Any chance I get to pick this guy’s brain I do it! Garry has spent decades considering the clashing of two cultures, Indigenous and western culture, and how the miscommunication between them has built up barriers that are difficult to break through. Garry lays out his experience, as an Indigenous person, and as a forester, regarding the past present and future of land management, communication, and collaboration. He explains the earth-based land ethic held by many First Nations cultures, and how this land ethic may be the answer to many of our questions, or at the very least worth considering.

Episode highlight

Garry Merkel speaks about the role that earth-based land management practice plays in restoring ecosystem integrity and health.

Resources

Studies discussed by Garry in this episode regarding moose browse;

The exceptional value of intact forest ecosystems

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323399911_The_exceptional_value_of_intact_forest_ecosystems

Roads and their major ecological effects

https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.29.1.207

Nutritional Quality and Tannin Astringency of Browse in Clear-Cuts and Old-Growth Forests

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271694789_Nutritional_Quality_and_Tannin_Astringency_of_Browse_in_Clear-Cuts_and_Old-Growth_Forests

Reconciliation with Garry Merkel: https://yourforestpodcast.com/episode-1/2021/11/29/btlw1dfftblgwjopr1bsspxc8zvelt

Sponsors

West Fraser: https://www.westfraser.com/

GreenLink Forestry Inc.: http://greenlinkforestry.com/

Damaged Timber: https://www.damagedtimber.com/

Giveaway

Enter YourForest10 at checkout at the Damaged Timber store for a 10% discount!

Quotes

1.21.10 - 1.21.20: “The likelihood of you being earth-centered increases significantly when you understand that your survival is completely dependent on taking care of the earth.”

Takeaways

Public expectation (06.44)

Garry explains how the role of the forester has expanded over the years to address too many issues, including economic demands. This has contributed to the loss of ecosystem function and biodiversity.

Industrial Forestry (10.54)

Garry talks about how the negative effects of large-scale industrial forestry in BC have only been recognized in the last few decades.

Clear Cuts (19.45)

Garry points out that the primary harvesting system in BC is clear-cutting which sets the ecosystem back because of the amount of disturbance.

Learning the hard way (26.38)

Garry claims that our society is now making different choices after seeing the impact of past choices.

Synergistic land care (34.44)

Garry highlights how New Zealand, Australia and a town in Wisconsin have modified their land management systems to align with the indigenous land ethic.

Radical regenerative forestry (41.16)

Garry shares about groups who are working on regenerative forestry to restore the health of the ecosystem by shutting down industrial activities for a while.

Indigenous ethic (45.46)

Garry is working with UBC to create an indigenous land center to gather and document the earth-centered land ethic.

Outcome, not output (1.00.05)

Garry says that we need to be very conscious of cost and efficiency so that we can afford to conduct sustainable land management.

Relationship plans (1.10.27)

Garry, as a scientist, has found many instances where indigenous knowledge has “turned out to be way more valuable than scientific knowledge”.

Earth at the core (1.17.50)

Garry dispels the myths that earth-centered management is uniquely indigenous and that all indigenous groups have it.

Caring for the land (1.24.38)

Garry is a strong supporter of how earth-centered ideologies are translating to land stewardship systems, some of which are pragmatic and economically effective.

Nature is unpredictable (1.34.15)

Garry states that you are doomed to frustration if you assume that nature is predictable.

Positive change (1.39.44)

Garry’s way is to educate and engage all the relevant parties, bring in the best scientists and foster a covenant with everyone to achieve the best outcomes possible.

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