CONFOR is a bilingual conference organized annually by and for graduate students studying Environmental Sciences and Forestry. The conference has been hosted by various Canadian universities for over twenty years. More than one-hundred students will benefit from this opportunity to share their ideas and research with their peers. This conference provides graduate students the opportunity to present recent and ongoing research in oral presentations and poster sessions, glean valuable feedback from peers, be engaged with inspiring talks from leaders in the field, and network with other students who have similar research interests. CONFOR is about bringing together today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders to share vision and inspiration for tomorrow’s forests.

The following areas of study are traditionally represented at CONFOR:

Graduate students of the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto are pleased to be hosting the 23rd edition of CONFOR. The conference will take place from January 29th – February 1st, 2009 at Geneva Park, outside of Orillia, ON. The conference theme, “Challenge and Change”, was chosen to reflect what we view as an exciting time in forestry. Forestry is a dynamic and multidisciplinary field; consequently, challenges and changes are evident in the ecological, economic and social spheres. Challenges are widespread and include the difficulties associated with long-term planning amid short-term uncertainty, maintenance of ecological integrity within managed landscapes, and negative public perceptions regarding forest management. Concurrently, changes are being acutely felt with fluctuating international markets, climate change, and increasing demand for adapted forestry practices such as certification and ecological management, to name only a few. Whilst many of the challenges and changes are immediately apparent and have been amply identified, the uncertainty that currently pervades forestry has by no means been ameliorated. Although understanding the problem is the first step towards a solution, we must remind ourselves of the importance of looking to and planning for the future. We must also recognize that it is through collaboration that solutions may be gleaned from our current situation. As graduate students, we have the unique opportunity and responsibility to address these issues, share our thoughts and research, and work together for the future of forestry in Canada. CONFOR 2009 will provide a unique opportunity to challenge ourselves and further inspire change.