University Courses, Summer Schools and Webinars

2024-03-12

E-Learning Course on Gender and inclusion in Forest Landscape Restoration

This course, developed by gender experts, compiles research, case studies and practical recommendations from leading institutions engaged in forest landscape restoration. In this self-paced online course, you will learn the fundamentals of gender and social inclusion in forest landscapes restoration (FLR). The course focuses on gender inequalities, gender-differentiated impacts and opportunities to address inequalities for more equitable and sustainable FLR, to build the abilities and understanding of diverse stakeholders on the gender and FLR nexus.

Date:  self-paced
Location:  online
Organizers:  Forests, Trees and Agroforestry

Details at:  https://www.foreststreesagroforestry.org/gender-and-inclusion-in-forest-landscape-restoration/ 
Registration:  https://flr.talentlms.com/index


2024-03-11

Summer School: Modelling Assisted Migration to adapt forests and ecosystem services to climate change

This immersive program is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complexities of climate change and its impact on forest ecosystems. With a focus on assisted migration, our expert-led sessions will delve into the latest models and decision support tools, providing you with practical insights to make informed decisions. Highlights of the program include: - Hands-on experience in developing models to identify adapted and maladapted populations of forest tree species; - Spatial mapping exercises to visualize the distribution of tree populations in response to climate change; - Guided excursion to provenance trials and forest nurseries for a real-time understanding of the design, issues, and challenges involved.

Date:  29 July - 2 August 2024
Location:  FAST Traunkirchen
Organizers:  Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW) , The EVOLTREE network , and Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS/)

Submit application by:  15 April 2024

Details at:  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/debojyoti-chakraborty-07875318a_flyer-summer-school-on-assisted-migration-activity-7171127545268944896-kWs5
Registration:  https://forms.gle/6JZ6KCqjq9KpXgV27


2024-03-04

Integrated Land Use Systems Course // 29 March 2024

The University of Freiburg is once again offering a masters level course on Integrated Land Use Systems. Integrated Land Use Systems (ILUS) allow farmers to combine different land uses to use better their environments, use their productive resource more effective and efficient, and adapt to seasonal variations in weather and flooding regimes. ILUS make farmers less vulnerable to the risks of market volatility, calamities, and nowadays climate change. ILUS generate more ecosystem services for local and non-local beneficiaries. While they constitute an important component of the nature-based solution suite, their value is poorly recognized, let alone considered in agricultural policies or extension. The module will equip participants with tools and methods to analyse the economic, social-cultural, and environmental outcomes of a great diversity of ILUS. The course combines expert lectures, excursions, group activities and discussions. Students will visit local farms, vineyards, and gardens in Freiburg as an example of local ILUS. The course is intended for national and international graduate students, consultants, land use professionals, and young scientists in the field of forestry, agricultural and environmental sciences, geography, rural development, land use planning, landscape ecology and other natural resource disciplines. After completing the course, participants will receive a certificate confirming successful participation or, in the case of enrolled students, five ects points after passing an oral exam. The course fee is 600 Euro for the hybrid option, but excluding costs for accommodation, food and travel.

Date:  29 April - 17 May 2024
Location:  hybrid: in-person part in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany: 6-12 May 2024
Organizers:  Chair of Silviculture, University of Freiburg 

Submit application by:  29 March 2024 to ilus(at)waldbau.uni-freiburg.de

Details at:  https://www.waldbau.uni-freiburg.de/news_events/ILUS        


2024-02-06

Summer School: Blue-green biodiversity. Research and practice at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems are closely interconnected, but they are often studied in isolation from each other. In the context of global change, it is urgent to understand how blue (water) and green (land) ecosystems are similar or different in terms of biodiversity patterns, ecological and evolutionary processes, and their responses to global drivers. Evidence-based understanding of blue-green biodiversity is necessary to inform policies and action to halt and reverse nature loss that threatens human well-being. The goal of the "Summer School: Blue-green biodiversity. Research and practice and the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems" is to provide an in-depth understanding of the linkages between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and the interdependencies between social and ecological systems. While focusing on Swiss habitats, a highlight will be placed on an integrated approach that considers the ecological, evolutionary, and social dimensions of blue and green ecosystems benefits the conservation, maintenance, and restoration of biodiversity.

Date:  28-31 August 2024
Location:  Davos, Switzerland
Organizers:  WSL Biodiversity CenterBlue-Green Biodiversity Research Initiative 

Submit applications by: 15 May 2024

Details at:  https://biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/detail/summer-school-blue-green-biodiversity-2024/


2024-02-05

Summer School: Forests and Extremes – Crisis or Transition?

Is early browning in European forests a harbinger of tree death or simply a sign of temporary stress? In 2018, science could not answer this question. But one thing was clear: the frequency of extreme events, including droughts, had increased after the hot summer of 2003. Even though droughts also occurred during the last century, they were not accompanied by such high temperatures as today. And on top of climate warming, various manifestations of global change trigger a multitude of cascading processes in and around forests. It’s complicated...

The Summer School "Forests and Extremes" wants to face up to the complexity of compound and cascading events. Alongside national and international experts from multiple disciplines, participants will expose themselves to the unknown: the future of terrestrial ecosystems with a focus on forests! Through field excursions, input lectures, group assignments, and ample opportunities to interact with peers and practitioners, participants will acquire practical and theoretical knowledge on future extremes. This includes understanding their expected impacts on functioning and services of forests and other ecosystems, the consequences for society and economy, and possible response options.

Date:  19 August 2023, 16:00 - 26 August 2023, 10:00
Location:  Davos, Switzerland
Organizers:  WSL Research Program Extremes, NFZ.forestnet, and SwissForestLab 

Submit applications by: 1 May 2024

Details at:  https://swissforestlab.wsl.ch/en/events-and-outreach/summer-school/2024/


2023-10-17

MOOC on Continuous Cover Forestry

A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) is now available in three languages (English, French, German). ForestMoocForChange is a new and free online course providing an introduction to continuous cover forestry, covering the various aspects of this innovative forestry approach over an 8-week period. The course includes numerous videos produced in the field by experts, managers and owners. Each week, a live meeting will be organised with the speakers enabling you to ask your questions and discuss the subject covered. From discovering how continuous cover works and its dynamics, to questions of an economic, ecological or social nature, the MOOC is designed to be comprehensive and aimed at everyone. The ForestMoocForChange is a collaborative project, co-financed by the European Union, between four European Forestry Development Agencies involved in Close-to-Nature forestry development: Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Naturgemäße Waldwirtschaft (ANW) in Germany, Pro Silva France, Teagasc Forestry Development Department in Ireland, and Forêt-Nature in Belgium as lead partner. The aim of the project is to help overcome initial challenges and provide new tools to facilitate Europe’s forests transformation towards continuous cover systems as a way to optimise production of quality wood, biodiversity, the protection of ecosystem services and enhanced resilience.

Date:  starting 16 October 2023

Details:  https://mooc.forestmoocforchange.eu/