U.S. Forest Service - International Institute of Tropical Forestry

Los colaboradores del IITF Grupo Acción Ecológica, con la asistencia técnica y tutoría de IITF Cooperación Internacional, está organizando la Celebración de Aves Urbanas: Resultados de Censos de Aves Urbanas y Exhibición Fotográfica en el Centro Cultural Quinta Dominica, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana, del 30 de enero al 21 de febrero de 2025. Esta exposición destacará la investigación a largo plazo y un estudio de 7 años sobre aves urbanas dirigido por el Dr. Wayne Arendt, Biólogo Investigador de Vida Silvestre del IITF. ¡Este estudio es el más largo y detallado sobre aves urbanas en el Caribe! El Dr. Arendt lleva realizando investigaciones sobre aves en la República Dominicana desde 1976.

IITF collaborator and partner Grupo Acción Ecológica, with technical assistance and mentorship from IITF International Cooperation, is hosting “Celebración de Aves Urbanas: Resultados de Censos de Aves Urbanas y Exhibición Fotográfica" at Centro Cultural Quinta Dominica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 30 January to 21 February 2025. This exhibit will highlight long-term research and a 7-year study on urban birds led by IITF Research Wildlife Biologist Dr. Wayne Arendt. This study is the longest and most detailed study of urban birds in the Caribbean! Dr. Arendt has been doing bird research in the Dominican Republic since the 1976.

IITF is proud to have impactful scientists among our talented employees. Congratulations to Dr. Michael Keller, IITF research physical scientist, and recipient of the 2024 Waldo E. Smith Award! Read about Dr. Keller’s work and this distinguished award here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/recognition/celebrating-dr-michael-keller-recipient-2024-waldo-e-smith-award

🏆IITF extends a big congratulations to employees JoAnn Santana López and Maya Quiñones, whom are part of the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Team receiving the prestigious 74th USDA Secretary Honor Awards on Strategic Goal 1 - Awards for Combating Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources, and Communities for supporting communities and expanding equitable access to nature and green spaces through Urban and Community Forestry. 🤝

These awards recognize noteworthy goals, mission, objectives, and overall customer service and management excellence. In other words, USDA employees are recognized for their innovation, commitment, and perseverance in the face of unprecedented challenges and constant change.

We are proud of Jo Ann and Maya for this outstanding achievement and congratulate all the team members that work tirelessly to build accessible and sustainable green spaces for urban communities!
---
🏆IITF extiende una gran felicitación a las empleadas JoAnn Santana López y Maya Quiñones, quienes forman parte del Equipo de Silvicultura Urbana y Comunitaria del Servicio Forestal que reciben los prestigiosos 74 Premios de Honor del Secretario del USDA sobre el Objetivo Estratégico 1 - Premios por Combatir el Cambio Climático para Apoyar las Tierras de Trabajo, los Recursos Naturales y las Comunidades de los Estados Unidos por apoyar a las comunidades y ampliar el acceso equitativo a la naturaleza y los espacios verdes a través de la Silvicultura Urbana y Comunitaria. 🤝

Estos premios reconocen metas notables, misión, objetivos y excelencia en el servicio al cliente y la gestión. En otras palabras, se reconoce a los empleados del USDA por su innovación, compromiso y perseverancia ante retos sin precedentes y cambios constantes.

Estamos orgullosos de Jo Ann y Maya por este destacado logro y felicitamos a todos los miembros del equipo que trabajan incansablemente para construir espacios verdes accesibles y sostenibles para las comunidades urbanas.

¿Te interesa colaborar en los esfuerzos para combatir los fuegos forestales, energía sustentable y acueductos en tu comunidad?

El programa de Alianzas y Voluntariado del Bosque Nacional El Yunque, junto al equipo de navegadores de comunidades del Servicio Forestal, USDA Rural Partners Network, y Hispanic Access, le invitan a una serie de talleres de capacitación y apoyo técnico, dirigido a organizaciones y lideres comunitarios de la zona este.

Se llevarán a cabo dos sesiones, una virtual el miércoles, 15 de enero. Más adelante, se anunciará la segunda sesioón, que se llevará a cabo en El Portal de El Yunque.

Reserva tu espacio en el siguiente enlace para participar: rb.gy/4xmde0

Through great work over its 4-year span, the Natural Infrastructure for Caribbean Resilience (NICaR) program has left a lasting mark on Caribbean ecosystems. IITF is proud to have collaborated in such important program to tackle environmental challenges in the Caribbean region. Read more about the NICaR and its accomplishments here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/apply/building-climate-resilience-caribbean

The International Institute of Tropical Forestry is proud to share the 2022-2023 Accomplishment Report!

These two years were marked by great challenges, and even greater opportunities for growth.

The report highlights:

✏ Key achievements in tropical forestry research and development

✏ Expanded technical and financial assistance to local and international communities

✏ Strengthened collaboration for the advancement of conservation efforts with State, and Private Forestry partners

These accomplishments reflect the Institute’s commitment to the land and communities we serve. Explore the full report here: https://research.fs.usda.gov/iitf/understory/iitf-accomplishment-report-2022-2023

Esta temporada navideña, celebramos la salud y el compañerismo con el Programa de Wellness! 🏃🏼‍♂️

El jueves pasado nos unimos a nuestros compañeros de NRCS y UPR en el Jardín Botánico de Río Piedras para celebrar el 2024 3k Wellness Race: ¡Se nos fue el pavo, agarra el lechón!

