Pirate-style wooden peg legs come to mind when thinking about “human body parts made out of wood“, but Norwegian scientists are talking nanocellulose, which together with nutrients and stem cells from an injured patient can help regenerate body tissue. Elsewhere, University of Maryland scientists demonstrate the bulletproof competence of “super wood“.

In other Wood news: the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) released its 2017 results—one billion board feet of new lumber demand—while the USDA has announced the referendum date to determine whether the SLB will continue for another five years. Meanwhile, APA – The Engineered Wood Association celebrated more than half a million publication downloads in 2017.

In Forestry news: heli-logging is being used to minimize the spread of Douglas fir beetles in BC; California’s timber battles have shifted from redwoods to Douglas fir; the Sierra Nevada is rethinking how it fights forest fires; and Colorado sees product opportunities after decades of pine beetle devastation.

Finally, another reason to hug a logger—BC logging truck driver saved a moose calf after it got stuck in a snowbank.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor