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There’s a thriving community of diverse microbes living in tree wood, a new study led by a Yale School of the Environment team of scientists has found. A single tree hosts about one trillion bacteria in its woody tissue. Source: Timberbiz Trees are Earth’s largest biomass reservoir and store more than 300 gigatons of carbon. However, what is living in their wood has largely been unexplored. The study, published in Nature and led by YSE doctoral candidate Jonathan Gewirtzman and Wyatt Arnold ’24, establishes a new frontier for understanding tree physiology and forest ecology that can assist in forecasting forest response to future change and help trees adapt to climate change. “Understanding these internal ecosystems gives us insights into trees’ broader biogeochemical functions and how they might contribute to forest carbon cycling and nutrient exchange processes in ways we hadn’t fully considered before,” Mr Gewirtzman said. Research on trees has focused mainly on the exposed surfaces of trees such as roots, leaves and bark. For this study, the scientists surveyed 150 living trees across 16 species in the northeast region of the US. They found that microbes are partitioned between heartwood (inner wood) and sapwood (outer wood) with each having their own unique microbiomes with minimal similarity to other plant tissues or ecosystem components. Inner wood is dominated by microbes that don’t need oxygen, while outer wood is dominated by microbes that do require oxygen. The microbes are actively producing gases and cycling nutrients, the study revealed. “One of the things I found most interesting was how these microbiomes varied across different species,” said Mr Arnold, a chemical and environmental engineer. “For example, sugar maples hosted a very different community than the one within pines, and these differences were consistent and conserved. I think this supports the idea that not only are these microbial communities shaped by the unique conditions within different trees species, but that these communities may have even ‘coevolved’ with trees over time.” Further research exploring wood microbiomes across different global regions and climates can lead to a better understanding of factors driving microbial diversity and function, the authors noted. “There is a massive reservoir of unexplored biodiversity — countless microbial species living inside the world’s trees that we’ve never documented. We need to catalog and understand these communities before climate change potentially shifts them. Some of these microbes could hold keys to promoting tree growth, conferring disease resistance, or producing useful compounds we haven’t discovered yet,” Mr Gewirtzman said. The team of researchers included Mark Bradford, the EH Harriman Professor of Soils and Ecosystem Ecology; Peter Raymond, the Oastler Professor of Biogeochemistry and co-director of the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture; Craig Brodersen, the Howard and Maryam Newman Professor of Plant Physiological Ecology; research scientist and lecturer Marlyse Duguid; Jordan Peccia, professor of chemical and environmental engineering at Yale; and Cade Brown ’23 and Naomi Norbraten ’25. The team spent over a year freezing, smashing, grinding and beating wood samples to develop a method that could provide the high-quality DNA required to uncover the microbiomes in the tree trunks, Mr Bradford said. “I was thrilled to contribute to this work given that few habitats so vast and widespread remain to be investigated, and especially one so familiar to folks as living trees,” he said. “It felt analogous to a 19th century ecologist landing on an island where the plants and animals were unfamiliar to science.”

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Tigercat Industries launched the new TCi 1055D forwarder at 2025 FOREXPO in France. The machine attracted a great deal of attention during the two-day event. Source: Timberbiz The heavy duty 15-tonne forwarder was designed out of the gate to be highly configurable to meet many differing local requirements that make up the global forwarder market. The machine can be specified with two transmission choices to optimize the machine based on typical terrain conditions. Three bunk systems, and three available wagon frame lengths further customize the forwarder for thinning or final harvesting as well as varying log length requirements. Several crane choices are available. The operator’s cabin has undergone a complete redesign. With increased legroom, the spacious interior is designed for optimal ergonomics and effective climate control. Both the seat and seat base are configurable according to preference and operating conditions. Multiple storage locations are available to the operator, including mesh net secured overhead storage for light weight items, various slots and cubbies, and a dedicated floor level area suitable for work boots or lunch storage. Clear operator sightlines reduce fatigue and increase productivity. The curved rear window gives the operator an unobstructed upward view of the crane and clear sightlines to the entire work area. The placement and shape of the front and rear control panels, as well as the fuel and hydraulic tank structures, allow for clear sightlines to the blade and tires. Additionally, the vertical gate slats are progressively angled to enhance through-visibility to the load area. The operator controls are new with an intuitive and comfortable layout. The drive control system has separate engine rpm and drive speed controls, along with preprogrammed speed settings for fine speed control and convenient operation. The hydraulically operated front hood enclosure opens to provide a safe and roomy work platform. From the elevated platform, the operator can walk around both sides of the engine. A pull-down ladder behind the cab gives access to standing areas beside the hydraulic and fuel tanks, and the power-tilting cab provides access to major hydraulic components.