🏅¡Muchas felicidades a todos los participantes, y a los ganadores y ganadoras de la competencia! Gracias al trabajo colaborativo de los comités de Wellness de NRCS y IITF por una excelente actividad de recreación y competencia amistosa que promueve la salud y bienestar individual mientras refuerza nuestros vínculos como equipo.
---
This holiday season, we celebrate health and fellowship with the Wellness Program!

Last Thursday we joined our partners from NRCS and UPR at the Río Piedras Botanical Garden to celebrate the 2024 3k Wellness Race: ¡Se nos fue el pavo, agarra el lechón!

Congratulations to all the participants, and to the winners of the competition! Thanks to the collaborative work of the NRCS and IITF Wellness Committees for an excellent recreational activity and friendly competition that promotes individual health and wellness while strengthening our bond as a team.

Healthy soils = Happy forests!
Today we celebrate the foundation of life beneath our feet: soils!
Healthy soils provide essential nutrients, store water and act as a carbon sink to combat climate change.
Let’s hear our director and soil scientist Dr. Grizelle González share her thoughts on the importance of soils.
Happy World Soil Day!

Dr. Grizelle González - USFS National Soils Meeting The video clip was part of a training session on soil carbon and climate change for the USFS National Soils Meeting, to be held (virtually) November 19 and 21, 2024

This week, we are thankful for the opportunity to work internationally! Join Dr. Tamara Heartsill Scalley on her upcoming lecture for the Understanding Tropical Forests' series hosted by the Forest Ecology and Restoration Laboratory (Laboratório de Ecologia e Restauração Florestal) of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The lectures focus on discoveries, new research and synthesis on forests and other biomes of tropical America.

📝Lectures will be in English and last 20-30 minutes. Join online: https://meet.google.com/gsq-gqgf-vug?pli=1

⏰Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

📅Upcoming dates:

03/12 - Tamara Heartsill Scalley (Puerto Rico): Tropical forest riparian zones, exploring vegetation composition, structure, and function in areas with different past land use

04/12 - Toby Pennington (UK): Tropical plant diversity, biogeography and conservation: a multi-biome approach

05/12 - Claire Fortunel (France): Abiotic and biotic drivers of tree assembly and dynamics

06/12 - Jerome Chave (France): Commonness and rarity in tropical trees
---
Esta semana agradecemos la oportunidad de trabajar a escala internacional. Únase a la Dra. Tamara Heartsill Scalley en su próxima presentación para la serie «Comprender los bosques tropicales», organizada por el Laboratorio de Ecología y Restauración Forestal (Laboratório de Ecologia e Restauração Florestal) de la Universidad de São Paulo, Brasil. Las charlas se centran en descubrimientos, nuevas investigaciones y síntesis sobre los bosques y otros biomas de la América tropical.

Las conferencias serán en inglés y durarán entre 20 y 30 minutos. Inscríbase en línea: https://meet.google.com/gsq-gqgf-vug?pli=1

⏰Hora: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

📅Próximas fechas:

03/12 - Tamara Heartsill Scalley (Puerto Rico): Zonas ribereñas de bosques tropicales, explorando la composición, estructura y función de la vegetación en áreas con diferentes usos pasados de la tierra.

04/12 - Toby Pennington (Reino Unido): Diversidad de plantas tropicales, biogeografía y conservación: un enfoque multibioma

05/12 - Claire Fortunel (Francia): Factores abióticos y bióticos del ensamblaje y la dinámica de los árboles

06/12 - Jerome Chave (Francia): Regularidad y rareza en los árboles tropicales

IITF is dedicated to supporting educational initiatives that inspire youth to advocate for a more equitable and sustainable future. Today, we recognize IITF Research Social Scientist and R&D Project Leader Dr. Kathleen McGinley for her important work with the U.S. Forest Service International Programs’ youth mentorship program in Perú: Jóvenes por la Amazonía.

Over the course of seven months, Dr. McGinley offered technical support and guidance on community forest management and governance to a group of youth from native communities in Perú’s Amazon region – one of six groups participating in this year’s cohort of Jovenes por la Amazonia. This is the third cohort that Dr. McGinley has mentored through this program (and its predecessor Red de Innovaciones y Oportunidades para Jóvenes en el Sector Forestal).

In collaboration with Dr. José Chero Colán of the local NGO partner AIDER, Dr. McGinley mentored the group of six indigenous youth in their exploration of the roles of Kakataibo women in forest governance in the Sinchi Roca and Yamino native communities in Ucayali. Dr. McGinley met regularly with the group in monthly virtual working sessions and during a week she spent with them in Ucayali in April 2024. She also provided technical support and guidance to the group in their development of a project proposal aimed at empowering women of the Kakataibo Xanun Kurana Federation - FEMUKAXAKU and the Federation’s committee of artisans to promote and increase their participation in decision-making on forest governance in Sinch communities.

On October 25, the program held its closing ceremony to commemorate the great achievements of this year’s Jovenes por la Amazonia. All of us here at IITF would like to congratulate the participants on completing the program and their contributions to positive changes for forests and people in the Peruvian Amazon!