Prototype Lab at the Discovery Museum

Forest management refers to human interventions in forested landscapes. Managing forests is a deeply human practice which allows us to map our economic, cultural, and environmental values to places with trees. If you know where to look, forest management decision-making is everywhere — in virtually every culture, across the world and through time. In truth, forest management is not a binary choice — to cut or leave alone — but a grand spectrum. Decisions made in forests directly impact the wellbeing and livelihoods of billions of people. Even so, most of us don’t feel as though we have a role to play in the forest management conversation. World Forestry Center believes that has to change. In forests, we see our values reflected, for better or for worse, and today much of that reflection looks like indifference. That has to change too.

Explore the trajectories and entanglements of forest management with human history and share your thoughts on how we can make forests a social priority.