Participants are in for a top-class week of learning, including two separate days of field trips and a tremendous roll-up of topics and guest presenters, at this year’s Gottstein Understanding Forest Science course in late July.
Places are still available for this course, which has a reputation for being a great opportunity to learn directly from topic experts and leaders in their field. Much of the learning also occurs in conversations with other participants from across Australia. It’s all wrapped up as a convenient package and should not be missed if you are new to the industry or have always wanted to know more about the sector where you work.
Staged across a week from registration and welcome on Sunday evening 28th July to Friday 2nd August 2024, the course will be headquartered at the Mantra Mooloolaba, located right opposite a lovely beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
It is a bonus that outside course hours it’s a good spot to chill – go for a beach walk or a surf early in the morning, said course convenor Helen Murray. “There’s also lots of variety of places to eat for breakfast and those free evenings when there isn’t a course event planned. It should work very well and make things easy for participants who won’t need a car while there.”
“Another outstanding group of experts will deliver presentations. The high standard and success of Gottstein courses is largely due to the speakers it attracts,” she said. The Trust sincerely appreciates their generosity to give up their time and share their expertise to enable others to learn.”
Opening the capacity building course will be Professor Mark Brown head of the forest research institute at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC). Later in the week he’ll also deliver a talk about the new USC hub for the Australian Forest and Wood Innovation research initiative, funded by the Australian government.
Opening the capacity building course will be Professor Mark Brown head of the forest research institute at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC). Later in the week he’ll also deliver a talk about the new USC hub for the Australian Forest and Wood Innovation research initiative, funded by the Australian government.
“Among the program highlights will be the final morning’s program when three different perspectives will be aired around sustainable forest certification and what that entails for an auditor of both PEFC and FSC, a forest manager and certification system provider Responsible Wood.”
The Gottstein Trust chair Suzette Weeding will speak about Biodiversity speaking as a forest estate manager in the native forests of Tasmania. “This is sure to be fascinating with deployment of rapidly advancing modern monitoring technology integral to preserving swift parrot habitat in the Tasmanian forests,” said Ms Murray.
“World leading forest koala researcher and respected ecologist Dr Brad Law will present the latest findings of his research team’s ground-breaking acoustic koala population monitoring work in NSW forest areas,” she said. “This is extremely important work for forest users and managers and for policy and law makers to understand, as koalas are elusive creatures.”
Timber Queensland chief executive officer Mick Stephens and chair of Sustainable Timber Tasmania and past president of Forestry Australia Rob de Fegely AM, will be key note presenters on the final day, “We look forward to them sharing candid thoughts about the future of Australian forests.”
Among so many interesting topics and sub-topics will be forest soils and water, biodiversity, native forest management, softwood and hardwood plantation management, farm forestry, indigenous community partnerships, biosecurity and the carbon equation of forests and wood products from certified sustainably managed forests. The process of certification which verifies sustainable forest management practices features three different perspectives from an auditor of PEFC and FSC
The course celebration dinner on Thursday 1stAugust will be hosted by The Gottstein Trust chair Suzette Weeding. Course attendees, presenters and other guests including company’s who support the Trust by donating to it each year
For more information, visit the Gottstein website, or contact the Gottstein team at team@gottsteintrust.org.
