In the news: Danijela Puric-Mladenovic explains premature leaf loss in trees
In a news item for CTV online (Sept. 8), Assistant Professor and forestry expert Danijela Puric-Mladenovic explains how heat and dry soil conditions can trigger stress responses in trees. When moisture loss through leaves exceeds the amount of water absorbed by the roots, trees may shed leaves to conserve resources. Premature yellowing and falling leaves […]
Mass Timber Institute Newsletter – September 2026 edition
Click HERE for the September 2026 edition of the Mass Timber Institute newsletter featuring Daniels Faculty Associate Professor, Alex Lukachko.
‘Sustainability is about well-being for all’: Prof Shashi Kant receives Paul W. Fox Award
Professor Shashi Kant is the 2026 recipient of the Paul W. Fox Award at UTM (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn). Sustainability is a buzzword usually linked to environmental responsibility, but for Shashi Kant it’s about human flourishing more broadly. Driven by that belief, he not only created the groundbreaking Master of Science in Sustainability Management program […]
In the news: Forestry professors comment on fires that blaze throughout Canada
Photo by Izzy E on Unsplash As forest fires ignited across the country from Northern Ontario to British Columbia, expert foresters at Daniels have expressed their concerns to multiple news outlets. Professor Emeritus David Martell spoke with KamloopsBCNow and said Canada cannot realistically manage the vast boreal forest, which spans hundreds of millions of hectares, […]
Study shows how biochar helps green roofs remove methane from the atmosphere
Researchers from the Institute of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design have shown that adding biochar — a charcoal-like material made from wood waste — to green roof growth media substantially increases the roof’s ability to remove methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from the […]
Bioeconomy and Sustainable Materials Institute (BSMI) awarded Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Stage II Funding
The Bioeconomy and Sustainable Materials Institute (BSMI) has been awarded five years of funding from the Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Stage II Funding Program. Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) at U of T are cross-divisional, interdisciplinary research networks that address grand challenges, and associated research questions, that lead to transformational societal impact. BSMI will provide a pan-Canadian […]
Toronto Nature Stewards (TNS) volunteers strengthen Toronto’s urban ecosystems
In partnership with the City of Toronto, Toronto Nature Stewards (TNS) is a volunteer-driven environmental organization dedicated to restoring and protecting urban ecosystems. Since 2019, TNS has been hosted by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, led by Professor Sandy M. Smith‘s Urban Forest Health Lab. During the 2025 field season, […]
In the news: Professor Sandy M. Smith talks about the spotted lanternfly
Experts say a spotted lanternfly outbreak in Toronto is unavoidable, although the timing remains uncertain. Professor Sandy M. Smith, an internationally recognized expert in the ecology and biological management of invasive forest insects for urban forest restoration and conservation, has been recently interviewed by media outlets about the invasive insect that feeds on sap. Read […]
