Forest Products Industry

Dirt Works Studio, an academic design-build studio at the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design, has designed and is currently building Phoenix House, a small, solar-powered house designed to assist members of the Lawrence community in transitioning from homelessness to a secure home. Source: Timberbiz Working in collaboration with Tenants to Homeowners Inc. (TTH), a Lawrence nonprofit that has helped more than 350 families become homeowners, Dirt Works Studio aims to provide TTH with a repeatable model for a home that can provide comfort and stability for occupants as they work to reach personal goals. Dirt Works Studio allows third-year KU architecture students to explore innovative new methods of construction while serving the local community. “The mission of Dirt Works Studio balances care for our local communities, concern for the health of the planet and a dedication to educate future leaders in the design of a more sustainable, equitable and inspired built environment,” said Chad Kraus, associate professor of architecture and founding director of Dirt Works Studio. Phoenix House has been designed using an innovative cross-laminated timber (CLT) shell, wrapped in a highly insulated, airtight building envelope, and clad with a wood rain screen. Designed to accommodate 1-2 people, the home’s interior is characterized by durable materials and surfaces, including CLT timber walls and ceilings and exposed concrete floors with radiant floor heating. Wood surfaces were prioritized for aesthetics and as a natural solution for humidity regulation. The colour, tactility and smell of wood, along with its positive effects on interior air quality, have documented regenerative and stress reduction outcomes. “This partnership exemplifies how innovative design, education and service-based learning can be advanced through public/private partnerships,” said Nicholas Ward, TTH assistant director. “Through Phoenix House, TTH has the unique opportunity to learn from these young, enthusiastic designers. The designers, in turn, are offered a glimpse into the world and work of affordable housing from their partners at TTH. When the designers of tomorrow are informed by the struggles of today, their work can’t help but to be infused with empathy. A great partnership, to say the least.” Phoenix House is located on the 1100 block of Oregon Street in Lawrence. The home is expected to be completed in late spring this year. Student Reese Gilmore of Leawood said that working directly with neighborhood residents to create something that gives back to the local community has been a fulfilling experience. “The process of designing and building an affordable home has presented many challenges but has also provided unforgettable experiences, such as working with peers, engineers, suppliers and partnering with Tenants to Homeowners to make a one-of-a-kind affordable small home,” Gilmore said.

A new program for Accelerating Innovative Monitoring of Forests (AIM4Forests), led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has supported 11 countries and trained more than one thousand people in its first year. Source: Timberbiz The five-year program (2023-2028), with US$30.53 million funding from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, aims to empower countries to monitor their forests using modern technologies, technical innovation, space data and remote sensing. “Supporting countries to create better data on forests is key to halting and reversing forest loss,” said Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO’s Forestry Division. “AIM4Forests sets out to accelerate innovation in forest monitoring and help countries gather more comprehensive and accurate data, and it has already made significant progress.” More than 420 million hectares of forest have been lost since 1990, with 10 million hectares still lost to deforestation annually. World leaders have committed to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. A summary of the project’s achievements so far confirms that it has provided technical assistance to 11 countries (Bolivia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Uganda and Vietnam) focusing on four areas in which data is key: better resource management, deforestation-free commodities, measurement reporting and verification (MRV) of mitigation results, and tracking progress in ecosystem restoration. The program has trained 1,268 individuals (40% women and more than 100 members of Indigenous Peoples and local communities) to strengthen their forest monitoring capacities. Technical assistance has supported some countries to measure and report their forest mitigation efforts in order to unlock climate finance. At the same time, the program has made e-learning accessible so that individuals can increase their knowledge and skillsets in different aspects of forest monitoring. Some 4,677 English, Spanish and French speaking e-learners have completed five courses alongside the successful launch of a new e-learning curriculum. Through AIM4Forests, FAO is rapidly advancing methods and technology used to monitor forests and made new tools, platforms and datasets available for governments to use for free. During the last year the program has produced four new technical publications overcoming methodological challenges, and three innovative new open-source technical solutions. Under AIM4Forests, FAO has also partnered with the International Land Coalition to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities to play a key role in forest monitoring and mapping and in relevant decision-making affecting their territories and livelihoods. In its second year, AIM4Forests will expand its reach to include two more countries – Colombia and Zambia and continue to support countries to report their forest mitigation efforts and accelerate innovative forest monitoring.

An ancient elm tree that has stood alone in the far reaches of Glen Affric, Scotland for hundreds of years is now the guardian over a new generation of its species. Source: Timberbiz The wych elm – known as the Last Ent of Affric in homage to the tree-shepherds from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings story and a former Scottish Tree of the Year has been chosen to help in the fight against Dutch Elm disease. Thirty-five young elm trees have been transferred from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and replanted in the shadow of the Last Ent of Affric. These will be the first of 200 trees planted over the next two years. It is part of a joint effort between the Gardens and the University of the Highlands and Islands along with landowners like Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) to save the species from Dutch Elm disease. The project involves cultivating disease resistant seedlings and then planting them at suitable sites of which Glen Affric is one. It is hoped there will be cross pollination between the seedlings and maybe even with the mature elm itself to help in the recovery, from decades of loss, for one of Scotland’s most majestic native trees. “Having lived hidden away, many miles from the closest tree of the same species, the old elm of Glen Affric has escaped the ravages of Dutch Elm disease. It is fitting this site has been chosen as part of efforts to save the wych elm,” FLS Forester Sam Brown said. “Glen Affric also benefits from ongoing conservation efforts between FLS and our partners that includes managing deer populations. By limiting or removing the chance of deer damage to the young trees we can give them a better chance of survival. “Our local FLS teams – specifically the craftsperson squad – have worked very hard in all weather, on difficult terrain to install a fenced enclosure that has made the project possible. “Many of Scotland’s most threatened species can be found on our land in in our woodlands and we are committed to working with partner organisations to conserve and tackle the things that threaten them.” Dr Max Coleman of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh explained that by using surviving, large wych elms in the Scottish Borders, exposed to Dutch elm disease for around 40 years, they have bred a new generation of seedlings that they hope have inherited resilience to disease from both parents. “The offspring of these rare, promising trees are being planted in carefully selected sites that meet their needs and offer potential for natural spread. This work is assisting the formation of new populations of wild elms that have the genes and the genetic diversity that we hope will enable survival and adaptation in a changing environment,” he said. FLS Seed Resource Manager Kenny Hay added that the planting that’s been undertaken in collaboration with RBGE and gives great hope to be able to harvest valuable seed which may be resistant to Dutch Elm Disease. The recovery of the wych elm is part of a project aiming to increase the numbers and distribution of ten threatened native plants and is funded by a three-year grant totalling £715,000 from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.

