Forestry Profession and Practise
Dr. Ben Kuttner, PhD, RPF
Ben graduated in 1999 with a B.Sc.F. degree from the University of New Brunswick in Forest Resource Management with a minor in wildlife conservation. He went on to study small mammal responses to clearcut logging in northeastern Ontario and earned his Masters of Science in Forestry in from the University of Toronto in 2002. Following his Masters Ben worked as a Conservation Analyst with the Wildlands League – A Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and established Kuttner Forestry Consulting in 2003. Ben returned to the University of Toronto in 2004 to pursue his Doctorate (Ph.D. 2010). Ben’s Ph.D. research focused on examining the structural complexity of Boreal forests in northeastern Ontario, and developing forest structural classification systems using novel ground‑based approaches and remote sensing applications (e.g., LiDAR). Ben worked throughout his studies and earned experience as a utility arborist, wildlife research technician, undergraduate and graduate teaching assistant, and forestry auditor. He became a Registered Professional Forester (R.P.F.) in Ontario in 2001, and was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Ontario Forestry Association that same year (a position he held until 2010). Since 2003 Ben has also worked as a forestry consultant on a wide array of projects for government, industry, and ENGO clients. Ben now holds a MITACS Elevate Industrial Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Forestry. Ben’s current research interests surround enhancing forest inventory information in Ontario using new remote sensing technologies coupled with advanced digital aerial imagery, and related applications.
Urban Forest Conservation
Dr. Danijela Puric-Mladenovic, PhD
Danijela has forestry degrees from the University of Belgrade (BScF, MScF) and the University of Toronto (PhD). She holds an Adjunct Professor appointment with the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto and works as a Senior Analyst for Settled Landscape with the Southern Science and Information Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Danijela has practical and academic experience in conservation, restoration and long-term strategic planning and management of forests and vegetation in cultural landscapes and urban areas. Danijela also works closely with different levels of governments, stakeholders, NGOs, and community groups engaged in land and natural resources conservation, management, and planning, as well as with groups involved with forest and tree inventories in settled landscapes and urban areas. She unites forestry with conservation and landscape planning, spatial analysis (GIS), remote sensing and application of decision support tools. Within this professional framework, her work has an emphasis on: spatial and vegetation analysis; predictive modeling and mapping of present, past and future vegetation and species distributions; development of integrative and broad-scale sampling and vegetation inventory protocols; strategic and efficient collection of field data for various modeling, mapping, reporting and inventory needs; development of urban forest inventory protocols; forest planning and management in cultural landscapes and urbanized areas.
She has a broad range of teaching experience in class, outside/field or computer lab environments. Danijela has taught academic and professional courses as well as public education seminars in a range of subjects relevant to forest and forestry in urban and cultural landscapes. Areas of instruction include: dendrology, silvics, urban forest conservation, urban forest inventory methods, forest inventory and mapping methods, conservation and landscape planning, Marxan trainings, vegetation mapping methods, GIS and spatial analysis. Danijela brings experience and real world examples from Ontario, Europe and other parts of the world to her teaching.
Wood Protection and Design
Mike Cameron, B.Des
Mike Cameron teaches Joinery and Construction (online), and co-teaches Wood and Water (contact). He is an industrial designer with a background in furniture, woodworking, and strategic research-based design. His methodology utilizes traditional skills coupled with an understanding of modern commercial production techniques. An academic exchange in Finland allowed Mike to experience how cultural differences affect the physical appearance and methods of interaction of various objects. Mike holds a Bachelor of Design degree from OCAD University, and strives to enhance communication between engineers, scientists, and creative individuals.
Design has transcended beyond aesthetics and ergonomics, and instead encompasses any human interaction with a physical object or system. Mike is currently working with designers at the forefront of design strategy and innovation to tackle ‘big picture’ issues such as human waste management and sanitation in developing countries.
Wood Protection and Design
Dr. Sara Robinson, PhD
Dr. Sara Robinson is the advisor for the wood design and wood preservation certificate courses. She teaches Wood Anatomy and Properties, Wood in the Modern Age I and II, Wood and Water (online and contact), Composites and Construction, and The Psychology of Wood.
Dr. Robinson received her PhD in wood science from Michigan Technological University, and has a degree in art and design (woodworking concentration) from Northern Michigan University. Her research area at the University of Toronto is in spalting – the use of fungi to add decorative, non-toxic color to wood.
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