Auburn University will host a virtual talk with Auburn alumnus Adam Howard ’97, director of farm operations at Arbor Day Farm, on April 29 as part of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences’ 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Howard is the second speaker of the virtual “7 for 75 Speaker Series” hosted as part of the school’s yearlong celebration, which began March 1. He will give a talk titled, “How the Arbor Day Foundation impacts our world through the power of trees.” Participants will learn about Howard’s time at Auburn, his career and current position as director of farm operations, the significance of Arbor Day and the critical role of the Arbor Day Foundation.
Arbor Day Farm, located in Nebraska City, Nebraska, encompasses 260 acres and is designed so visitors can experience the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.
“The Arbor Day Foundation is a global leader in the planting of trees worldwide,” Howard said. “It is here that I have grown into my current role impacting guests on property and creating a space that allows them to take the ethos of tree planting with them even after they leave.”
The seminar is open to the public via Zoom from 2-3 p.m. CDT at https://auburn.zoom.us/j/84987679613 and will be live-streamed via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ausfws/live/.
The “7 for 75 Speaker Series” was created to showcase distinguished alumni and industry leaders representing diverse forestry, wildlife and natural resource fields and enterprises. Speakers will cover a wide range of topics, from land management to current and future technology to stakeholder engagement.
“Adam’s impressive career with the Arbor Day Foundation is a testimony to his passion for sustainable forestry and his commitment to making a positive impact through leadership,” said Janaki Alavalapati, dean of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. “We expect his talk will be an inspiration for students who are exploring the vast array of rewarding career fields available within the forestry industry.”
Howard added, “Auburn prepared me to think big and to think differently. I credit Auburn for developing the leader in me and encouraging me to seek a not-so-standard avenue to the typical forestry career.
“I am way more hospitality now than forestry, but the core of Auburn, and the forestry principles learned, remains.”
The next speaker will be Dana Breed, global research and development director of packaging and sustainability at The Coca-Cola Company, who will discuss sustainable packaging trends and innovation on May 27 from 2-3 p.m. CDT.
More information about the anniversary celebration is available at https://cfwe.auburn.edu/sfws-75th-anniversary/.
