ANREP Helped Support our Professional Development at IUFRO this Fall!
By
David R. Godwin, Southern Fire Exchange, University of Florida School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatic Sciences
Sarah Cain, Southern Fire Exchange, North Carolina State University, College of Natural Resources, Extension Forestry
In early September 2025, ANREP Professional Development scholarships enabled us to participate in the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Small-Scale Forestry Research working group and the Extension Knowledge Exchange working group conference in Everett, Washington. Without this support, neither of us would have been able to attend such an incredible event.
Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde, Germany, IUFRO began as the International Union of Forestry Research Stations and was renamed in 1929 to reflect its broader mission. Today, it serves as a global network headquartered in Vienna, Austria, connecting forest scientists and institutions to advance research and knowledge exchange. The 2025 IUFRO conference, hosted by Washington State University, spanned three days and offered us the opportunity to connect with forestry, extension, and outreach professionals from across the country and around the world. Attendees joined from Germany, Finland, Portugal, Australia, Japan, Estonia, Slovenia, and throughout the United States. With limited travel funds typically available to us, this was a rare and valuable opportunity to engage in a truly international forestry and extension meeting.
This unique joint conference brought together both the IUFRO Extension Knowledge Exchange working group and the Small-Scale Forestry working group. As extension and outreach professionals working in fire science and natural resource management in the Southeastern U.S., we found both groups’ presentations highly relevant to our programs. Sarah was also granted the opportunity to present about Fire Festivals, marking her first international conference presentation! We returned to our respective universities with full notebooks, new friendships, and exciting ideas for podcast production, workshop development, fire festival partnerships, and a deeper appreciation for land management in the Pacific Northwest.
While the formal presentations were engaging, we especially valued the informal conversations with fellow attendees. Over dinner, we picked up tips on accelerating podcast production from staff at Oregon State University. In the morning snack line, we brainstormed ways to connect natural foraging communities with prescribed fire management. During bus rides between field tour stops, we learned about innovative forestry cost-share programs in Australia and identified pathways to connect with potential prescribed fire experts in Queensland.
After the conference, our professional development scholarships also supported our participation in the amazing post-conference field tour coordinated by the Washington State University Forestry Extension team. The tour included visits to two small family-owned tree farms in western Washington, Mt. Rainier National Park, and Mt. Saint Helens National Monument. Experiencing these world-renowned natural areas and hearing stories from families who are exemplary land stewards deepened our appreciation for the forestry challenges and opportunities in the Pacific Northwest.
A highlight of the tour was waking up at 5:15 AM to see the moon shining through the window of the Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier National Park, which was an encouraging sign that we might catch a glimpse of the mountain summit later that morning. The previous evening, fog and clouds had completely obscured the view. With excitement, we exchanged texts, grabbed our day packs, and met outside the lodge in the chilly pre-dawn light. We made a beeline up the Skyline Trail to Glacier Vista and were rewarded with some of the most breathtaking hiking scenery either of us has ever experienced.
Thank you Washington State University for hosting such an amazing conference and thank you ANREP, for supporting our participation in this event! We encourage other ANREP members to consider attending future IUFRO Small-Scale Forestry and Extension and Knowledge Exchange events to share insights and build lasting connections with the global community.
