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AHB Newsletter – Volume 3, No. 3 [Fall 2014]

Editor’s Notes

Welcome to the Fall edition of the AHB newsletter! The AHB Extension team has been showcasing the tremendous growth of poplars during summer field tours. Watch a new video describing the work of the Extension team, and see the poplar development at the Washington demonstration site. Another new video shows how poplar trees can be used to make products used in everyday life.

Our fall webinar series began with a September 17th webinar on the best locations for biorefineries. On National Bioenergy Day, October 22, we will host a webinar detailing policies for advanced biofuels in Oregon and Washington.

On our AHB home page we have added graphics to direct specific audiences to pages on our site with resources tailored just for them. You can check out the resources we have for policy makers, environmental professionals, educators, and resources in Spanish.

This issue of the AHB E-Newsletter focuses on how endophytes may help poplars deal with drought, teacher workshops in Oregon, and update from the short rotation woody crop conference in Seattle this summer. The AHB Extension Team is busy planning the National Energy Extension Summit to be held April 2015 in Seattle. Abstracts for the conference are being accepted through November 15, 2014.

Our last field tour this year will be at the Hayden demonstration site on October 6th. We look forward to seeing you there or as a participant in our fall webinars. To be more involved with the AHB project please complete our on-line stakeholder survey.

Patricia Townsend, Ph.D.
Regional Extension Specialist and Educator
Washington State University
patricia.townsend@wsu.edu

Two beakers of water with a poplar cutting in each one.

Microbes Give Poplars a Boost During Drought

Unusually hot summers and water stress can be a considerable challenge for the production of hybrid poplar trees for biofuel and biochemicals. Scientists like Zareen Kahn at the University of Washington are looking at ways to help hybrid poplars better tolerate drought.
Visit Microbes Give Poplars a Boost During Drought
A group of men and women standing in a poplar field looking at the trees

Biomass Professionals Gather at Woody Crops Conference

The Short Rotation Woody Crop Operations Working Group 10th Biennial Conference focused on production alternatives for short rotation woody crops. The conference brought together researchers, industry leaders, and Extension professionals from around the world.
Visit Biomass Professionals Gather at Woody Crops Conference
Teachers at a table using oil to make ethanol

Oregon State SMILE Program at the Forefront of Teacher Education

During an August workshop run by Oregon State University’s Science & Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) program, teachers engaged in problem-based activities they can use to introduce bioenergy concepts to their students.
Visit Oregon State SMILE Program at the Forefront of Teacher Education