Older News Items
Don Riemenschneider 1950-2021
Well-known Lake States forest geneticist Don Riemenschneider passed away in Marshfield, Wisconsin on April 4, 2021 at the age of 70. The following is extracted from the obituary published by the Hildebrand-Russ funeral home in Rhinelander, WI. . . . MORE (posted April 2021)
Carl Mohn 1935-2019
Carl Mohn, a long-term faculty member in the Department of Forest Resources, passed away on August 8, 2019. Carl was a professor at the University of Minnesota from 1970 to 1997, teaching dendrology and forest genetics, advising numerous graduate students and researching ... MORE (posted August 2019)
New Life for International Poplar Commission (IPC)
The potential of fast-growing trees to improve the environment and people's livelihoods has gained added recognition from the highest body of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN. The FAO Conference has approved new language expanding the scope of the International Poplar Commission. . . . MORE (posted July 2019)
Poplar and Willow Roadmap
The Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest project of the U.S. has announced the release of a new paper describing how poplar and willow grown in environmental applications could be used for the production of renewable fuels and bio-based chemicals. Written by a coalition of poplar and willow researchers from across the U.S. . . MORE (posted March 2019)
Wayne Young, 1954-2018
The Poplar and Willow Council of Canada was saddened to learn of the passing of Wayne Young in hospital at Nipigon in Northern Ontario in August 2018. Wayne grew up on the family farm in Plympton Township in southwestern Ontario, beginning his education in a one-room schoolhouse. He obtained a forestry . . . MORE (posted August 2018)
Poplar containment
The largest field-based study of genetically modified forest trees ever conducted has demonstrated that genetic engineering can prevent new seedlings from establishing. The "containment trials" that Oregon State University engineered in poplar in this study are important because of societal concerns over . . . MORE (posted August 2018)
Poplars and Willows in the Land of the Hodag
An international short rotation woody crops conference took place in July 2018 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. A joint meeting of the Short Rotation Woody Crops Operations Working Group of the USA, the Poplar and Willow Council of Canada, Working Party 2.08.04 (Physiology and Genetics of Poplars and Willows) and . . . MORE (posted August 2018)
Richard (Dick) Pharis 1937-2018
Poplar scientists in Canada and around the world were saddened to learn of the recent death in a Calgary hospital of Dr. Richard (Dick) Pharis. Dick's long career of research and teaching in plant physiology, particularly with plant growth hormones (gibberellins), brought him international recognition. He conducted his research ... MORE (posted August 2018)
Phytoremediation with poplars
Sharon Doty, a professor in the School of Environmental and Forestry Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle and her plant microbiology lab are interested in using natural plant microbe partnerships to improve plant growth with less input of chemicals and water, to remove environmental pollutants, and ... MORE (posted September 2017)(VIDEO link posted January 2018)
Mike Carlson 1944-2017
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dr. Michael ('Mike') Carlson at his home in Vernon, BC on the 25th of September 2017. Mike had been diagnosed with ALS earlier this year. He is survived by his ... MORE (posted October 2017)
John Balatinecz 1937-2017
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of John Balatinecz who died August 6th, 2017 in the Toronto area. 'Big John', as he was popularly known, was one of the Hungarian foresters who came to Canada in 1956 when the Sopron Forestry Faculty and students moved en masse from Hungary to Vancouver ... MORE (posted August 2017)
AGM in Edmonton
Edmonton was the venue for the June 2017 gathering of the Poplar and Willow Council of Canada (PWCC). As it has done on a number of occasions in the past, the Council chose to meet in conjunction with a larger event of interest to PWCC members. In this case it was the 11th North American Forest Ecology Workshop.... MORE (posted July 2017)
7th issue of IPC Newsletter
The 7th issue of 'Poplar and Willow News', the newsletter of the International Poplar Commission (IPC), has recently appeared. Published once or twice a year by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, of which IPC is a statutory subsidiary body ... MORE (posted April 2017)
Fall 2016 Newsletter released
The Fall 2016 issue of the Poplar and Willow Council Newsletter is now available on this website. The issue features a complete illustrated article on the 2016 annual gathering of the Council held in Regina and Indian Head, Saskatchewan in July ... MORE (posted November 2016)
IPC 2016
The 25th Session of the International Poplar Commission took place in Berlin, Germany from September 13 to 16, 2016, hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with the support of the Agency for Renewable Resources and FAO. IPC meets in ... MORE (posted February 2017)
Carl Douglas
The poplar community was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Carl Douglas in a tragic mountain-climbing accident on July 25 in Glacier National Park. He was climbing with two mountaineering friends when a piece of rock gave way as he placed his weight on it ... MORE (posted July 2016)
AGM 2016
The annual meeting of the Poplar and Willow Council of Canada (PWCC) for 2016 was held in Regina, Saskatchewan from July 19th to 20th. The two-day meeting was hosted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and smoothly organized by PWCC Chair Raju ... MORE (posted October 2016)
Poplars fix N
Sharon Doty, an associate professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and chair of the Environmental Applications Working Party of the International Poplar Commission, has been studying nitrogen fixation by bacteria living in poplar ... MORE (posted May 2016)
Nouvelles publications disponibles
Dix fiches d'information sur les clones de peuplier sont maintenant publiées sur le site Web du Conseil canadien des peupliers et des saules. Ces fiches, d'une page avec photos, décrivent dix clones de peupliers hybrides sélectionnées et déployés au fil des ans ... »
