This week, take a second to meet one of our staff foresters, Ian Forte, who you’ll often find walking the trails with family forest owners in Pennsylvania. The Family Forest Carbon Program, developed by the American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy to help family forest owners to improve forest health and address climate change, wanted to help landowners overcome this barrier to action. To do this, AFF has expanded our staff to include foresters who are dedicated to supporting landowners interested in enrolling in the program. 

During his undergraduate program, Ian first discovered what forestry was all about. On a whim, he took a field course in dendrology, the study of trees, where he spent a majority of time learning about the tree and shrub species in the local forests. Ian found himself passing this knowledge on to others. His desire to teach others about forests prompted him to apply for a utility forester position with First Energy and the rest is history.

Working with landowners has always been Ian’s favorite part of his job. He often feels inspired by the care that the landowners take in maintaining their forests and their willingness to learn, engage and inform. Now working as a forester with AFF and the Family Forest Carbon Program, Ian feels that he is in an organization that aligns harmoniously with his passion for the outdoors and for working with landowners. He’s excited to be part of a team of like-minded individuals who complement each other’s strengths and are passionate about the work being done to help family forest owners address climate change.

In his spare time, Ian volunteers for programs that include planting trees at the Flight 93 Memorial, trash clean-ups along local creeks and rivers, e-waste recycling events, and food distribution events for the local food bank. Ian also enjoys hunting, kayaking, woodworking, leatherworking, painting, reading, and spending countless hours with his dog.