O UR T OWN Local forest pathologist wins climate change award
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The Interior News
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
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By Nolan Kelly Smithers/Interior News
Alex Woods is carving a name for himself as a provincial climate change expert and innovator. Recently, he was awarded the Association of BC Forest Professionals Climate Change Innovator award. Woods is the first recipient of the award, which was created by the ABCFP to raised awareness of the threat climate change is having on forests and to recognize those who make a difference. “It’s an award that shows the association is taking climate change very seriously, and I think it’s one of the ways they thought they could highlight the importance of it to the general public.” Woods travelled to Kelowna for the awards ceremony, where he was seated with some of the Province’s biggest names in forestry and climate change. “It was pretty cool to get to travel down there and meet a lot of those people,” Woods said. The journey began in 2005 when Woods authored a paper on Dothistroma Needle Blight, a fungus that
Alex Woods displays his ABCFP Climate Change Innovator award.
attacks the foliage of the lodgepole pine. Over the years, Woods began to notice that blight was getting worse, and was more noticeable during years of high temperatures and wet weather. He was then able to correlate increases in needle blight infestations to climate change. “I think we made a compelling case that the current epidemic coincided with current
warm weather events and we saw that the pattern was out of step with normal drivers.” Since then, Woods has continued to work on diseases affecting forests, publishing other papers and travelling to international conferences to share his research. He also works in close conjunction with forestry companies to manage forestry stands, promoting
stainability. When forestry companies notice something awry, they call Woods. Ultimately, he would like to make sure B.C.’s forests are managed in a way that maximizes their ability to both cope with and fight against global warming. And with the pine beetle infestation and global warming, he’s been busy. “If we can figure out how forests are
Nolan Kelly photo
behaving, we can figure out what different species to plant and how many we plant to compensate for how many we lose to disease.” “But it’s going well. We are making progress, but it takes a lot of work.” Though he is based out of Smithers, Woods works across the province, conducting research, monitoring young forests and teaching
about the effects of climate change. His passion for trees and forests was instilled in his youth, by his father. “He would always try to teach us about nature, getting us to identify trees and firewood to we would know what we were looking at. “So it’s in my blood I guess.” Woods’ isn’t a born and raised Smithereen. He grew up in Salmon Arm, but moved to
Smithers after he finished his Masters of Forests Pathology at the University of Alberta in 1994. In the early 1990s, he visited his future wife Jane, who was stationed in Smithers on a summer co-op, and fell in love with it. “I saw how beautiful Smithers was and thought it would be a great place to live and raise a family” Upon graduation, Woods’ dream job of a forest pathologist came up for hire with the Ministry of Forests in 1994. He applied, got the job and hasn’t left since. Woods’ contributions aren’t limited to forestry though. While raising his two children, he’s become a coach for the Cross Country Ski Club, working with young athletes four times a week in the winter and travelling with them to competitions. His daughter Kate is currently attending cross country nationals in New Brunswick, while his son Hamish, who is two years younger, may get there soon. In the summer, Woods keeps himself busy whitewater kayaking, while also teaching others, new to the sport.
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Watermark Film Screening Wednesday, March 19, 7 p.m., Roi Theatre, fundraiser for Friends of Morice Bulkley. Stories from around the globe about our relationship with water. Tickets available at Mountain Eagle Books or at the door. Springtime in Croatia and Travel Photography Smithers Art Gallery exhibition, March 18-April 26. Artists Eileen Astin, Evi Coulson, Poppy Dunbar, Elizabeth Zweck, Joseph Andrews. Opening Reception Friday Mar 21, 7-9 p.m. Free Income Tax Clinics Fridays, March 21, 28, 1-4 p.m. at the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre. For people with low income to receive one-on-one assistance completing taxes. Please bring T4s and T5s. Angela 250-847-5211. Self-Help Workshop For the Homeless & Forgotten Ones on the Street, Tuesday, March 25 and Friday, March 28 at 5p.m. at the Dze L K’ant Friendshp Center. Free to all. The Oil Man and the Sea Author Arno Kopecky Reading & Slideshow with Q&A. Wednesday, March 26, 7 p.m. Smithers Public Library. B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest, today at the heart of the Northern Gateway Pipeline debate. Northern Saddle Club is hosting Bingo at 7 p.m. every second Wednesday at The Old Church. March 26. Over $500 in cash and prizes. Divas & Friends Variety Show Saturday, March 29, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Della Herman Theatre, fundraiser for the Smithers Art
Gallrey. Tickets available at Mountain Eagle Books or at the door. Full lineup at www.smithersart.org. Taste of Culture Dinner Sat. March 29, 5:30 p.m. at the Smithers Legion. Dinner features cultural entertainment & recipes from Taste of Culture Cookbook. Tickets $30 Smithers Film Society presents Gabrielle, Sunday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. at the Roi Theatre. A developmentally challenged young woman’s quest for independence and sexual freedom. Standard admission. Vegucation – Year Round Greenhouse Monday, March 31, 7 p.m. NWCC. Find out about the experimental greenhouse project at SSS which involves the use of compost heat to grow high-nutrient produce 365 days a year. Erica Lilles erica.lilles@bvcentre.ca 250-847-2751. Internet Tutoring at the Library ongoing until March 31. Learn to download, email, surf, Skype, create. Our Youth Intern can help you with basic computer and Internet literacy. Book your free appointment. BV Genealogical Society meets the last Tuesday every month, Sunshine Inn meeting room, 7 p.m. Guest speakers and programs are presented to assist family root researchers. All welcome. Beginner Bridge Lessons offered Tuesday and Thursday evenings in April at Smithers Sec. School.