The Northeastern States Research Cooperative (NSRC) had another successful and productive fall and brought together researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts of the Northern Forest. As a part of NSRC’s Brown Bag Lunch Series, Dr. Jennie Stephens, UVM Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy, presented on “Vermont and the Renewable Energy Transition,” to a full room at Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) on October 21.

A week later, UVM Professor of Entomology, Dr. Margaret Skinner presented a webinar on her NSRC-funded research exploring the dynamics of fungal disease as a control mechanism of the pest, hemlock woolly adelgid. A record number of participants included master gardeners, researchers, foresters, nonprofit staff, and others from around the country.

To an equally diverse audience on November 11, Dr. Jacqui Frair, SUNY ESF Associate Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology and Associate Director of the Roosevelt Wild Life Station, presented a webinar on her NSRC research of the evolving niche of the coyote in the Adirondack Park.

Dr. Marla Emery, a Research Geographer with the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the UVM Department of Geography, traveled to ANR on November 19 for a Brown Bag Lunch discussion of, “Native Peoples and the Northern Forest: The Role of Vermont's Forests in Cultural Recovery and Survival.”

As the final webinar in our fall series, on December 10, Dr. Danilo D. Fernando, SUNY ESF Associate Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology, and Dr. Scott Bailey, Research Geologist with the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, presented their work assessing variations in a rare fern to gain valuable insights into plant responses to climate change.

Another highlight this fall was the Vermont Town Forest Centennial Celebration to mark the 100^th anniversary since the passing of the legislation establishing Vermont’s 300+ town forests. Hosted by NSRC with several other partners including the Vermont Conservation Commissions and the Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation, the celebration featured a judged writing challenge in partnership with the Vermont Young Writers Project. For this competition, a total of 45 writers aged 8 to 18 submitted essays or poems telling the story or importance of a local town forest. The three winners, Wren Forbes (1^st Place – age 11), Fiona Stowell (2^nd Place – age 9), and Alexandra Conteres-Montesano (3^rd Place – age 15), read their pieces to attendees of the celebration. Follow this link to read their winning pieces!

Congratulations to the recipients of NSRC’s 2016 Special Topics grant award! The Request for Proposals called for research that synthesizes NSRC-funded research and related literature on topics that are of critical interest to the preservation of healthy and productive Northern Forest communities and ecosystems. Successful Principal Investigators and projects include: 1) Charlie Canham (Cary Institute/NY), “Synthesis of Net Carbon Impacts of Biomass Energy Development in the Northern Forest,” 2) Alexandra Contosta (UNH), “Winter Climate Change in the Northern Forest: Scientific Synthesis and Practical Solutions,” and 3) William Keeton (UVM), “Disturbance Dynamics Across the Northern Forest: Synthesizing NSRC Studies on Ecosystem Change within a Regional Forest Health Mapping Framework.”

Thanks to all who contribute to and participate in the NSRC community! We look forward to sharing our upcoming events and 2016 grant awardees soon. To stay in touch and up-to-date with the latest news you can visit and subscribe at nsrcforest.org. We hope to see you at our next event this winter/spring!