Faculty in West Virginia Universitys Division of Forestry and Natural Resources have received a $98,000 competitive grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (USDA CSREES ), International Science and Education Program to improve global competency of WVU s forestry students and faculty.

The purpose of the grant is to revitalize an international sustainable forestry curriculum at WVU , with funding through Spring 2009.

The project, a joint venture of the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, the WVU Office of International Programs and WVU Extension Service, will include field experiences in Ireland, India and the Philippines; an International Forestry Colloquium, featuring speakers from local forestry business community, government agencies, international collaborators and Davis College faculty; and reviving of the Global Forest Resources (FOR 425) course.

The countries that we chose to visit for our field experiences are intentionally diverse from the standpoint of forest management,said Kathryn Arano, assistant professor of forest economics.Each of the project leaders has collaborators in these countries that will help lead students on informative field workshops.

Assistant professor of forest soils and management Kathryn Piatek said,It is important for our forestry students to be aware of the great diversity of forest products and services that sustain peoples lives and life styles. This diversity can only be appreciated by taking a global perspective.

Spring Break Trip to Ireland planned

The first activity supported by the grant is an international field experience in Ireland scheduled for Spring Break in late March.

The itinerary includes meeting with Irish forestry students and faculty to learn about forestry education; visiting with Coillte Teoranta (Irish Forestry Board) to learn about Forestry Stewardship Councils sustainable forestry certification; traveling to West Coast (Galway) to learn about agroforestry, financial incentives for afforestation and social aspects of forestry; visiting an ancient monastery at Glendalough; and time for walking the streets of Dublin and seeing the Book of Celts.

There is still space, but students need to register by Jan. 17 to get the price of $1,545 (plus $150 to sign up for the 3-credit course). For more information, contact Dr. Piatek at Kathryn.Piatek@mail.wvu.edu or go to the web at http://www.wvu.edu/~intlprog/faculty_led.html#IrelandForestMgmt

Long-term plan includes internships

Piatek, Arano and Dave McGill, forestry extension specialist, in collaboration with Dan Weiner of the Office of International Programs, envision a long-term plan to create internship opportunities with forestry organizations and enterprises in different countries, and international collaborative research projects supported with additional external funding which will serve to attract quality undergraduate and graduate students into the Forest Resources Management program in the future.

Our intention is to give students a better understanding of the business aspects of international trade in forest products, while assuring they understand the fundamental and intimate connections that humanity has with the forest for survival,Piatek added.

Ultimately, the project aims to provide a strengthened awareness of globalization in forestry, of employment opportunities for students in international forestry, and of the unparalleled potential for professional and personal growth in working with diverse cultures so that forestry students can be more competitive as professionals in international forestry markets.

We will be inviting representatives from forest products firms in West Virginia and surrounding states to the International Forestry Colloquium to tell WVU faculty and students about their global market networks,McGill said.This forum of speakers will add to the relevance of our Global Forest Resources course for our forestry students and will provide them with ideas about the types of jobs they might secure after graduation.