SAF ForestEd
YP Meetup: Building and Navigating Your Forest Community
Includes a Live Web Event on 05/21/2026 at 2:00 PM (EDT)
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YP Meetup Session information
Young professionals in forestry and natural resources encounter many challenges that are unique to their situation. This webinar will discuss how other young professionals have navigated career transitions, worked to create community both in and out of the workplace, and the stressors that have accompanied them. Strategies on building community and how to manage these situations will be shared. Brittany Vanderwall, CF will share her experiences as a forester in northern Michigan and how these led her to run for city council to inspire change. Dr. Jessica Leahy will share how her research has looked at rural community and how to find your place no matter where you live and work.
This webinar will be live on Thursday, May 21, 2026 from 2 - 3:15 pm ET.
These sessions are
available for any SAF member in good standing under the age of 40.
Participating in these virtual sessions hosted by SAF's young professionals
is a great way to receive, contribute, and add value to your SAF membership. JOIN SAF to
engage in SAF's Young Professionals group and tap into the growing
membership benefits.
Is this program for you?
This YP Meetup is intended for SAF's Young Professionals. The Society of American Foresters (SAF) defines “young professional” as any member in good standing under the age of 40. While you may be young at heart, this program is reserved for the Young Professionals Group.
Registration
1. Click REGISTER to the right of the webinar title. Be sure to log in with your SAF account username and password.
2. After checking out, the YP Meetup will be available on your MY DASHBOARD page here on ForestEd.
For group registrations or registering someone other than yourself please contact membership@safnet.org or 202-938-3910.
Pricing
Registration is FREE ($0) for SAF Young Professionals. Registration is required to gain access to the session.
Access
The session is accessible within the Contents tab (to the right of the Overview information) and will be live on Thursday, May 21, 2026 from 2 - 3:15 pm ET.
This webinar will not be recorded.
Session duration
This program is 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Learning objectives
Upon successful completion of this YP Meetup, you will be able to:
1. Identify ways to develop communities of their peers.
2. Discuss the ways they can navigate stressors of their professional lives.
Rubric
Successful completion of the session is measured by participating in the entire program and completing the evaluation.
Evaluation
Participant feedback is appreciated to help improve and inform future programming.
CFEs
Upon successful completion, you will earn 1.0 CFEs in Category 1. CFEs will automatically be added to your CFE record located on www.eforester.org. You will receive CFEs for participating in the complete program and completing the evaluation.
Certificate
Upon successful completion of this webinar and the evaluation, participants may download and print a certificate verifying completion of the webinar and earning CFEs. CFEs will be uploaded to participant CFE records by the end of the day (11:59 pm ET). You must download your certificate by November 21, 2026 at 12:00am.
Return to Session
Once you are registered, access this session within your MY DASHBOARD. Prior to the start time, the program will be listed under "Upcoming Live Events." Following the end of the program, you can relocate it within the general listing of registered items of YOUR DASHBOARD.
Resources
Additional resources are available within the Resources tab and within the Contents tab.
Need Help?
For ForestEd questions, visit FAQs, email ForestEdSupport@safnet.org, or check out the registration quick tips in the Handouts tab. For questions about SAF Young Professionals, contact the Elizabeth Buhl at ebuhl@safnet.org. For technical assistance and questions about this session, email ForestEdSupport@safnet.org.
Refund
There is no fee for this session. Thus, it is a non-refundable item. Please view FAQs for additional information.
Brittany VanderWall
Midwest Senior Forestry Manager
Family Forest Carbon Program, American Forest Foundation (AFF)
Brittany VanderWall is the Midwest Senior Forestry Manager for the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP), which includes Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. She received her B.S in Forestry from Michigan Tech University and spent 8 years as a Conservation District Forester in Northern Michigan. Her role is focused on overseeing the FFCP regional technical assistance and managing a team of internal and external foresters.
Jessica Leahy
Professor of Human Dimensions
University of Maine - School of Forest Resources
Dr. Jessica Leahy was born and raised in Alaska, adjacent to the second largest state park in the United States. As a result, she's always been curious about the connection between humans and forests. She researches environmental attitudes and behaviors towards forests, forestry, and other natural resource management topics using a social psychology and communication approach. She tends to study four populations: outdoor recreationists, forest landowners, natural resource managers, and the “general public.” Her research program encompasses the role of social capital and trust in public involvement, participation, and citizen science; forest landowner decision-making processes; and influence of media and educational campaigns on attitudes and behavior.
Maxwell Schrimpf
PhD Student
Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Lab, University of Alberta
Elliot Smith (Moderator)
Big Darby Forestry Consulting
Amanda Penn (Moderator)
Forest Geneticist
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Quinn Kawamoto (Moderator)
Bureau of Land Management
Abigail Jamison (Moderator)
Pennsylvania DCNR
Hollis Crapo (Moderator)
Regulation Assistance Forester
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Husband and Father of four, Hollis works for Washington State’s Small Forest Landowner Office. Over the last decade he has worked in timber sales layout and forest regulation. He currently assists small forest landowners in navigating Washington state Forest Practices Rules, regulation, and permitting. He is a subject matter expert in Washington state Forest Practices Rules. He also has a professional interest in forest policy and agroforestry.
Clark Cederberg (Moderator)
Lyme Great Lakes
Ashley Garrison (Moderator)
Ashlee Lehner (Moderator)
Minnesota Forests
Amber Marchel (Moderator)
Lyme Great Lakes
Ashley Martone (Moderator)
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Blair Owen (Moderator)
Weyerhaeuser
Trevor Keough (Moderator)
Resource Analyst
Molpus Woodlands Group
Trevor received his bachelor's degree in Forest Operations from Paul Smith’s College in Northern New York. Post grad, he worked for Baillie Lumber Company as a log marketer before transitioning to a consulting forester position with F&W Forestry Services. While working, Trevor pursued his Master of Science through the Distance program with Mississippi State University with a focus on forest planning. After receiving his degree, Trevor went to work the Molpus Woodlands Group as a Resource Analyst.
Sean Horan (Moderator)
Elizabeth Buhl (Moderator)
Director
SAF
James Williams (Moderator)
Kyle Dues (Moderator)
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