2013 Current Issue
Trees, Forests, and Sustainability in Massachusetts

What is the Massachusetts Envirothon Current Issue?

In this component of the Envirothon program, teams research a current environmental issue as it occurs in their own community, then prepare a presentation on their findings and proposed solutions.  Each year the Massachusetts Envirothon Committee takes the Canon Envirothon's Current Issue and works to ensure that the topic is relevant to ALL Massachusetts communities.  Wide-ranging community research is encouraged, including field study, interviews of scientists, advocates, local officials, and residents, internet and library searches, map reading, and visits to town hall.

Many teams take what they learn in their current issue research and apply it in a community action project.  Any team that demonstrates high research standards in their current issue work, or applies their Envirothon learning in a service project, is eligible for an Envirothon Community Award.

At the state competition in May, the team makes a presentation of their Current Issue findings  and recommendations to a panel of judges (including natural resource managers, local and state officials, environmental advocates, and others) who score them and provide helpful feedback on their knowledge, proposed solutions, and presentation skill.  A highlight of the experience is the interaction between the teams and the judges when the scoring is completed.  After the morning competition, teams have a chance to share their current issue research and community action projects informally at a lunchtime "roundtables" session.

How do Trees & Forests contribute to sustainability in Massachusetts?

In 2012-2013, Mass Envirothon teams will investigate what trees and forests can contribute to Massachusetts sustainability in the decades to come.

By a broad definition of the term, we all live in the forest, whether our homes are in urban, suburban, exurban, or rural communities. Even cities are ecological spaces, packed with trees, vegetation, and wildlife, that are connected to suburban and rural areas. In addition, we all use forest products and benefit from ecosystem services that forests provide – including clean water, clean air, wood and paper products, cooling shade, fuel, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities.

Massachusetts forests vary in species composition, age, and extent. Some are protected greenspaces in cities and towns. Others are large unbroken stretches of rural woodland. Forests’ ecological diversity is compounded by the many edges they share with paved and built areas, agricultural fields, bodies of water, and tended lawns.

The Massachusetts landscape has been dominated by forests since soon after the last ice age. Even today, land left open soon reverts to forest. While scientists recognize that there are different dominant forest communities in different regions of Massachusetts, perhaps the most important thing to recognize is that forests are in constant change. Forests change in response to human disturbance (such as clearing or selective cutting or high-impact recreation) or natural disturbances (such as hurricane or tornado winds and insect infestation), or simply to being left alone.

What does “sustainability” mean for forest ecosystems and for human communities? Because they exhibit such resilience, we can easily take the forest communities around us for granted. But as human activity strains natural resource limits, and particularly as climate change transforms our world, we need new knowledge and skills and commitment to treat this home well.

This year, Mass Envirothon teams will explore nearby woodlands large and small, consider street trees in new ways, use maps and other information sources, and talk with a variety of resource people to answer such questions as:

· What is the character and extent of forests in our urban, suburban, exurban, and rural communities?

· What makes a forest system ecologically sound? How do we measure forest health?

· How do we use forests? What ecosystem services do trees and forests provide to our particular community?

· What uses are compatible? How intensively can we use forest resources and still expect the same uses in the future?

· What changes have happened in forests in the local landscape over the past 100 years?

· How will changing climate affect Massachusetts forests and the ecosystem services they provide?

· How do we make decisions about forests and our use of them? How can we protect this green infrastructure? Who are the resource people and decision-makers?

· Going forward, how can we best manage our use of the forest in our communities? How can we be involved?

2013 Mass Envirothon Current Issue Materials

• Background and Resources for Community Research (2013) (revised final version, uploaded 3/27/13))
• 2013 Current Issue Problem
• Presentation Score Sheet 13
• Guidelines for Judging
• Mass Envirothon Community Research and Action Awards
(including a checklist for community research)
• Roundtables at the Mass Envirothon

Other Useful Resources

Websites/articles

This is the Biodiversity Initiative home page, with links to the DFW Ecological Restoration Program,
Upland Program, and Forestry Program

This link describes landscape habitat goals for forest cover that will benefit wildlife

The Young Forest Project: This is the collaborative of various groups including the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), state fish and wildlife agencies, Ruffed Grouse Society, National Wild Turkey Federation and other conservation groups. The effort is directed at bringing an understanding about the need for young forest
habitat and what wildlife has been affected by the decline of this type of habitat, particularly in the northeast.
This site is hosted by the WMI – and there are links to www.Timberdoodle.org and www.newenglandcottontail.org.

Under Cover: Wildlife of Shrublands and Young Forest
A good book that is also available both in hard copy and downloadable online.

Talking About Young Forests: A Communication Handbook
(A guidebook helping conservationists explain the importance of young forest to the public
and other key audiences -- 3 MB.)

The Young Forest Project -- PowerPoint
(A tool to use when speaking to groups of concerned citizens, clubs and organizations, and conservation audiences such as foresters and agency employees -- this is a large file at 47.61 MB. The PPT incorporates eye-catching photos and graphics with few words. Coupled with the easy-to-understand script [see below], this PPT will help you effectively explain the plight of young-forest wildlife to audiences who may not have an interest in one particular species, such as grouse or woodcock.)

The Young Forest Project -- Script
(A suggested script for each slide in the above YF Project PPT -- 5 MB.)

Relevant Workshop Presentations from past years

Paul Barten, UMass Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation
Fish Grow on Trees: How forests and wetlands influence aquatic ecosystems
Stormflow Routing Through an Upland-Wetland-Beaver Pond System
UMass workshop presentation slides
Why forests provide the best protection for water resources (essay)
The conservation of forests and water in New England . . . again (essay)
Overview of forest hydrology and forest management effects overview (technical outline)
Effects of development on groundwater (diagram)
Trees, Forests, Water... and Low Impact Development
Summary of Key Hydrological Characteristics in Forested Watersheds
Land Use Effects on Streamflow and Water Quality in the NE US Fig 8.8
Masdar Fellows Water Balance

Want to see a team in action?

Watch a video of the Quabbin Regional High School Team presentation
(2012 highest score for CI presentation)

Score them yourselves using the 2012 score sheet.

Here's a link to the 2012 Current Issue Problem

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Past Current Issues

For questions regarding the current issue, please contact
Will Snyder