Our forests are walking, but should they be running?

Fossil evidence shows that trees naturally migrate, but with the current pace of climate change, they are struggling to keep up. As a result, scientists are exploring what might happen if we step in to assist them.

OPB’s All Science No Fiction host Jes Burns will moderate a thought-provoking panel discussion with leading experts about the potential impacts of climate change on forest migration within the Pacific Northwest, the groundbreaking solutions being considered to help forests adapt, and the ethical implications of human intervention in natural processes.

The program begins at 7 pm; doors open at 6 pm.

Speakers will share shallow and deep time perspectives:

• Glen Howe, Director of the Pacific Northwest Tree Improvement Research Cooperative, forest geneticist and Associate Professor at Oregon State University College of Forestry, will discuss his research on local and contemporary assisted forest migration plans.
• Paige Wilson Deibel, Ph.D, a paleobotanist at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, will share about how she studies fossils to understand the impact of mass extinction of plant species, and the decimation of forests millions of years ago due to climate change and various disturbances.

Join us for an in-depth exploration of one of the most pressing issues facing our environment today – can we help our forests move fast enough to survive the challenges ahead? And should we?

Forest Pubs are presented by World Forestry Center and McMenamins.