Forestry Engineering students learn from field work from their homes.

Bringing the experience and knowledge of fieldwork to Forestry Engineering students currently studying from home is the objective of the second series of online talks called "Forest Café," organized by the Chilean Timber Corporation (CORMA) in conjunction with five universities that offer Forestry Engineering programs, at their campuses between Santiago and Valdivia. The new series opened on Thursday, August 20th, and included the participation of students from the Faculty of Forestry Sciences of the University of Talca, the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the School of Forestry Sciences of the Universidad Mayor, the Faculty of Forestry Sciences of the University of Concepción, and the Faculty of Forestry and Natural Resources of the Austral University of Chile. The topics of this second series are: Silviculture of Native Forests, Management of Protected Wilderness Areas, Native Forest Restoration, Fire Science and Management, and Afforestation and Carbon Sequestration. Students and professionals in the forestry sector from all over the country can connect to these webinars from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection through Corma's Facebook page, the Corma YouTube channel and through the website. www.corma.cl WELL RECEPTEDThe regional manager of Corma Biobío-Ñuble, Fernando Illanes, indicated that “the design of this modality was worked on hand in hand with the different educational institutions and that our aspiration is for these online classes to be a journey for the student to work in the field. We hope to reach as many students as possible and contribute to their development and then continue working together.” Meanwhile, the director of the School of Forestry Engineering at UTalca, Darío Aedo, highlighted that the initiative “is a contribution to the training of our students since this pandemic, which has forced classes to be held remotely, has been detrimental to the fieldwork that they must do as part of their learning.” Along the same lines, Jenifer Blanco, a student in that program at the Maule institution, considered that "this new opportunity for knowledge is of great relevance at the student level. “Seeing forestry from different perspectives makes our vision as future professionals much broader.” Dr. Marcia Vásquez, director of the Department of Environmental Forestry Management at the University of Talca and coordinator of the activity, stated that "since exposure to field activities and practical activities are essential for the training of a professional dedicated to Forestry Engineering, these online seminars have been of great interest to our students, who have been unable to complement their training with field trips and visits to forestry industries." Next Thursday, September 3rd, it will be the turn of the University of Talca to moderate a seminar on "Native Forest Restoration." Dr Marco Yáñez will introduce the topic to the audience and coordinate the presentation of leading professionals associated with the topic. "This second series of webinars using the YouTube platform has been able to cross borders, with students and researchers from various universities in Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, and affiliated institutions in the US joining the audience. As the coordinator of this activity, I am confident that this method of dissemination will be very beneficial for all involved and that new topics, just as important as those included in this second cycle, will continue to be incorporated in future versions,” said Vásquez. Forestry engineer and PhD in Ecology, Pablo Becerra, a professor in the Department of Ecosystems and Environment at the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering at the Catholic University of Chile, praised the initiative. He noted that "it is essential for students of any degree program to interact with professionals who can describe their experiences and real-life cases so that they understand more specific aspects of the field of work. And it's also good for businesses, because it's important to showcase their work and thus encourage students to work in those areas. The result is positive for both.” For his part, Óscar Thiers, director of the School of Natural Resources Conservation Engineering-Forestry Engineering at the Universidad Austral de Chile, stated that "these opportunities can strengthen or complement the theoretical framework taught in the classroom and provide concrete, everyday examples directly from the various productive actors in our sector." He added that "in these times, where virtuality has become a valuable tool, events like the Café Forestal allow us to stay connected with colleagues, share our experiences, concerns, and visions, and also bring our students closer to their future—in part—professional environments." For Enrique Muñoz, director of the School of Forestry Sciences at Universidad Mayor, participating in the organization of this new series "seemed quite interesting to us because it addresses a relevant area in terms of student training, because it will address topics that occur in industry or in the most micro, medium-sized, and even large companies, which is quite motivating. And the best part is that it will be useful to students from all years of their degree.” Finally, the dean of the Faculty of Forestry Sciences at the University of Concepción, Manuel Sánchez, referred to the link with the forestry sector: "The interaction with CORMA and its partners strengthens this training and allows for the consolidation of knowledge acquired in the classroom through interaction with the disciplinary field at the applied level. This union allows Chile to be considered worldwide as a forestry powerhouse, not only in terms of production, but also in science and development related to the management of natural resources.”“CafeForestal” Second Cycle Program August 27 at 17:00 p.m. / Topic: Management of Protected Wilderness Areas Identification of High Conservation Value Areas (under the FSC framework) Anita Smulders, Forestry Engineer and expert advisor on forestry and forest certification issues. High Conservation Value Areas, CMPC Experience Francisco Rodríguez, Assistant Manager, Certified Management & Sustainability, CMPC CELULOSA SA September 03 at 17:00 PM / Topic: Native Forest Restoration Land use planning with a restoration objective: Pablo Ramírez de Arellano, Head of the Bioforest Ecosystem Management Division. Experience and progress in restoration projects: Julio Becker, Deputy Manager of Information at Mininco Forestry. September 10 at 17:00 PM / Topic: Fire Science and Management Next-Generation Firefighting: Raúl Serrano, Assistant Manager of Forest Protection, Forestal Mininco. Importance of Fire Prevention: Angeline Castillo, Head of Fire Prevention, Arauco. September 24 at 17:00 p.m. / Topic: Forestation and Carbon Sequestration Ketrawe: Forestry and Carbon Capture Tools Sergio Schmidt, Founding Partner of Ketrawe. Wood Construction and Sustainability Francisca Lorenzini, Innovation Manager at CORMA.