SFEC's Ecosystem Silviculture Certificate Course offers natural resource professionals a deep dive into the theory and practice of ecological silviculture in Minnesota forests. The course includes classroom, field, individual project, and a small amount of online instruction. The purpose is to build relationships and offer opportunities to explore applied techniques to improve forest ecosystem health, productivity, and resilience.
The course is ideally suited to NR professionals with at least a few years of experience, looking to develop deeper applied knowledge, build a larger professional network, and grow their communication and leadership skills.
With the 2026 offering of the Ecosystem Silviculture (Ecosilv) course, the certificate is earned by attending a mix of dedicated and open workshops and completing a series of readings, discussions, and projects. In other words, some required Ecosilv classes will be SFEC workshops that are open to all, while others are open only to Ecosilv course participants.
Several cross-cutting themes run through most or all offerings: climate adaptation strategies and tactics, silviculture theory and practice, operational and economic considerations, effective communications, and others.
Modular format
We’ll do two things differently moving forward: 1) for every event SFEC offers, we’ll indicate which Ecosilv credits it satisfies (if any); and 2) we’ll commit to offering all of the workshops participants will need to complete the certificate every year. Some sessions will be open only to Ecosilv course participants. For the others, Ecosilv course participants may be joined by other learners.
Requirements to complete the program
To complete the program and receive an Ecological Silviculture certificate, participants must complete one workshop that satisfies each of the course requirements. The modular format means that participants will have more flexibility in how they access the content. They’ll also have to complete and present a project of their own choosing, developed and supported with input from their supervisor and the lead instructor.
Paying for the Course
The certificate course has two cost components: A $300 certificate course registration fee and the cost of the workshops themselves. The $300 fee covers course administration expenses, Zoom office hours, individual project support, and other costs unique to the course. This fee will be paid as soon as participants decide to enroll in the course.
Participants will have two options to pay for the workshop component. The cost should be the same, but some organizations or individuals may prefer one option:
- Prepay for the entire Ecosilv certificate course. For SFEC members, this cost would equal the $300 course registration fee plus 8 SFEC workshops, or $300 + $75 x 8 = $900. Should you choose to substitute non-SFEC offerings for some credits, SFEC can apply your payment to other events. (More on this under Course Content below.) NOTE: If your employer is not an SFEC member, your costs will be closer to $550 + $140 x 8 = $1,670*.
- Register for the $300 certificate course, but pay as you go for the workshop content. In this case we bill the opening session at $375 to bundle the course registration and Feb. 4 workshop fees.
Under either option, credits must be completed within two years.
Participants can claim credits for workshops attended up to 1 year before paying their certificate course registration fee. To request credits for past work, contact the lead instructor.
*These are typical SFEC workshop costs; occasionally workshop costs may vary. If you prepay for credits, you are good to go regardless of individual workshop costs.
Course Timing
The cohort enrolling in Spring 2026 will be considered the Class of 2026. They will have an opportunity to present their projects in late fall 2026. After that, we expect an approximately annual cycle of enrollment and graduation. As noted above, students will have the option to extend their schedule by up to one year, but must complete the course no longer than two years after enrollment. SFEC is committing to offer at least one opportunity to satisfy all credit requirements every two years, but likely more than one. Talk to us about substituting non-SFEC events for some credits.
Course content
Here's a list of all the required Ecosystem Silviculture course credits. To obtain your Ecosystem Silviculture Certificate, you must:
- Register and attend the course overview and silviculture review, currently scheduled for February 4, 2026 in Cloquet;
- Complete workshops that satisfy each of the 6 other content sessions; and
- Complete a written and oral presentation to your Ecosilv cohort and instructors.
This adds up to 8 total sessions: Overview, 6 content sessions, and project presentations.
Recommended 2026 course sessions
- Optional info session: Thursday January 15, 2026 from 3:00-4:00pm via Zoom. Register here.
- Required: Course overview and silviculture review (Ecosilv cohort only): February 4, 2026.
- Soils and Landforms (March 12, 2026; open SFEC event)
- Field Site Assessment and Prescription Writing (May 27, 2026; Ecosilv cohort only)
- Field Applications: Three ECS Systems (see upcoming events; open SFEC events). We recommend the May Fire-Dependent Forests, June Mesic Hardwood Forests, and June Wet- and Ash-dominated Forests sessions, but substitutions are allowed
- Getting it Done: Treatment Design and Implementation (August 4, 2026; Ecosilv cohort only)
- Student Project Presentations and Certificate distribution (Nov. 5, 2026; Ecosilv cohort only)
Frequently asked questions
Q: What are the actual benefits of taking this course?
A: Past graduates mention building a network of professional resource managers from other public and private organizations; these relationships tend to last for many years. They appreciate the deep dive into ecological silviculture theory and practical applications. And the certificate from the U is something you can put on your resume, and may also be recognized as an important accomplishment by your employer.
Q: Is the course focused on northern MN forests and wildlife species or is there adequate info to apply to southern forests and wildlife?
A: Both! Most of SFEC's workshops are offered in northern MN, but the newly redesigned course allows you to pick the workshops most relevant to your work. This fall we have two credit-eligible workshops in southern MN, as listed in the previous section.
Q: Seriously, there's no module on climate adaptation???
A: Several concepts are so central to resource management that they're woven in to everything we do. At every workshop we'll talk about climate adaptation considerations, communications, operational and economic considerations, and a variety of perspectives on the issue at hand.
Q: Who is the course designed for? Professional foresters or students?
A: The course is designed for professional natural resource managers: Foresters, wildlife managers, water resources folks, and others.
Q: What knowledge are you assuming we have coming in to the course?
A: We assume you have a sufficient level of silviculture and resource management knowledge to be working as a professional resource manager in Minnesota. We'll expect that you can ID common Minnesota trees. But naturally, we expect a range of knowledge among participants. We'll make recorded content available to get you up to speed, and will expect you to be familiar with it before the course introduction session.
Q: Will any Traditional Ecological Knowledge be taught, or offered?
A: Yes. We expect several Tribal resource managers to participate. We see every participant as both a teacher and a learner. The course content will vary based on the workshops you elect to take, but Tribal and TEK perspectives will be presented throughout the course.
Q: Is the course offered remotely or in-person?
A: Most course sessions will be offered in-person. Where possible, we will make a Zoom option available, but we are primarily designing for in-person. Also, because many participants find the relationships they build are are as important as the content knowledge, you may get more out of in-person participation.
Q: The required project at the end makes me nervous. How will that work?
A: The course is not just about content knowledge, it's also about building a sense of inquiry as well as confidence as a communicator. The project will give you a chance to dig into a question that interests you. You'll work with the instructor to develop a project question and a plan to address it. At the end, you'll write it up in a 4-6 page report and present it to your peers in the course. We'll support you in developing your project throughout the course.
Q: This is confusing, can you just explain it to me?
A: Yes! We have an Ecosilv course info session scheduled on Thursday January 15, 2026 from 3:00-4:00pmm. Register here. We will share a recording link if you can't make it.
For questions about the Ecosilv certificate course, contact lead instructor Eli Sagor at [email protected] or (218) 409-6115.