Forests, the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems, are central to life on earth and planetary and human health. Halting deforestation and forest degradation, restoring forests in landscapes degraded by unsustainable use, and expanding the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation, are global goals with diverse local implementation opportunities and challenges. Traditional Owners now manage a third of Australia’s forests, mostly for conservation and environmental services; state agencies manage another third. Plantation forests grow most of our wood. Farm forests improve agricultural productivity and sustainability. Urban forests make cities more livable and improve their residents’ well being. Wood from sustainably managed forests is often described as ‘the ultimate renewable’, and is now the basis of advanced engineered materials and buildings. Around the world, forests in their many forms, and how we conserve and manage them sustainably for their myriad services and products, are being re-imagined.    

Capitalising on these opportunities and addressing the associated challenges is both exciting and demanding. It requires innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving, drawing from a wide range of disciplinary and specialist knowledge. By completing courses across a broad range of knowledge bases and applied to forest science and management, you will develop the skills to integrate and adapt knowledge to design novel solutions to complex problems.