Can Beavers and Wolves save the American West? What is Philly’s new trees plan?

Regrowing our natural environment and ecosystem is important for health, ecological stability, and ameliorating climate change.  We explore two projects which have ways to do this, one in a rural area and one in an urban area.

Dr. J. Boone Kauffman is a research professor of Ecosystems Ecology in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University.  His work centers on understanding dynamic interactions of land use, climate change and their influences on ecosystem services.  He is the co-author of the 2022 IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) special report on Land Use, land cover change and forestry.  George Wuerthner  is an ecologist, writer and photographer who has published many books on natural history and environmental issues.  His latest book is “Protecting the Wild: Parks and Wilderness the Foundation for Conservation”.  They will tell us about a novel and relatively simple approach to rewilding public lands in the American West.

Erica Smith Fichman is the Community Forestry Manager of the Philadelphia government’s Parks and Recreation Department.  She is the project lead for the Philly Tree Plan.  Erica will be talking about the new Philly Tree Plan to protect trees and the urban forest within Philadelphia, including a planned Reforestation Hub.

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