Welcome

Celebrating our history ... and change

Welcome to the initial issue of Natural Resources Professional. I look forward to the ideas, scientific information, memories and humor that have always been part of the SNRE experience. One of the common themes we will see in this newsletter is the reality of constant change.

Healthy professions evolve through advances in science or they cease to be relevant. The same can be said of institutions of higher learning. Both forestry and the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) have responded to change in order to maintain their credibility and relevance. In the last 25 years, forestry has moved from a focus on wood and fiber production to a much broader set of benefits reflecting our increased understanding of ecosystem function. SNRE has been a significant force in the development of scientific and professional leaders in natural resource sciences since its founding in 1903.

The University of Michigan has always taken a slightly different approach to natural resource education. There are a number of strong programs at universities around the United States, but SNRE is one that looks at forestry and other resource professions through the complex and multi-faceted lens of sustainability. Forestry today is not the same profession I pursued in the 1960s (yes, I am old). SNRE is also not the same school at which I studied in those days. Similarly, my education was very different than that of my father when he graduated from the University of Michigan School of Forestry in 1922.

In 1922, my father studied forest management under Filibert Roth. As a graduate in the mid-1960s, I had the opportunity to learn about forest ecology from Steve Spurr and Burt Barnes. Today, the school offers a master’s program in Terrestrial Ecosystems. The common thread between now and then is the continued need for field studies to ensure that graduates from all areas of emphasis, including Environmental Policy and Planning, have the ability to apply the intellectual and scientific understanding of natural systems to problems found on the ground. I am excited about the continued evolution of both forestry and SNRE as they meet the changing needs of society at large.

Thus, I am pleased to see the school initiating this newsletter to reconnect with the many alumni working in various natural resources capacities.  I invite you to participate in this effort as you can—send in stories, photos and comments as well as suggestions about articles you’d like to see in coming issues.  This feature is really about highlighting the breadth of our alumni’s professional contributions. We need your help to make it as interesting, fun and engaging as possible.  By doing so, we enhance the entire SNRE community as well as the legacy we leave for current students.