1 AIA LU|HSW

Join AIA COTE for an engaging presentation about the importance of our forests in Oregon and what is needed to make our forests more resilient to a changing climate. Ben Deumling from Zena Forest Products will also share how the architect’s role in utilizing wood in the built environment can play a part in supporting this forest resilience and the ramifications that specification decisions can have on Forest Ecology, Human Health, Equity and Rural Economies.   

Learning Objectives

Learning Objective 1:
Explore how forests act as critical carbon sinks and mitigate climate change and describe the interplay between forest ecosystems and global temperature regulation. By understanding this role, architects can better incorporate product specification decisions that improve forest ecology, preservation, and human health.

Learning Objective 2:
Describe the connection between healthy forests and public health outcomes, including air quality and mental well-being and explain how utilizing wood in the built environment can impact equity in rural economies, as well as how materials sourcing can impact habitat preservation and engagement in these communities.

Learning Objective 3:
Explore the perspective of a small, multi-generational, local forest product supplier and how they are fueled by a deep commitment to restore Pacific Northwest forests and bring the exquisite beautify of the forest to flooring projects, with a mission to steward a biodiverse and resilient mixed specifics and mixed-age forest in Oregon.

Learning Objective 4:
Analyze how partnering with the sustainability institute of a local university has increased awareness for sustainable forestry that is now forging a path toward a more sustainable and just world.

Speaker

Ben Deumling
Zena Forest Products

Ben Deumling grew up and has worked in the Oregon forest industry his whole life. He manages the family-owned Zena Forest, a 1,300-acre tract of forest in the heart of the Willamette Valley. He also runs Zena Forest Products, which is a sawmill and millwork facility that processes hardwood logs into high quality flooring. Ben was appointed to the Oregon Board of forestry by Gov. Kate Brown in 2021 where he helps to guide statewide forest policy.