsinki and Forum4edu.

The digital platforms developed during the project and presented in the side event were the online course on Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains (LSSC) developed by ITTO; and the prototype of forestra, a global gateway to forest education resources developed by IUFRO as part of the global forest education project. The digital traffic on these platforms saw an increase both during and after the session and the audience received them with interest. There were a few queries on collaboration after the session which the partners in the project are following up on.

To further the discussion and interaction in the session, a panel of key stakeholders was assembled to discuss the various aspects of tertiary forest education and to identify further action that can be taken to harness the full potential of forest education globally. The panel had a specific focus on indigenous and local knowledge and how these are integrated into tertiary curricula.

The panel consisted of Bernard Combes, who gave us a holistic view on tertiary education for sustainable development, followed by Sandra Rodriguez, who provided a teachers' perspective of forestry curricula and related challenges. To complement this, Annie Biju provided a similar set of points from the students' perspective and Maria Noel Ngoddo provided an expert analysis on the integration of local and indigenous knowledge into tertiary education. Glenn Galloway then discussed the recognition of needs of local communities and producers in tertiary education.

Finally, some closing remarks were delivered by Sheam Satkuru and the session was closed by the moderator. Although the event was hybrid, there were five speakers present physically with two panelists connecting virtually and two video statements were issued.

All the participants agreed that forest education requires further work and IUFRO, along with our partners, is committed to this endeavor and further advancing forest education in the frame of a new CPF Joint Initiative on Forest Education, including further developing the forestra platform.

The global report on forest education is currently being finalized and will be released soon. For further information about the global forest education project, please visit: https://www.fao.org/forestry/forest-education/97367/en/


Replay session: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/1qULlfnmoa8ySz-U3F1yansBxrvjGie7lGEOoqe7X5fKED9nMjO3s8eLUCFFpvu0.YBeg_BaGUEndptBN?startTime=1651712429000
Code: nc#iFt08

Report by Janice Burns (IUFRO) and Juliet Achieng (EFI)

Over 60 students, policymakers, educators and employment experts came together during the "Forest Skills to Pay the Bills: the juncture of education and employment" hybrid side-event jointly organized by Forest Europe and the EFI-IFSA-IUFRO project https://ifsa.net/efi-ifsa-iufro-project/ on May 6th, 2022, at the XV World Forestry Congress. The event aimed to explore the educational needs towards forest-related employment and green jobs.

Emilin Joma da Silva, Project leader on Green Jobs in the Forest Sector from the Thünen Institute, kicked-off the session with a presentation introducing the concept of green jobs and trends, as well as challenges and opportunities in the European forest sector. The need to attract and retain the forest sector workforce, find ways to improve working conditions, and create new ways to obtain benefits from forests were emphasized.

Three short videos targeting students, employers and universities summarized findings of forest education and employment research carried out by the joint EFI-IFSA-IUFRO project from 2018-2022. These set the stage for lively dialogues where panelists exchanged ideas on how students, policy makers, educators and employers could cooperate to strengthen graduates' preparedness to seize opportunities in an evolving forest sector, especially decent work and green jobs.

The panel was comprised of: Waltteri Katajamaki, Technical Officer Rural Economy and Related Sectors (ILO); Isabelle Dela Paz, Internal Councilor (IFSA); Sandra Rodríguez, Coordinator of the Joint IUFRO-IFSA Task Force on Forest Education; and Maureen Whelan, International Affairs (Canadian Forest Service). All of them highlighted the importance of developing basic skills such as communication and encouraged all stakeholders to support practical opportunities like traineeships, excursions and mentorship programs. Students were encouraged to propose creative ways of contributing to events, through active participation in sessions as panelists or, for instance, by connecting with employers and lecturers to plan academic field excursions. Supplementary field courses for those who graduated during the Covid-19 pandemic without an opportunity to develop their applied skills in the forest were proposed, as well as online capacity building through courses on IFSA's treE-learning platform https://ifsa.net/tree-learning/.  The importance of increasing the diversity and inclusivity in the sector through education and raising public awareness about forest-related employment and green jobs was considered important to inspire and attract the future generation of professionals to the sector.

The session concluded by sharing examples of relevant initiatives, such as Canada's "Free to Grow in Forestry" campaign supporting inclusion and diversity, and by featuring the Grow Green Jobs campaign led by Forest Europe. The Grow Green Jobs campaign aims at raising awareness among students as well as young professionals in the fields of forestry, natural sciences, agriculture, and agroforestry by visualizing careers in short videos shared on social media.

You can participate in the Grow Green Jobs campaign by submitting a video showcasing your work, suggesting a contact, or sharing content. The joint EFI-IFSA-IUFRO capacity development project "Global student networking and green jobs in the forest sector" concluded in April 2022 and key findings, fact sheets, videos, reports and data can be accessed via the project page (final publications pending).

Event Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VITTk4fb13c
Joint EFI-IFSA-IUFRO project: https://ifsa.net/efi-ifsa-iufro-project/  
Forest Europe Grow Green Jobs campaign: https://foresteurope.org/grow-green-jobs-invitation/  

By Elaine Springgay (FAO) and Mike Cresswell (Natural Resources Wales)

The Global Network for Forestry Young Professionals (ForYP) was launched at the World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on Thursday, 5 May. ForYP aims to increase the visibility of young professionals, providing an inclusive space to share ideas, learn, and showcase the contributions of young professionals to the forest sector.

Young professionals are both the present and future of the forest sector, which needs to be more inclusive of youth to ensure that generational divides are bridged. ForYP is a global community for young professionals to network, to develop their professional skills and confidence, and to gain empowerment. The network aims to collaborate with the International Forestry Students Association (IFSA) and other forestry networks and associations to increase the visibility, engagement and career development of young professionals.

ForYP's mission is to ‘empower a global, diverse, and inclusive community of young professionals in the forest sector' with the vision to grow experts in the forest sector.

Members of ForYP will benefit from services such as, online networking platform, social and networking events, career development and training. At the World Forestry Congress, ForYP facilitated the Project Learning Tree Canada/WFC Green Mentorship program, which connected 51 mentorship pairs around the world. It also provided pre-Congress training for youth and young professionals, hosted a networking event and organized a Special Event on young professionals and career development.

To join ForYP, register with the network. For more information on ForYP, visit https://www.foryp.org/ or follow @ForYPorg on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

ForYP is a network for and led by young professionals in the forest sector, including professionals up to 40 years of age and/or with less than 15 years of experience in the sector. It provides services that are tailored to the unique needs of young professionals including networking and career development opportunities for early to mid-level professionals in the forest sector.

Outstanding Science and Services in IUFRO: Three Awards of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations: 1953-2020

This book presents short biographical stories of forest scientists granted with three important awards of IUFRO.
Since its establishment in 1892, 130 years ago, IUFRO has provided a "home" for forest scientists from around the world to share the results of their work, develop collaborative activities, and advance all fields of forest science and their application for the benefit of forests and people. IUFRO's success over the years has depended on the commitment, hard work and creativity of countless officeholders and the support of our member organizations.
https://www.iufro.org/publications/general-publications/article/2022/05/09/outstanding-science-and-services-in-iufro-three-awards-of-the-international-union-of-forest-researc/

This book presents short biographical sketches of forest scientists granted with the Honorary Membership (since 1953), Scientific Achievement Award (SAA, since 1971), and Distinguished Service Award (DSA, since 1981) of the International Union of Forest(ry) Research Organizations (IUFRO).

Citation: Teplyakov, Victor K. 2022. Outstanding Science and Services in IUFRO: Three Awards of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations: 1953–2020. MARU BOOKS, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 352 p.

This book has kindly been printed with financial support of the National Institute of Forest Research, Republic of Korea.

The International Wood Culture Society (IWCS) booth at the XV World Forestry Congress (WFC) 2021 in Seoul, Korea was truly a feast for the five senses. The booth was permeated with the smell of wood and the taste of wood culture. Visitors could hear the wood from Korean traditional musical instruments. They could touch the wood by trying out wood carving and traditional wooden masks. They could see multi-cultural arts crafted with wood. The booth was full of wood cultures with cultural shows, exhibits, workshops, musical instrument performances and try-outs. IWCS is a member of IUFRO:https://www.facebook.com/InternationalWoodCultureSociety/wall/

IWCS had a collaboration exhibit by the Korea Wood Carving Art Association (KWCAA) to show Bucksu (Korean traditional totem pole), their village guardians, by using traditional colors of Korea: yellow, blue, white, red, and black. "The Beginning of Life" created by Mr. Byeong-Yeon Ra, was not only to reflect on the theme of WFC: "Building a Green, Healthy, and Resilient Future with Forests" but also to deliver the message that large trees also start with small buds, and to get fruits they have to blossom.

There were more than just exhibits to see at the booth. The woodcarving program provided a workshop for visitors to experience woodcarving. Visitors of all ages and different continents joined the workshop and left their carvings on the wood boards, and the wood chips from the workshop were also collected for everyone to smell. Arranged by the Korea Association of Wood Culture, the traditional musical instrument performers dressed in Hanbok, the traditional Korean clothes, did not only give a musical performance but also encouraged visitors to play the instruments under their guidance. The XV WFC in Korea was truly a feast of forestry, science, research, education, art, culture, and a great opportunity for IWCS to acknowledge and showcase organizations in forestry fields.

This IUFRO Annual Report looks different from previous reports. After a joint message by the IUFRO President and the Executive Director you will find selected activities from Divisions, Task Forces, Special Programmes and Projects presented under thematic clusters.

The report provides hyperlinks to more information about activities, IUFRO Units and more. Please note that this report is published online only.

Download here: https://www.iufro.org/publications/annual-report/article/2022/05/11/annual-report-2021/