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The 2021 William Main Seminar (UC Berkeley): Virtual series


This year's William Main Seminar series through UC Berkeley will be held virtually, and is open to all. This series will be held on select Tuesdays at 4:00-5:30PM.


There is wide-spread recognition among Californians that past management practices have created forests in an untenable state. Forest health is compromised to the point that immediate, large-scale intervention is required. But how do past, present and future management practices impact the health of communities in California? The 2021 William Main Seminar will deal with the intersection of forest and human health, examining how management of California’s forests impacts the well being of individuals and communities throughout the state. This year’s series will bring practitioners from forestry, academia, NGOs, wildland fire fighting and Tribal communities to Berkeley share their perspectives on how past, current and future management of California’s forests has impacted the health and wellbeing of its population.

Upcoming Schedule of Speakers

February 9th | Dr. Beth Rose Middleton Manning, Professor & Chair of Native American Studies at UC Davis &
Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band
Forest Health in a Context of Truth and Healing

February 23rd | Brandon Smith, Executive Director of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program
Emergency Situations Need Proactive Responses: Wildland Firefighting, Incarceration, and the Opportunity to do Better

March 9th | Carlin Starrs, Senior Modeler for the Risk Analytics Team, Risk Management Solutions
Wildfire and Forest Management from an Insured Property Loss Perspective

March 16th | Dr. Sam Heft-Neal, Research Scholar at the Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University
Managing the Changing Risk and Health Burden of Wildfire Smoke in the US

April 6th | Dr. Jonathan Kusel, Executive Director and Founder, The Sierra Institute
Rural Communities and their Ties to Forest Health

To attend, please fill in the below form and additional details will be emailed. If you have any questions or for technical assistance please email forests@berkeley.edu.