6th Issue of IPC Newsletter
The 6th issue of 'Poplar and Willow News', the newsletter of the International Poplar Commission (IPC) has recently appeared. Published 2 or 3 times a year by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, of which IPC is a statutory subsidiary body and produced by ... MORE (posted February 2016)
Fall 2015 Newsletter released
The Fall 2015 issue of the Poplar and Willow Council Newsletter is now available on this website. The issue features a complete illustrated article on the 2015 annual gathering of the Council held in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec ... MORE (posted November 2015)
PWCC Event in Abitibi-Témiscamingue
The annual gathering of the Poplar and Willow Council of Canada for 2015 took place in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of north-west Quebec in mid-September. The small but enthusiastic group of 17 participants enjoyed three days of presentations, discussion and field visits ... MORE (posted December 2015)
Call for proposals to host 7th International Poplar Symposium
The Poplar and Willow Genetics Working Party of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) convenes an International Poplar Symposium (IPS) every four years. ... A call has been issued for proposals to host the next event ... MORE (posted February 2016)
How willows decontaminate soils
Michel Labrecque of the Institut de recherche in biologie végétale of the University of Montreal has written an article for the GenoRem team he heads describing the GenoRem project which is investigating how willows and their associated microbes decontaminate soils. MORE (posted July 2015)
5th issue of IPC newsletter
The 5th issue of `Poplar and Willow News`, the newsletter of the International Poplar Commission (IPC), has recently appeared. Published 2 or 3 times a year by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, of which IPC is a statutory subsidiary body, and produced by ... MORE (posted July 2015)
Shelterbelts provide habitat for birds and beneficial insects
A recent news article by Alexis Kienlen in 'The Manitoba Co-operator' (May 14, 2015) describes the efforts of a new Working Group - the Habitat Working Group - to inform prairie farmers about the importance of conserving wooded habitat, including poplar shelterbelts ... MORE (posted June 2015)
Poplars fix N
Sharon Doty, an associate professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and chair of the Environmental Applications Working Party of the International Poplar Commission, has been studying nitrogen fixation by bacteria living in poplar ... MORE (posted February 2015)
IPS VI - final news bulletin
The Organizing Team for the International Poplar Symposium VI (IPS VI), held in Vancouver, BC in July 2014 is pleased to announce that IPS VI generated a surplus of $31,773 CAD for the combined symposium and ... MORE (posted May 2015)
New publications available
Several interesting and useful publications providing information about poplars and willows have recently become available online: ... MORE (posted April 2015)
UBC scientists uncover cause of poplar-killing fungus
Forest scientists at the University of British Columbia believe they've discovered the root cause of a deadly tree fungus: extra genes. The fungus, Mycosphaerella populorum (earlier known as Septoria musiva), uses extra genes ... MORE (posted March 2015)
Poplar seed fibres tackle pollution
A company based in Slovenia is interested in acquiring large quantities of poplar seed fibres for use in combating global pollution by mopping up spills. PAM approached the International Poplar Commission (IPC) for help ... MORE (posted March 2015)
Winter 2014 Newsletter
The Winter 2014 issue of the Poplar and Willow Council of Canada Newsletter is now available on this website. The issue features the annual report of the Chair and Technical Director of the Council given at the 2014 meeting ... MORE (posted December 2014)
4th Issue of IPC Newsletter
The 4th issue of an international newsletter providing news and information about poplars and willows has recently appeared from the International Poplar Commission (IPC). The newsletter entitled 'Poplar and Willow News" ... MORE [posted December 2014]
IPS VI held in Vancouver
The 6th International Poplar Symposium (IPS) was held at the University of New Brunswick in Vancouver, Canada in July 2014. The theme for this major international conference attended by 200 participants from around the world and organized under the auspices ... MORE [posted Sep 2014]
New name for Poplar Council
As a result of decisions made by members attending the annual general meeting held July 21, 2014 in Vancouver, the Poplar Council now has a new name: Poplar and Willow Council of Canada ... MORE [posted September 2014]
Fall 2014 Newsletter issued
- View the newsletter, issued October 2014.
New issue of IPC Newsletter
- View the IPC Newsletter, issued August 2014
2013 annual meeting held
The annual PCC meeting was held in Charlottetown, PEI on June 19-21 in conjunction with the 13th biennial North American Agroforestry Conference of the Association for Temperate Agroforestry ... MORE [posted Aug 2013]
Genetics workshop and field tour held
A very successful workshop and field tour was held in Quebec August 21-23, 2012. The event was organized by the Genetics and Breeding Working Group of the Poplar Council. ... MORE [posted Sep 2012]
PCC Board members honoured
Two long-time members of the Poplar Council of Canada, Annie DesRochers and Bill Schroeder, have been honoured recently for their professional and scientific accomplishments. ... MORE [posted Oct 2012]
New funds for U of Saskatchewan agroforestry research
Ken Van Rees, Director of the University of Saskatchewan's Centre for Northern Agroforestry and Afforestation, and Board member of the Poplar Council of Canada, shares in $3.4 million of new funding received by the U of S from Agriculture and Agrifood Canada ... MORE [posted Feb 2013
USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program
The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) of the USDA Farm Service Agency “provides financial assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and non-industrial private forest land who wish to establish, produce, and deliver biomass feedstocks.” ... MORE [posted Feb 2013]
