A new year means new faces at NNRG! Learn more about our two new staff members below. LAURA LINN Program Manager Reach Laura at laura@nnrg.org Laura grew up along the McKenzie River in Oregon and has shared her love of the natural world throughout her career. In her last semester of college, she followed her […]
2023 Book Recommendations
We asked the NNRG staff and board — notorious for thinking about forests as much off-the-clock as on — for the best forestry, nature, PNW, and environment-related books they read this year. The resulting list has some real gems! Scroll down to read the whole list. The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals, and Real Estate in […]
An Interview with the Creators of Landmapper
Our partners over at Ecotrust are releasing a new tool that makes forest maps accessible in a matter of minutes, with no specialty knowledge needed. The maps are available for most properties in Oregon and Washington, with more updates coming over the next few months. We chatted with two of the program’s creators, Director of […]
The Meaning of Maps
Maps are an essential part of forest management, used to remotely evaluate property, delineate management units, plant harvests, and track management over time. But the array of maps available can be dizzying. Below, we outline a number of the maps you can expect to see in your forest management plan, plus a few more unusual […]
Snow for Trees: Forestry Techniques for a Changing Climate
Climate change is impacting landscapes on a large scale, and forests – one of our largest carbon sinks and
a critical part of any climate mitigation strategy – are at risk. If climate change is making forests more vulnerable, can innovative forest stewardship make them more resilient, and sustain the role they play in watershed protection? This question led us at Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) to create an experiment in practical forestry methods, in collaboration with forward-thinking partner organizations.
Forest Adaptation: Half Art, Half Science
For fifteen years, the Deumlings have been experimenting with planting less-traditional tree species—ones more tolerant to a warming climate—including Incense cedar, Coast redwood, Giant sequoia, Oregon white oak, and Ponderosa pine. They’ve also been sourcing Douglas-fir seedlings from farther south, where they may already be adapted to a warmer and drier climate.
November Fireside Chat: Let’s talk about mushrooms, baby!
NOVEMBER FIRESIDE CHAT | NOVEMBER 8, 2023 | 6pm – 7pm | ON ZOOM At this month’s Fireside Chat, NNRG Forester Gustavo Segura Flores will share some of his experience with maps! Bring your favorite fall drink, curl up in front of a fire or heater, and get ready to put yourself on the map. […]
Riparian Restoration Along the Skookumchuck River
Often when landowners come to NNRG for forest restoration help, our aim is to turn a dense, uniform forest that is susceptible to pests, disease, and fire into a more heterogeneous, resilient forest that supports a diversity of wildlife habitat and (sometimes) provides long-term timber revenue. In 2021, NNRG was hired to spearhead an entirely […]
July Fireside Chat: Practical Forest Restoration for Small Woodland Owners
JULY FIRESIDE CHAT | JULY 19, 2023| 7:30-8:30PM | ON ZOOM Many forests in our region need active stewardship to achieve their ecological and economic potential. Years of single-species management, overstocked stands, invasive species, and neglect can make forests susceptible to a slow decline in ecosystem services. This month’s fireside chat will focus on forest […]
Still Waters Farm: Wetland Wasteland to Beaver and Waterfowl Haven
By the time Beth and Mark Biser bought Still Waters Farm in 1990, the 48-acre parcel of forest in Mason County, Washington was a shell of its former self. Its 20 acres of wetlands had suffered two major disturbances.
Mapping Tools for Forest Landowners
When NNRG foresters prepare for a site visit with a forest owner or begin drafting a forest management plan, one of the first steps they’ll take is to prepare a suite of maps that provide critical information about the characteristics of a forest. Although our forestry team includes professional cartographers familiar with Geographic Information Systems […]
Stossel Creek and Assisted Plant Migration: How’s It Growing?
Article by Shay Steeves. Shay completed her University of Washington Environmental Studies Capstone Project with Northwest Natural Resource Group in Winter/Spring 2023. Three years ago marked the start of the Stossel Creek adaptive restoration case study. Located in Carnation, WA, Stossel Creek is now home to over 14,000 growing seedlings, including 900 that are set […]
Ecological Forestry Put to the Test for Birds
This bird monitoring study, funded by a $25,000 grant from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative, is going to use recordings of birdsong and bird calls captured by the AudioMoth devices to understand how a set of ecological forest management activities impact bird populations.
New Free Workshop: Stewarding a Climate-Resilient Forest West of the Cascades
Learn hands-on strategies for managing healthy, resilient forests in Jefferson County. At this free workshop in Jefferson Land Trust’s Valley View Forest, professional foresters will introduce forest owners to a set of simple, hands-on strategies for increasing their forests’ resilience in the face of a warmer and drier climate. Participants will develop a deeper understanding […]
Forest Recipes for the Adventurous
You’ve probably heard of stinging nettle tea — how about stinging nettle pesto? Japanese knotweed hummus? These six recipes draw from the bounty found in Pacific Northwest forests – both wild and urban lands.
Camera Traps for Climate Adaptation…and Critters!
Article by Margaux Clarke. Margaux completed her University of Washington Environmental Studies Capstone Project with Northwest Natural Resource Group in Winter/Spring 2023. 3… 2… 1… Say Cheese! NNRG’s use of scout cameras (camera traps) at their climate adaptation project in Nisqually Community Forest are an important part of the snow monitoring research, but they provide […]
Active Management and Small Landowners: It’s in the Intention
By Jaal Mann and Rowan Braybrook. This article was originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Western Forester, which focused on exploring what active management of forests means. You can read the full issue here. A prescribed burn to maintain open prairie. An individual western redcedar selected to make bentwood boxes or a dugout canoe. A […]
TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT 2024 EQIP PROJECTS
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a technical and financial assistance program managed by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. EQIP helps forest owners access technical expertise to develop and complete conservation practices that improve the health and productivity of their land.
Winter & Spring 2023 Washington and Oregon Native Plant Sales
The Winter Wet Season In The Pacific Northwest Is An Ideal Time To Plant Young Trees And Native Shrubs! Planting native trees and shrubs enhances forest biodiversity by providing habitat for wildlife and forage for pollinators. It’s also a great way connect to the land and increase your aesthetic and recreational appreciation for the forest. […]
Monitoring Mount Heaven
Last spring, Paul Hansen and his 16-year-old granddaughter found themselves tromping through his forest near Mount Rainier (Tahoma), in Washington. Both were searching for old PVC pipe remnants and rebar stakes hammered into the ground, but their motives that day were split. Paul was hoping to find the centers of circular plots he’d marked out 10 […]