Blodgett Forest Research Station at Berkeley Forests

03/12/2026

Multiply your donation when you give to the Berkeley Forests Fund for today! Your donation directly supports and enables our 100-year tradition of management for forestry research, education, and demonstration for the benefit of all Californians. Across our six properties (nearly 10,000 acres total!) Berkeley Forests is working to answer California’s pressing forestry questions and your support goes a long way in supporting this mission!

March 12

12/04/2025

Registration is now open for the Forestry Institute for Teachers (FIT) 2026 summer program! Join fellow educators and natural resource professionals at one of FIT’s immersive, week-long professional learning sessions where teams of credentialed instructors and local experts weave environmental education curricula with unique forestry field experiences to help you explore conservation challenges, stewardship solutions, and critical careers across California’s forest ecosystems. Expect an enriching week of outdoor learning that will expand your perspectives and teaching practice!

PreK-12+ educators (formal and nonformal) of any subject matter are encouraged to participate. Consider attending with colleagues from your school site or district. Registration covers room, board, and materials.

Participants receive: 50 hours of interdisciplinary instruction aligned with state teaching standards, certifications in Project Learning Tree (PLT) and Project Water Education Today (WET), and upon program completion become eligible for a $200 stipend and 3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Visit https://www.forestryinstitute.org to learn more, receive updates, and apply

11/08/2024

Burning will continue today at Blodgett Forest to support long-term research and forest management goals. These burns are continuing the 20-year Fire and Fire Surrogates Study and are the 4th time fire has been used in these units. All burning is done with required permits and careful monitoring of weather and fuel conditions.

04/23/2024

Join us today at 4 PM for the final installment of the 2024 William Main Seminar Series! We are excited to welcome Dr. Keith Gilless, Professor Emeritus of Forest Economics, Former Dean of Rausser College of Natural Resources, and former Chair of the CA Board of Forestry (2013-2024), back to UC Berkeley as our final speaker.

Dr. Gilless will weave together insights from his impressive career to share his perspectives on the future of wood products, processing infrastructure, and woody biomass utilization in California.

Join over Zoom (link in flyer below) or on Berkeley campus in Mulford Hall Rm 132 at 4 PM.

04/09/2024

Interested in learning more about biofuels markets in California? Join us at 4 PM today for this weeks installment of the Main Seminar, focused on woody biomass utilization in California! Today we will be hearing from Elizabeth Betancourt, Natural and Working Lands Policy Advisor with the CA Dept of Conservation. Ms. Betancourt will be discussing the public value of biofuels projects, current and planned policies to expand CA markets, and possible funding frameworks to make these projects a reality.

Join over Zoom (link in flyer below) or on Berkeley campus in Mulford Hall Rm 132 at 4 PM.

04/09/2024

We are thrilled to announce our first El Dorado County Tree School! Registration is now open.

03/14/2024

Multiply your donation when you give to the Berkeley Forests Fund for today! Your donation directly supports and enables our 100-year tradition of management for forestry research, education, and demonstration for the benefit of all Californians. Across our six properties (nearly 10,000 acres total!) Berkeley Forests is working to answer California’s pressing forestry questions and your support goes a long way.

Click the link below to be show your support!

https://givingday.berkeley.edu/giving-day/76721/donate?des=400228&dept=77473

12/15/2023

Hiring for Berkeley Forests seasonal positions now open! Crews will gain exposure to a wide range of forest measurement, research data collection, and fuels management protocols and methods. Potential to contribute to management and research at several properties throughout the state.

Find all position details and how to apply at: bit.ly/2024crew

11/28/2023

Registration is now open for the Forestry Institute for Teachers (FIT) 2024 summer sessions! Join us at Blodgett or one of the other 3 amazing session across state!

FIT has proudly supported California educators for 30+ years to learn about the state’s forests in an immersive week-long professional learning program. At FIT, cohorts of educators work alongside natural resource professionals and credentialed instructors to explore the complexities of stewarding our forest ecosystems for current and future generations. FIT’s Natural Resource and Education teams weave environmental education curriculum with field-learning experiences that are relevant to participants’ daily lives and communities. Participants ultimately leave FIT empowered to share their learning in ways that enhance and support their current teaching practice.

PreK-12 educators of all subject matters and teaching settings (formal and nonformal) are encouraged to participate. Consider attending with colleagues from your school site or district to enrich your experience. Registration fee covers food, lodging and teaching materials.

Participants receive: 50 hours of interdisciplinary instruction aligned with state teaching standards and frameworks, certifications in Project Learning Tree (PLT) and Project Water Education Today (WET), and upon program completion become eligible for a $300 stipend, 3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and future specialized FIT professional learning opportunities!

For more information & registration steps please visit https://www.forestryinstitute.org

11/16/2023

Berkeley Forests and Rausser College of Natural Resources are excited to host Magnus Thor with Skogforsk, the central research body for the Swedish forestry sector, for the 2023 SJ Hall Lecture in Industrial Forestry. Join us for this lecture and hosted reception tomorrow, November 17th from 4 to 5:30 pm at the David Brower Center in Berkeley.

Magnus, the Director of Research and Innovation at Skogforsk, holds a MSc in Forestry and a PhD in Forestry from The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. His fields of research and interest cover forest operations, wood supply, and control of Heterobasidion root rot.

Magnus' presentation, Electrifying Forestry and Automating Forest Regeneration, will explore how new technologies such as electric log trucks and automated planting machines have performed thus far, and will inform foresters in California who are grappling with challenges ranging from large-scale reforestation to tightening emissions standards.

This in-person presentation open to all will also be followed by a reception (appetizers, beer, wine). To help us plan for the post-lecture reception, please RSVP at the link in the bio if you plan to attend.