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The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) welcomed the announcement by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, confirming the federal government’s plan to stand with forest sector employees and businesses as the industry weathers current trade and market challenges. Source: Timberbiz This comes after the latest round of tariffs from the US. “Encouraging the federal government to get the best trade deal for Canada with our US neighbours continues to be the most important wish of our sector and forestry communities across Canada,” said FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor. “As those deliberations continue, today’s measures announced by the Prime Minister are helpful as we try to stabilize the industry for the months ahead and at the same time achieve our shared goals of building more homes, improving competitiveness, increasing production and investment in Canadian operations, and growing new markets for the long-term.” FPAC remains committed to working with the Government of Canada, provincial governments, and the labour and community-based partners so that it can strengthen prospects for the industry’s 200,000 employees and the over 300 communities they call home. FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. As an industry with annual revenues exceeding Can$87.2B, Canada’s forest products sector is one of the country’s largest employers providing 200,000 direct jobs and operating in hundreds of communities across the country. Its members are committed to collaborating with Indigenous leaders, government bodies, and other key stakeholders to develop a cross-Canada action plan aimed at advancing forest health, while supporting workers, communities and our environment for the long term.

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Ray Hook is a new director at the New Zealand Forest Service. He says he is excited about the future of the forestry and wood processing sector. Mr Hook began his new appointment on 4 August 2025. Source: Timberbiz “A cornerstone of our economy for more than a century, forestry and wood processing is continuing to evolve into an industry that adds value, embraces innovation, and leads the world in sustainable practices,” Mr Hook said. Mr Hook is now the Director of Forestry Engagement & Advice at Te Uru Rākau, a business unit in the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The directorate has a key role connecting people, communities and stakeholders with forestry-related policies, programs and opportunities. With close to 20 years’ experience, working across a variety of technical, operational and investment roles in the forest industry Mr Hook brings extensive experience in leadership, stakeholder management, and a deep understanding of forestry and land management sectors in New Zealand. Mr Hook says he is particularly interested in the work that Te Uru Rākau is doing in broader land-use initiatives, such as alternative tree species, indigenous forestry and driving greater biodiversity outcomes. “What excites me in this role is the chance to bring together my experience and the opportunity to integrate that into Te Uru Rākau’s work to create a more resilient and sustainable forestry sector for New Zealand,” he said. “Innovation is also a big driver for me, such as the advances in engineered wood products that are revolutionising construction. This and the huge potential for wood as an alternative energy source are significantly increasing the opportunities for wood fibre, both in New Zealand and globally.”  

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One winery in Martinborough has debuted a Sauvignon Blanc which was made using casks more than 90 years-old, made from the native New Zealand tree Totara. Sources: Timberbiz, Winetitles Totara was used by early winegrowing pioneers for the fermentation and ageing of wines as far back as the late 1800’s.  Their use disappeared almost entirely by the 1980’s as European oak barrels and stainless steel took their place. Now, a small winery in Martinborough is re-kindling this lost technique. Lance Redgwell is the winegrower at Cambridge Road winery and proudly shared his latest work embracing the old ways. “My love of the natural world we call home has inspired me to explore ways to honour this land and let it speak through my craft,” said Mr Redgwell. “Winemaking is more than just a process; it’s an expression of place. In re-discovering the rare gift of native New Zealand timber in our wines, I hope to reflect the voice of Aotearoa and pay respect to its spiritual and cultural heritage, the people who have walked this earth before us and offer the taste of something unique.” The casks in question, crafted in the 1930s, are a far cry from the standard oak barrels of today. First acquired from an old Brajkovich family winery in Kaikohe back in 2018. Redgwell has been tinkering away with the restoration and re-introduction of these native barrels ever since. “They provide lower oxidation levels and a more neutral wood profile,” explained Redgwell. “But beyond that, they carry mana, history, and a spirit that transcends a mere flavour profile. This is about rekindling a connection to the past and the early history of winemaking in New Zealand.” While this is a long-term project, the scale will always be limited by the number of barrels available, with only 3,073 bottles produced. “My hope is that this effort will keep these barrels in use for another 95 years, inspiring future generations to take pride in New Zealand’s winemaking heritage,” said Redgwell. “And ultimately, my goal is to craft the most distinctly Kiwi wines on the planet— wine that speaks not just of place, but of history, tradition, and the land that nurtures it.”

