There is still time to sign up for the October 10 Forest Symposium at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia. Sessions and speakers for the event include:

-- Pennsylvania Forest Overview – History and Current Threats - Joseph Frassetta, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry

From his days as a merchant marine to his career in forestry, everything about Joe Frassetta is the outdoors. In his current role as District Forester for the William Penn Forest District, Joe leads several award-winning projects and initiatives.

Through vision, staff collaboration, and the development of partnerships, Joe continuously takes forestry from the deep woods to the backyard.

When not working in the outdoors, Joe is, well, in the outdoors volunteering. Joe keeps his passion for nature and water alive by serving as a certified sawyer for the Appalachian Trail and island steward for the Susquehanna River Trail.  Yep, for Joe as a forester every day is Earth Day. He can also be found hiking or canoeing with his family and their canine companion, Izzy the boxador.

-- Assessing the Urban Forest: Understanding the Ecosystem Value of Forests in Urban Environments – Sarah Low, US Forest Service

Sarah Low works for the US Forest Service as Coordinator of the new Philadelphia Field Station.  She focuses on bridging the gaps between policy, planning, and science, specifically as it relates to the interaction of people and nature.  Her passion for the natural world drives her interest in environmental conservation and community engagement. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Fish and Wildlife Conservation and a Master of Science in Watershed Science and Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to taking the position with the USDA Forest Service, Sarah Low founded Strategic Nature, LLC, where she specialized in strategic planning around urban and community forestry, park planning, ecological restoration, and trail design.

She has worked in ecological restoration, community forestry, and park management for over ten years and has worked for consulting companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.

-- Climate Change and Pennsylvania – Melinda Hughes-Wert, Nature Abounds

Melinda Hughes-Wert is the President and Co-founder of Nature Abounds.

Formed in 2008, Nature Abounds has approximately 2,600 volunteers engaged in environmental volunteering through programs such as IceWatch USA, Watch the Wild, and the Senior Environment Corps.

Before leading Nature Abounds, Melinda most recently worked for the National Wildlife Federation managing several community programs across the nation as well as NWF's award-winning Coastal Louisiana Habitat Restoration Initiative.

Just prior to working for NWF, Melinda was the National Programs Director at the Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement, another environmental international volunteer non-profit that focused on involving seniors in improving the environment. She has also worked for the Clearfield County Planning Commission, concentrating on environmental issues.

Over her career, Melinda has worked on several environmental issues including climate change, watershed management, brownfields, environmental planning, habitat restoration, endangered species, and wildlife issues. Melinda also had the privilege of being part of the US delegation to the World Water Forum 2003 in Kyoto, Japan.

For more information, visit the Forest Symposium webpage. Space is limited, so please register now.  For questions, please contact Nature Abounds at 814-765-1453 or send email to: forests@natureabounds.org.

10/1/2012