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has reduced damage from a level killing millions of seedlings each winter, to where freezing damage is
almost eliminated.
His book “Conifer Cold Hardiness” is the most authoritative reference on scientific and technical aspects
of this topic.
2. Nursery stock quality assessment – Steve introduced a system for evaluating the suitability for planting
nursery stock in the early 1990s. The system has tested samples from nursery stock crops representing
about 700 million trees.
The system provides a rapid, easily interpreted series of physiological tests of seedling quality. Practically
every year since its inception, the testing programme has identified nursery crops with otherwise unrecognized
problems, preventing these inferior seedlings from being planted and avoiding costly regeneration
failures.
3. Climate change impacts on forest sustainability – Climate change is the greatest ecological challenge
facing modern society and forests are a crucial part of a healthy planet. Since the 1980s, Steve has been
investigating the challenges forests will experience as the climate warms and precipitation patterns change.
He is one of Canada’s leading voices in developing climate adaptation strategies for forests.
4. Forest carbon storage – Forests store large amounts of carbon, both in the forest and in the products
society derives from them. Steve is the leader of Ontario’s Provincial forest carbon modelling group, one
of very few groups of its kind in Canada. Their work helps develop sustainable forest management providing
the greatest carbon storage to fight climate change, through a combination of strategies for sequestration
of carbon in forests, sustainable use of wood, and using wood to replace other building materials
that have much higher emissions of greenhouses gases (concrete and steel, for example).
In addition to the above contributions he has authored more than 100 scientific articles, two scientific
books, been an editor for several scientific journals, and is an adjunct professor at two universities.
Position: Research Scientist, Ontario Forest Research Institute
Education: Doctoral degree: University of Toronto - Master of Science: Lakehead University - Bachelor of
Science: University of Toronto
Publications and Awards: Recipient of the “Amethyst Award”. One of only 13 awards presented by the
Premier of Ontario in recognition of “outstanding achievement by an Ontario Public Servant”. Published
over 100 scientific articles, including 45 papers in peer reviewed scientific journals.
Published two books: Regenerating the Canadian Forest: Principles and Practice for Ontario (2000;
Fitzhenry & Whiteside Publishers) and Conifer Cold Hardiness (2000; Kluwer Academic Press)
Personal:
Steve and his wife Sonia live in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where the snow in 2009 has continued into late April.
They are both Canadians of Italian heritage, Steve’s family coming from Como and Sonia’s from Friuli.
Between them, they share five children and two German Shepherd dogs, Max and Boo. The dogs usually
will pay attention to Steve and Sonia – the five children less so.
Outside of work, Steve stays active by playing ice hockey several times a week and riding his bike to and
from work, even during the winter months when temperatures are well below freezing. Last year he trained
German Shepherd dogs in “protection”, in which he wore a special sleeve to teach the dogs how to
attack an intruder.
Steve is currently writing a non-science book, the true story of a Canadian soldier and a German paratrooper
from the Second World War, and the friendship they came to have at the end of the war.
PREMIO PRESTIGIO A
LAURO MARCHETTI
Per aver curato con passione e rispetto storico la progettazione e la conservazione
dell'Oasi di Ninfa, che dal 2000 è un Monumento Naturale della
Repubblica Italiana. Per aver istituito il primo corso di bird-gardening
nell'Agropontino ed aver promosso l'agricoltura con metodi biologici e biodinamici
sin dagli anni '80. Ha effettuato il primo censimento ornitologico e
vegetazionale dell'Oasi di Ninfa e collabora con il Ministero dell'Ambiente per
la compilazione della ricerca degli alberi monumentali d’Italia. Si è da sempre
dedicato alla diffusione della cultura del verde attraverso corsi di formazione,
libri e collaborazioni con programmi televisivi sul tema ambientale.
For having supervised the designing and preservation of the Ninfa Oasis with passion and historical
respect; as of 2000 it is a Natural Monument of the Italian Republic. For having set up the first course of
bird-gardening in the Agropontino area (Province of Latina) and promoted agriculture using organic and
bio-dynamic techniques since the 1980s. He carried out the first ornithological and vegetation census of
the Ninfa Oasis and he is working with the Ministry of the Environment on the compilation of research