2023 Northern Hardwood Conference

Leveraging Technology to Improve Silviculture and the Digitalization of the Value Chain

Northern hardwood forests occupy millions of hectares in the eastern United States and Canada, representing one of the most economically important and ecologically diverse forests in eastern North America. Northern hardwood silviculture is diverse and complex as well and has been the focus of extensive research for over 80 years. Today, managers continue to seek innovative sustainable management solutions to address the expanding challenges facing this forest type, including serious threats such as invasive species, inadequate tree regeneration and shifts in composition, degraded timber quality, herbivory, climate change, nitrogen deposition, and forest fragmentation.

The 2023 Northern Hardwood Conference (NHC) will give researchers, academia, and forest managers from across the range of northern hardwoods a forum to learn, share, and discuss cutting edge science and innovative management practices to sustain healthy and productive northern hardwood forests.

Forestry professionals will meet in for a three-day in person event. Two conference days, August 1st & 2nd , and a field day on the 3rd at the Fredericton Convention Centre.

The theme of the conference is “leveraging technology to improve silviculture and the digitalization of the value chain”; an innovative Canadian initiative in which New Brunswick will be the pilot landscape. This conference will illustrate key steps to the restoration and sustainability of hardwood and mixedwood forests in the northeast of North America. A showcase forest site will be used as a state-of-the art educational and training tool to demonstrate adaptive silviculture techniques focused on problem solving and finding solutions at the operational level.

The event partners include the Northern Hardwoods Research Institute, the University of New Brunswick, and the Canadian Institute of Forestry – Maritimes Section.

About the Program

Opening remarks will be given by Her Worship Kate Rogers, Mayor of Fredericton; Chris Ward, Assistant Deputy Minister, Forestry Division, GNB Natural Resources and Energy Development; and Gaetan Pelletier, Executive Director of Northern Hardwoods Research Institute; and more TBD.

Our Keynote speaker is Doug Jones of Remsoft Inc. Doug is a thought leader in Remsoft’s planning space and brings a deep understanding of forest industry trends and direction to overseeing the Solutions and Innovation Team, as well as strategic direction and corporate growth. Doug holds a Masters in Forestry and worked in the forest industry in both Canada and the United States before joining Remsoft.

Closing remarks will be given by Michael Walters, PhD, Forest Ecologist and Associate Professor, Michigan State University. Mike has had a long and successful career in hardwood research, with 65 publications, 16,000+ citations, and professional appointments since 1998 at Michigan State University, Michigan DNR, and UNBC.

These plus 25 other diverse speakers from across the Northern hardwoods range are confirmed to be speaking on one of our concurrent themes as they relate to northern hardwoods; Technology, Silviculture management, Silviculture research, Climate change, and Wildlife/Ecology. Stay tuned for program updates and follow our social medias.

Registration

Limited early bird tickets are now available. Register below today!

• If you are a Conference presenter, please click here to register.

Accommodations

Best chance to get a discount room rate: book before May 20, 2023

Final day to book a discounted room rate: May 30, 2023

• Hilton Garden Inn is attached indoors to the convention centre and underground parking. Click here to book a reservation.
• The Crowne Plaza is directly across the street and adjacent to the trail and Saint John River, with suites and river view options available. Click here to book a reservation.

Sponsorship

Updated sponsorship kit available! More options for packages and exhibitor space available with our new trade show & catering room: Click here for more details.

Student Poster Symposium – Call for Abstracts

We will be hosting a poster symposium for graduate and undergraduate students to present their research. This contest will also be open to GIS/remote sensing students with maps/work representing hardwood management. The contest will provide a forum for students to discuss their research in a supportive environment, gain presentation experience, and access a great networking opportunity. Posters will be available for viewing throughout the conference with a formal session on August 1st. Prizes will be awarded.

Deadline to submit abstracts: May 15, 2023. Please click here for full details.

Questions?

For any questions regarding NHC 2023, please contact:

• Storm Robinson, Conference Coordinator at storm.robinson@hardwoodsnb.ca
• Susan Willis, Field Workshop Coordinator at susan.willis@hardwoodsnb.ca

Follow our conference social media platforms:

• Instagram @cif_maritimes
• Facebook @irfnnhri

Faire le pont entre la science et la gestion pour l’avenir

Les forêts de feuillus nordiques occupent des millions d’hectares dans l’est des États-Unis et du Canada, représentant l’une des forêts les plus importantes sur le plan économique et une forêt la plus écologiquement diversifiée dans l’est de l’Amérique du Nord. La sylviculture des feuillus nordiques est également diversifiée et complexe et elle a fait l’objet de recherches approfondies depuis plus de 80 ans. Aujourd’hui, les gestionnaires continuent de rechercher des solutions innovantes de gestion durable pour relever les défis croissants auxquels est confronté ce type de forêt, y compris les menaces graves telles que les espèces envahissantes, la régénération inadéquate des arbres et les changements de composition, la dégradation de la qualité du bois, l’herbivorie, le changement climatique, les dépôts d’azote et la fragmentation de la forêt.

La 2023 Northern Hardwood Conference (NHC) offrira aux chercheurs, aux universitaires et aux gestionnaires forestiers de toute l’aire de répartition des feuillus nordiques un forum pour apprendre, partager et discuter de la science de pointe et des pratiques de gestion novatrices afin de maintenir des forêts de feuillus nordiques saines et productives.

Les professionnels de la foresterie se réuniront en présentiel pour un événement de trois jours. Deux journées de conférence, les 1^er et 2 août au Palais des congrès de Fredericton et sur le terrain le 3 août.

Le thème de la conférence est « tirer parti de la technologie pour améliorer la sylviculture et la numérisation de la chaîne de valeur » ; une initiative canadienne innovatrice dont le Nouveau-Brunswick sera le pilote. Cette conférence illustrera les étapes clés de la restauration et de la durabilité des forêts feuillues et mixtes du nord-est de l’Amérique du Nord. Un site de démonstration servira d’outil d’éducation et de formation de pointe pour démontrer les techniques de sylviculture adaptative axées sur la résolution de problèmes et la recherche de solutions au niveau opérationnel.

Les partenaires de l’événement comprennent l’Institut de recherche sur les feuillus nordiques, l’Université du Nouveau-Brunswick et la section des Maritimes de l’Institut forestier du Canada.

Les informations d’inscription seront publiées ci-dessous dans les mois à venir. En attendant, nous espérons que vous pourrez mettre cet événement à votre agenda et vous joindre à nous à Fredericton, NB pour NHC 2023 !

Des questions? Contacter Storm Robinson à l’adresse suivante : storm.robinson@hardwoodsnb.ca