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Students across Tasmania are helping shape Tasmania’s future landscapes thanks to Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) and the Forest Education Foundation (FEF) School’s Tree Day. Source: Timberbiz Now a core feature of Tasmania’s education and forestry calendar, Schools Tree Day complements Planet Ark’s National Tree Day, which since 1996 has grown into Australia’s largest tree planting and nature care event. More than 3,000 native seedlings, cultivated at Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s Perth Nursery, have been gifted and delivered to schools across the state. Throughout July and August, schools across the students and teachers will plant gifted seedlings, with some schools holding outdoor planting events with Sustainable Timber Tasmania foresters — digging holes, planting seedlings, while having fun and learning. “This is where the forest and the fun begins,” said Suzette Weeding, General Manager Conservation and Land Management at STT. “It starts in the hands of students who are learning, through real action, how to care for their schools and communities.” Darcy Vickers, Manager at the Forest Education said that planting a tree is a beginning, Foundation. “It gets kids asking questions, noticing patterns in nature, and seeing themselves as part of the landscape. “This place-based learning approach offers long-term benefits. Many seedlings from past years are now thriving — creating shaded spaces, growing wildlife habitat, and becoming the subjects of science experiments and environmental monitoring for current and future students.” Erika Boas, Principal of Bothwell District High School in Tasmania’s Central Highlands, welcomed the collaboration between Sustainable Timber Tasmania and the Forest Education Foundation. Now in its second year, she says this has become an opportunity for her students and staff to collaborate and learn about career paths into forestry. “The planting day brings our school community together in the best possible way. Students, staff and foresters all have a hand in creating something lasting and learn so much along the way,” Mr Boas said. “Our extensive partnership with Sustainable Timber Tasmania and the Forest Education Foundation means our students have a full seed to tree experience, that starts in the Perth Nursery and extends to the Tasmania’s forests.”  

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Opal says it is driving large performance gains with its Manufacturing Excellence (MEx) program, a system that empowers frontline operators to define their own performance goals and outline how to achieve them. Source: Timberbiz Traditional improvement methods rely on a top-down approach where targets are set by leadership and cascaded down the organisation. Opal’s MEx program shifts this dynamic by entrusting those on the frontline to identify performance improvements. “Our frontline teams possess deep operational knowledge and a direct line of sight to daily challenges and opportunities,” said Jacob Chretien, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Opal. “By empowering our people to set their own targets in consultation with the business, we unlock higher employee engagement, faster problem resolution, and more resilient gains.” This approach is already yielding impressive results across sites in Australia and New Zealand. A prime example is Opal Regency Park in South Australia which has embraced MEx principles to drive significant operational and cultural transformation. At Opal’s site in Regency Park, South Australia, MEx contributed to a major turnaround in performance, starting from an on time, in full delivery score of 58% to more than 99% within a nine-month period. Site Manager Matt Mcarthur attributes these results to a deliberate focus on hiring staff with a strong track record of accountability rather than purely technical skills. “Operators take a lead role in continuous improvement including ways to minimise planned downtime, communicate site performance, and drive preventative maintenance strategies to increase the run time of our assets,” Mr Mcarthur said. “It has supported seamless product transfers from other sites, driven material efficiencies, and helped maximise floor space”. Regency Park also engaged local suppliers to secure cost reductions and supply chain improvements, generating substantial savings and strengthening local partnerships. For example, waste ink disposal costs fell by more than 70% with addition savings generated through smarter supply arrangements. By moving from top-down directives to a model based on enablement and ownership, Regency Park has not only improved its operational performance, but it has also strengthened engagement across its workforce. In a market where expectations around operational agility and cost-effectiveness are increasing, Opal’s MEx system empowers those closest to the business to choose the opportunities worth pursuing, delivering stronger returns, fuelling customer growth, and upholding best-in-class safety. Since the phased rollout began in 2024, plants running MEx have lifted overall equipment effectiveness by an average 13 percentage points, cut unplanned downtime by 27%, and reduced material waste by 15%. Daily huddles led by operators turn live production data into 24-hour improvement targets, while a digital action board feeds real-time issues to engineering and supply-chain teams. The result is faster decision-making, shorter change-over times, and a self-funding pipeline of machine-level enhancements. While the sector races toward advanced manufacturing, Opal is also leveraging its MEx program to pinpoint opportunities in artificial intelligence, steer automation projects, and lift the effectiveness of the assets they run. By embedding ownership and continuous improvement at ground level, Opal is setting a new benchmark for manufacturing excellence, one that puts people at the centre while unlocking the full potential of smart technologies on the production floor.

