Richard Donovan: Sustainable Forest Management | The One Tree Planted Show

Richard Donovan talks about how to manage forests sustainably.

Richard Donovan is a heavyweight in the world of forestry. He was instrumental in the development of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and worked at the Rainforest Alliance for 27 years. He joins us to discuss the state of the world's forests, why planting and cutting trees is important, and why sustainable forest management is paramount.

Richard has lived all over the world and has many stories to tell and lots of wisdom to share. We talk to Richard about his work at the Rainforest Alliance and FSC, the ecological impacts of deforestation, why we plant trees and what options are available to forestry experts when managing forests. Richard also shares his thoughts on the future and how we can transition to a sustainable society.

Donovan was instrumental in the development of the Forest Stewardship Council, as a founding member and co-chairperson of the original FSC Principles and Criteria Working Group. He is a lead auditor for forest management, with extensive field experience in tropical, temperate, and boreal forests. He is an advisor to the World Wildlife Fund’s Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) globally and for North America. Examples of his recent work include senior oversight for the Rainforest Alliance’s evaluation of Asia Pulp and Paper’s (APP) Forest Conservation Policy, a co-author of the Rainforest Alliance’s position paper on deforestation and sustainability, and constant interaction with pulp and paper and palm oil companies and major retailers/brands on issues related to deforestation and sustainable sourcing.

Prior to joining the Rainforest Alliance, Donovan was a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, a natural resources specialist with the ARD, Inc. consulting firm, and a field project director for World Wildlife Fund-US and the Neotropica Foundation in Costa Rica. Donovan has a Master’s in natural resources management and administration from Antioch New England Graduate School. He is based in the Rainforest Alliance's Vermont office.

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