WASHINGTON, D.C.—SCIENCEx is a new webinar series jointly produced by USDA Forest Service research stations. The series brings together scientists and land management experts from across the country to communicate and discuss the latest research and best practices for addressing large natural resource challenges. SCIENCEx webinars connect R&D science directly with federal, state, county, local and tribal land managers, offering pragmatic solutions and examples of how research can be applied.  

These webinars are organized as week-long webinar blitzes that examine research relating to geographic and topical aspects of a selected large land management topic.  In 2021, the topics will include invasive species, post-disturbance restoration and climate change.  The full schedule and daily themes, as well as connection information, can be found on the SCIENCEx webpage.

This effort was born out of the Fire x Fauna webinar series, which took place Nov. 16-19, 2020. Each day that week, scientists from across research stations explored the effects of wildfire and prescribed fire on wildlife in the United States. Presenters shared their research, followed by discussion of wildlife conservation and forest management goals in the context of fire. These webinars were extremely well attended, with a total of 2187 attendees over the week. Attendees included Forest Service employees, with many NFS biologists and forest managers, as well as representatives from other agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service.  

Keep your calendar open for:

• SCIENCE x Invasive Species, to be held during National Invasive Species Week, February 22-26, 2021.  Tune in 12:30-1:30 Pacific / 1:30-2:30 Mountain / 2:30-3:30 Central / 3:30-4:30 Eastern  
• SCIENCE x Disturbance Restoration, April 5-9, 2021. Tune in 11-12 Pacific / 12-1 Mountain / 1-2 Central / 2-3 Eastern  

Sign up to receive the National USFS R&D Newsletter for regular updates on the series.  If you wish to be added to the email list for outreach on SCIENCEx, or have questions or comments, please contact Lara.Murray@usda.gov.