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The peak state body for the forest and timber industry in Queensland has welcomed the release of the draft Queensland Future Timber Plan which has received preliminary input from the Timber Supply Chain Ministerial Roundtable comprising industry, First Nation, forest science and building sector representatives. Source: Timberbiz “This draft plan provides clear recognition of the vital contribution this industry makes to the state economy as well as the social and environmental benefits from sustainably managed forests. For too long this sector has been neglected at the expense of rural and regional jobs, green building outcomes and housing affordability,” Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens said. “The Government listened to our call at the last election for a comprehensive plan to remove productivity barriers and has put the forest and timber industry back at the forefront of strategic economic development. “We support the plan’s key focus areas of securing future supply, delivering an internationally competitive supply chain, better regulation, workforce development and greater innovation and extension. “These focus areas will help deliver the additional resources, processing capacity and skilled jobs to meet the rising demand for timber building materials. “An important next step will be to identify and implement key actions to support the 25-year plan.” A number of areas that Queensland Timber is focusing on for key priority actions in the first 5-year period include: a targeted planting program of additional plantations to complement existing resources and downstream processing putting in place long term crown resource contracts for the native hardwood industry (noting most existing contracts expire at the end of 2026) a world class industry led private forest grower and landholder forestry extension service, including partnerships with indigenous communities lifting the international competitiveness of local growing and processing supply chains through investment in infrastructure, resource recovery and value added technologies. smoothing cyclical market fluctuations through long-term public procurement and leveraging major projects such as the Brisbane Olympics; removing sovereign risk through a long-term right to harvest in sustainably managed private native forests; and removing policy and financial barriers to investment in plantations and farm forestry such as existing impediments in the Land Restoration Fund. “We look forward to working with the Government on the co-designed strategy and actions to ensure a thriving and sustainable forest and timber industry into the future,” Mr Stephens said.

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The Queensland Crisafulli Government says it is delivering a fresh start for the forestry industry, launching the draft Queensland Future Timber Plan for wide-ranging public consultation. Source: Timberbiz This landmark initiative sets out how the Crisafulli Government will drive policy settings to secure the sustainable timber supply needed to build one million homes by 2044 all while supporting a sustainable resource, creating new jobs, and backing regional economies. The government says the plan will deliver a 25-year strategy for the forestry and timber industry, supported by a detailed 5-year action plan to guide the initial steps. It is a key component of the Government’s broader Primary Industries Prosper 2050 blueprint, which aims to boost Queensland’s primary production output to $30 billion by 2030. The Queensland Government said that over a decade, successive Labor governments made hollow promises, including action plans that were announced but never written, hundreds of millions of non-existent funding pledged, and a two-year supply study that was never delivered. Two industry roundtables have been held focused on meeting the growing construction demand while fostering sustainability and innovation across the supply chain. Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said successive Labor governments had failed Queenslanders and caused shortfalls in timber supply. “This plan is about securing a reliable and sustainable timber supply to meet Queensland’s growing housing, construction, and infrastructure needs, all while protecting jobs and building regional economies,” Minister Perrett said. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of Queensland’s forestry and timber industries and ensure there is renewable Queensland timber to build homes and deliver on our infrastructure needs. “The plan has been shaped by key industry leaders and now we want to hear from everyone — from timber producers, small and family businesses, manufacturers to environmental groups and regional communities.”

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In a world competing for impact and positive attention, we’re told to always promote your product’s positives and try not to make yourself look good by denigrating the competition and highlighting their weaknesses. The digital world though loves creating click bait and appealing to people’s concerns as opposed to their affirmations. Timber has taken the higher ground for years in terms of some real emotive negative lenses portrayed and promoted by competing materials. So, let’s set the record straight here… Timber is more fire predictable than steel – it doesn’t buckle in fire which happens quicker than charring of timber sections Timber is more thermally efficient than steel Timber is quieter than steel – it doesn’t go creak in the night with expansion and contraction due to temperature changes in the building Timber with H2F hazard class is termite resistant – a steel home is just as vulnerable as a timber home to overall termite damage throughout the fitout of the house such that the BCA requirements are no different Timber is forgiving in terms of onsite rectifications – trades know this, and they know that steel framing isn’t and that’s why they prefer installing timber frames and trusses Timber doesn’t corrode, buckle or creak in the night. And, whilst we’re setting the record straight, even though this opinion piece will probably be read by either already converted and the stalwart pro-timber ambassadors, The Block is claiming a meaningful focus on sustainability in its design and construction, and this is questionable in my opinion. The biggest ongoing positive impact that The Block could make if it was truly committed to sustainability over profit (from audience ratings) would be to insist that the five new builds this year were done with structural timber. The unbelievable sustainability focus that the show claims is besides the fact that every builder I speak with doesn’t respect or like the show in terms of how it portrays major renovations, or new home build projects. It shows unrealistic construction timelines, which translate to unreasonable pressure on trades, and an unhealthy client/builder relationship. Building a new home is such a big investment, emotionally and financially, and good reliable builders deal with this fact in their client journeys every day, so they don’t need the sensationalised drama of a “reality” show. However, along with the biggest emotional and financial investment, it’s also the biggest investment for positive climate change that a homeowner can make in their lives to insist on structural timber. I estimate that over the past 21 seasons of The Block, the show has constructed conservatively about 100 new home equivalents, as this is based on the fact that some years, the renovation was an existing apartment block structure and the detached house renovations were much larger than the average Aussie home footprint. Christine Briggs is the principal, Chris Briggs Consulting

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