Given the ongoing drought and dangerous wildfire conditions in California and throughout the west, we see an urgent need to train more people on clean techniques to convert problem forest vegetation into biochar onsite. Biochar helps mitigate the wildfire threat by increasing forest soil water-holding capacity and resilience.

Who Should Attend? Forestry contractors, arborists, workforce supervisors, forest land owners, and staff from environmental NGOs and natural resource agencies who supervise forestry workers, or develop biochar forestry projects and programs.

At our day-long , online seminar and the following 3 field day events in Butte County, CA (free), you will learn how to make and use biochar onsite to increase the water holding capacity and resilience of forest soils. (Butte County is about 3 hours northeast of San Francisco.)

ONLINE WEBINAR PROGRAM Thursday, January 27 PST

Registrants will receive an event Zoom link during the week of January 24.

Morning Session - Biochar Production and Applications 9 am - noon

• Kelpie Wilson, Wilson Biochar Associates: How to Make Biochar in Place Using Flame Cap Kilns and Conservation Burns
• Carlos Rodriquez-Franco, Senior Leader, Strategic Forest Science Synthesis, US Forest Service
• Deborah Page-Dumroese, US Forest Service Research Soil Scientist: Applying Biochar to Forest Soils for Forest Health and Restoration
• Karen Youngblood: Forester, Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc
• Kai-Hoffman Krull: San Juan Islands Conservation District

Afternoon Session - Reports on Biochar Forest Projects 1- 4pm

• Laurie Schoonhoven, NRCS National Forester
• Ken Carloni, Yew Creek Land Alliance
• Don Morrison, USFS silviculturist (retired)
• Joe Pongratz, Pongratz Forestry
• Mark Vander Meer, Principal Partner, Watershed Consulting, Inc.
• Abby Colehour, Long Tome Restoration Council
• Gloria Flora, Permaculture Institute of North America
• Dylan Maxwell, CEO, CarbonFace
• Raymond Baltar, Sonoma Biochar Initiative
• Darren McAvoy, Utah Forest Service
• Jim Archuleta, US Forest Service

After the event, all webinar registrants will receive a link to the webinar recording and a list of speaker emails.

FIELD DAYS, Chico, CA FREE - Please get a ticket to reserve your spot. 9-5 PST

February 1

Morning session: Biochar in the Community, Butte College Skyway Center, Chico, CA

• Steve Feher, Sustainable Community Development Institute
• Wolfgang Rougle, Butte County Resource Conservation District
• Deborah Page-Dumroese, US Forest Service Research Soil Scientist
• Kelpie Wilson, Wilson Biochar Associates

Afternoon session: Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve

• Paul Maslin, Biochar from Burn Piles for Ecological Benefit – hands-on participation in demonstration of the techniques

February 2

• Biochar Field Demonstration near Paradise, Butte County Fire Safe Council

February 3 (same as February 2 program)

• Biochar Field Demonstration near Paradise, Butte County Fire Safe Council

Field Days Contact - Steve Feher, sifeher@scdinstitute.org, (530)327-8355

Here is link to Field Days directions.

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