UCCE Forest Research and Outreach

Lasers + forests = a match that could only be made in research!

UC ANR Forest Advisor Brian Woodward is part of a research team utilizing Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technology to answer questions about coast redwood forest health. Get an inside look at the team’s work at Soquel Demonstration State Forest by joining their free upcoming field day!

Field Day Details
When: June 18, 2026 (8am-1:30pm)
Where: Aptos, CA
Description: In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn about applications of TLS in forestry including advantages, typical uses, and challenges of implementation across objectives, and see a crew actively collecting LiDAR data using a TLS in real-world conditions at CAL FIRE's Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF). Followed by lunch, presentation, and Q&A of experts in TLS at the Aptos Library.

Register on the UC ANR website: https://ucanr.edu/blog/santa-cruz-forests-blog/article/register-now-terrestrial-lidar-forestry/nrm-field-day/workshop

Check out some of the impact numbers from our 2026 California Tree School Sessions in Butte and Humboldt counties!

This year, we offered 49 classes in total: over 73 hours of class time in and out of the woods! This is all thanks in part to our collaboration with Butte FireSafe, College of the Redwoods, and regional UC ANR Forestry Advisors. We hope that you all had as much fun at CA Tree School as we did ❤️

Butte County Fire Safe Council, UC Agriculture & Natural Resources, UC ANR Fire Network, College of the Redwoods Forestry and Natural Resources

Our wildlife camera webinar is happening in a couple of weeks! Don’t miss out on this free learning opportunity, where we will cover setup, equipment, and real-life applications fromat the CAL FIRE Jackson Demonstration State Forest. This webinar will feature the following lineup of speakers:
● Valerie Elder, Professor of Forestry, College of the Redwoods
● Robert Douglas, State Forest Biologist, Mendocino Unit
● Chris Horton, landowner and Forest Stewardship Workshop participant

Register today on our events page: https://ucanr.edu/site/forest-research-and-outreach/event/wildcamerawebinar

Photo used courtesy of Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve.

Extra, extra, read all about it! New wildfire recovery resources are available from UC ANR, including a free online learning course for forest landowners recovering from wildfire.

Read about it on the UCCE Forest Research and Outreach blog: https://ucanr.edu/blog/forest-research-and-outreach/article/postfireblog

UC Agriculture & Natural Resources

✨Reminiscing about this dreamy November field day at UC Berkeley’s Russell Research Forest ✨

Participants at this field day practiced tree identification and learned about regional ecology with UC Berkeley lecturer Rainbow DeSilva. Don’t miss out on educational opportunities like this one! Stay up to date by joining our email list here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/4goVnY6

Ever wondered where CAL FIRE gets the seeds for their seedling nursery? This webinar is for you!

The “Cone and Seed Collection” webinar from our Forest Stewardship team features speakers from American Forests, CAL FIRE, and UC ANR. Learn about the reforestation cycle, desired tree species, seedling nurseries, and how forest landowners can collaborate with agencies to support statewide reforestation efforts. Cone crop surveys will be starting soon!

Find the recording on the UC Forestry and Range YouTube page here:

Cone & Seed Collection: A Forest Stewardship Education Program Webinar Hear American Forests' Bridget Mulkerin, CAL FIRE's L.A. Moran Reforestation Center's Denia Troxell, and UC ANR Forestry Advisor Ricky Satomi discuss Califor...

A new UC Davis study finds that for every dollar spent on fuel reduction treatments, $3.75 is saved in wildfire damages. Researchers examined hundreds of Western US wildfires to assess the economic value of US Forest Service thinning and prescribed fire treatments. They found that these measures “prevented the loss of more than 4,000 buildings, avoided the release of 2.7 million tons of CO2, reduced 25,757 tons of fine particle pollution and prevented an estimated 59 premature deaths.”

Read about this large-scale study at the UC Davis newsroom:

Forest Fuel Treatments Reduce Wildfire Spread, Prevent $2.8 Billion in Damage A UC Davis study finds every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves $3.75 in wildfire damages.