Combilift has delivered a first-of-its-kind solution to a shipping container storage company on Australia’s east coast, aiding in ergonomics, efficiency, and operator safety. Source: Timberbiz The three-high straddle carrier was delivered to FBT Transwest following a comprehensive consultation, design, and delivery process. The collaboration was initiated by FBT as it tendered multiple parties for a solution that could optimise storage space while maintaining a safe environment for all. The straddle is equipped with eight wheels for greater stability and larger windows for increased visibility of the container. Of course, the main requirement was for a machine which could stack containers three high and set a new standard in storage optimisation. “Combilift’s philosophy is one of customer-driven innovation. It’s something that we’ve done for years and will continue to do. It’s why we have such an expansive range,” Combilift Australia straddle carrier product manager, Jarad Wilson said. “The key to developing a product in conjunction with the customer is understanding their functional requirements and their key concerns. “Then, it’s important to continue communicating with them through the process, so the end result considers the engineering constraints while still addressing the key functionality that the customer needs on site.” FBT was founded in 1972 and has since built a formidable business which services Melbourne, Sydney, and Newcastle. It handles dangerous and perishable goods, as well as servicing leading manufacturers and importers of agricultural equipment, plastics, edible oils, and waste stream products. Without FBT’s experience or capacity, these major Australian ports would struggle to cope with an influx of imports. This made the need to stack containers three high even greater. “The new straddle carrier from Combilift greatly increased our storage capacity. It’s a much faster and more stable unit than previously used and we’re finding that our turnaround times for trucks in an out of the depot have been greatly improved,” FBT Sydney transport manager, Scott Major said. “By including eight wheels, the stability of the unit has made it a lot easier for the team to drive around.”

Despite the challenging economic conditions, many businesses are continuing to actively recruit new staff, according to Trade Me Jobs’ latest data from New Zealand. Source: Timberbiz The number of job listings rose in the beginning of the year from January through to March, up 11.7% compared with the previous quarter, with applications also up across the board. “This increase in listings shows that employers are still looking for talent despite softening economic conditions. Companies are hiring although we know from our recruitment partners it’s just taking them longer to make the decision to hire,” said Trade Me’s Matt Tolich. While listings were significantly down on the previous year, the first quarter of the year had shown an uptick. “Among the biggest increases in listings were in Agriculture, Office and Administration and the Hospitality and Tourism sectors,” said Matt Tolich. Total job applications were up compared with the previous quarter, with a 15.4% increase. The biggest increase was in Marlborough with a 25.2% jump, followed by the Otago region at 24.2%. This was mainly driven by the healthcare sector which had the largest increase in applications for both of the regions. “However, when we look at the same time last year, Auckland saw a massive 166.5% jump in applications. “We know of a couple of factors that are influencing the increased application numbers, including increased levels of migration, with the New Zealand population increasing by the equivalent of a Dunedin last year. Also, some organisations are downsizing due to the current economic climate which means there are more available candidates in the market.” “Looking ahead we know there will be less migrants coming into the country so these application numbers may soften but it will continue to be an employer market for some time with plenty of great candidates looking for roles,” he said. When looking at the industries with the most significant surge in applications, the IT sector stands out, with a jump of 70.8% followed by Science and Technology (55.7%) and then HR and Recruitment (39.8%) compared with the previous quarter. Average pay dipped 2.2% this quarter to NZ$70,761, although it was still up from the same period last year. The current average salary in the Agriculture, Fishing & Forestry sector is NZ$68,190 per year. “This suggests that the increase in applications means employers have more choice and aren’t having to reach into their back pocket as much to secure workers,” said Matt Tolich. Salaries remained stable in certain sectors like Hospitality & Tourism, Transport & Logistics, and Manufacturing & Operations, with less than a 1% change. Meanwhile, hands-on fields like Office & Admin (1.7%), Retail (1.2%), and Agriculture, Fishing & Forestry (1.2%) experienced slight bumps in pay compared to the last quarter. Trade Me Jobs data for Wellington is beginning to show the impact of public sector job cuts, said Matt Tolich. The capital’s average salary is down 3.3% on the previous quarter to NZ$72,062 the biggest percentage drop across all of Aotearoa’s regions. “Listings for roles in central government were down 77.2% year on year and 34.1% for the quarter,” said Tolich. Wellington also had the biggest drop in listings year on year, although the city experienced a 7.9% boost for the quarter. The number of job applications in Wellington increased 17.7% compared with the October to December period. This compared with 15.1% for Auckland.