Innovations, sustainable work highlight CoFI project

The Centre of Forest Innovation (CoFI) – established five years ago by the Province through NSCC to support ecological forestry practices – is wrapping up its operations. As CoFI winds down, its work will be integrated into existing programs and departments at the College.

With the centre having delivered on its mission and some of the original five-year funding now concluding, work continues on finalizing two innovative pilots:

• The five-week elective for Natural Resources Environmental Technology students to meet the new national forest technologist standard; and
• Curriculum redevelopment to decolonize forestry training for both woodland stewards and new professionals practicing ecological forestry.

Philip Dawe, NSCC’s Dean for the School of Technology and Environment says, “Thanks to the engagement from this enthusiastic and committed community, significant progress has been made to promote resource stewardship that values climate and biodiversity, alongside timber and operational needs, while honouring Nova Scotia’s call to do forestry differently.”

The College is committed to continuing the great foundation built through the Centre with the support of sector leaders, including:

• Expanding the Natural Resources Environmental Technology (NRET) program
• Earning national recognition for NRET from the Canadian Institute of Forestry in 2022 (hosting the Silver Ring ceremonies each spring since)
• Investing in the Truro Centennial Building and upgrading Gitten’s Lodge and woodlot for teaching and community use
• Setting up an annual equity bursary through NSCC Foundation (that continues through this year)

The College will continue to support:

• Ongoing collaboration with the Family Forest Network
• The Equipment Rebate Program through to December 2026[Du1.1] and further (as determined by individual contract dates)
  • with compliance checks, site visits, and the collection and analysis of harvesting reports – with the goal of producing outputs that are directly useful to forest contractors and the broader forest sector
• Funding to support both the continuation of the NRET section in Truro for 2026-27 and Program Assistants for the NRET program sections at Strait Area and Lunenburg Campuses
• Contract and continuing education for the forest sector, such as training new harvest operators, through NSCC’s Innovation and Workforce Development Division
• Applied Research opportunities generated by COFI initiatives with sector partners
• Continued evolution of the NRET program

Philip says the team involved should be proud of the work they helped advance in the field through initiatives that ranged from:

• helping companies like Murray Reeves Forestry test new approaches to enhance forest resilience
• supporting a family-run business like L&L McGrath Brothers through funds to help them upgrade to more modern forestry equipment
• assisting Cape Breton birchbark extract skincare manufacturer Maskwiomin grow its business operations
• enhancing opportunities for learners to study and grow through the College’s NRET studies.

All of the centre’s efforts over the past five years will continue to foster a sustainable future for our forests and those playing a part in their stewardship.

Philip adds, “We’re so grateful to all involved in fostering this important initiative by addressing critical needs within one of our most vital natural resource sectors – helping transform a key resource sector essential to the prosperity of rural Nova Scotia.”

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