Warren Mabee

BATAWA — Managed forests are important to Ontario’s landscape but “undervalued by government,” an expert told participants at Friday’s 28th-annual Trenton Woodlot Conference. Presented by the Hastings Stewardship Council and partners, the conference was a chance to learn about forestry but also many related fields. Booths included woodworking for sale, conservation groups, public health information about ticks and lyme disease, and invasive species. “The woodlots are critical in this part of the country … I think they’re undervalued by government,” keynote speaker Dr. Warren Mabee told a crowd of more than 200 people in the Batawa Community Centre. Mabee heads Queen’s University’s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy and is the Canada research chair in renewable energy development and implementation. He’s also a forester and woodlot owner.