Jessica Leahy, Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, UMaine, Orono

“As a forestry professor at University of Maine, you might think I look first at the trees when I watch From Stump to Ship. It’s the people I notice instead. We have a long history of employment in the forest products sector, as this film suggests. It’s important to realize that even now, one in 24 jobs in Maine are tied to the forest sector. We are twice the national average in terms of people who work in this field. The people and range of careers are much more diverse now. 

 I look at the trees, too. Most look like immature white pine that should have grown more. I feel it’s important that people know we’ve come far in forest management since this film. We have inventories, maps, technology, equipment, forest practice laws, and policies that enable us to strive for better stewardship.”

Growing up in Alaska, Jessica Leahy has always been curious about the connection between humans and forests. She moved to Maine in 2005 to become a forestry professor at the University of Maine. She researches environmental attitudes and behaviors towards forests, forestry, and other natural-resource management. In her spare time, she and her husband work on their woodlands, which includes the Wicopy Woods Tree Farm in Sebec.