A Story of Innovation with Ara Erickson, VP Sustainability, Weyerhaeuser

In this episode, we talk about lumber and, more importantly, sustainability within the timber industry.Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest timber companies in the world. They own nearly 12,400,000 acres of timberlands in the U.S. and manage an additional 14,000,000 acres of timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. In addition to its timberland business, Weyerhaeuser also has wood products used in millions of homes.Weyerhaeuser recently launched their 3 by 30 Impact Areas: three initiatives and goals in Climate, Affordable Homes, and Rural Communities.Our guest, Ara Erickson, joins the podcast to discuss her role as VP of Corporate Sustainability, where she is accountable for the development and implementation of the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, including three areas where the company is in a unique position to participate:Working forests contribution to climate change solutionsThe role of sustainable products in ensuring housing for everyoneSupport for thriving rural communitiesAra is a proven leader who also served as Director of the Green City Partnerships program with a regional conservation organization, Forterra, and a forest-based researcher, environmental consultant, and educator. She received her M.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington and her B.S. in Resource Management from the University of California, Berkeley. Today, she serves as a board member for American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States, is a founding steering committee member for the Women’s Forest Congress, and uses her voice to advocate for sustainable, working forests.Weyerhaeuser is a primary sponsor for Operation Tiny Home’s Building A Better Future for Veterans Program, providing funding and product donations to support us in building a tiny home to help Veterans in need.Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/