Navigating Sustainable Forestry: Voices from the Field

The climate change task force (CCTF) will be hosting a sustainable forestry discussion on November 29^th. Please grab your tea and coffee and snack and sit in and learn together!

Join Us on Zoom – https://zoom.us/j/96274673147

This is an opportunity for us all, regardless of our current level of knowledge, to listen and engage in some discussion around where we are and where we might need to go in Nova Scotia to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for our forests.

The CCTF is multisectoral and we want to bring people together from a variety of sectors and from different perspectives within sectors as well. We believe we need to learn and make change together. We have asked two young professionals who work in the industry in Cape Breton to come and share with us their knowledge and experience. And we have asked ACAP CB director Kathleen Aikens, with Habitat Restoration Technician Morgan Campbell to share ACAP’s perspectives on valuing forests.

Please join us for 30 – 45 minute info sharing followed by reflections and discussion. An informed public is key to our ability to impact climate change. Hope to see you on Zoom!

Who is Kirsten Campbell?

Kirsten grew up on the Orangedale Rd to a family involved in forestry and farming. Her love for the woods came when my mother said “if you’re staying inside you’re helping me clean!” needless to say we can guess what she chose.

She attended Agricultural College in Truro graduating with an animal science diploma, milked on an organic dairy farm outside of Wolfville and at another dairy farm in Mabou. Then attended NSCC for the Environmental Technology Diploma, and onto New Brunswick to the Maritime College of Forest Technology graduating with a forestry and fish & wildlife diploma. Kirsten worked with Port Hawkesbury Paper (PHP) for 6 years as the first female woodlands supervisor. She is currently the manager of the Cape Breton Private Land Partnership (CBPP)

Who is Paul Bickerton?

Paul has been with Port Hawkesbury Paper for 6 years, having started in 2016 as an Operations Supervisor and later moving into the role of Planner. Prior to moving back home to CB Paul worked in the woods of Alberta and later Northeastern US doing timber and carbon credit surveys. Paul graduated from the Maritime College of Forest Technology in Fredericton in 2014 and from CBU with a Bachelor of Arts in 2011.

Paul currently lives in Sydney with his wife Nicole and 2 cats and 2 dogs. When he’s not in the woods, (which isn’t very often) he’s enjoying the nerdy things in life, be it books/games/movies/etc!

Who are Kathleen Aikens and Morgan Campbell?

Kathleen Aikens is the Executive Director of ACAP Cape Breton, an environmental non-profit focused on practical solutions that help protect and restore our natural environment. Kathleen holds a PhD in environment & sustainability studies, and a MSc in Natural Resource Sciences. Kathleen loves exploring the forest, particularly with children (often her own). She enjoys work that allows her to collaborate with others and solve complex problems.

Morgan Campbell is a Habitat Restoration Technician with an education in Natural Resources Environmental Technology from NSCC. Morgan is ACAP CB’s chainsaw operator on the stream restoration team, clearing debris jams, carving digger logs and covered bank structures. Morgan’s passions are in sustainable forestry, where good scientific practices help support healthy ecosystems and preserve intact forests. When not on the trails, you can find Morgan around a campfire with good friends.

The Climate Change Task Force is made up of a group of citizens of Unama’ki Cape Breton, deeply concerned about environmental degradation and climate change and the impacts on all living beings. We aim to promote environmental awareness and concrete action to combat climate change through education, advocacy, community mobilization, and investment in local green initiatives. With the belief that locally focused activity is an essential building block to broader social change, we aim to act locally while thinking globally.