Dr. David L. Wood 1931 – 2024
David Lee Wood, age 93, of Concord, California passed away on Saturday, February 10, 2024 with his wife Caroline and his family at his side. David was born in Saint Louis, MO.
David earned his B.S. degree in forestry at Syracuse University (1952) and a Ph.D. in entomology at University of California, Berkeley (1960). He was a Professor of Entomology at UC-Berkeley (1970-1994) and a Professor Emeritus and a Professor of the Graduate Division at the same institution. He has also served as Chair of Entomology (1985-1990) and as Associate Dean in the Graduate Division (1983-1985).
David was a longtime member of the California Society of American Foresters, earning his Golden Membership Certificate in 2003. He was also a Fellow in both the Entomological Society of America and the Entomological Society of Canada. David was a California Registered Professional Forester.
In California, David had a strong influence on a generation of land and resource managers and the pest control industry. He worked closely with the California Department of Parks and Recreation to develop an agency-wide appreciation for forest pest management. He taught the biology and identification of wood-destroying insects to an entire generation of pest control specialists in northern California. This outreach was facilitated at workshops sponsored by the UC Cooperative Extension, the Pesticide Applicators Professional Association, the California Forest Pest Council and various industry venues.
John Bryant 1934 – 2024
Long-time California SAF Member, John Bryant, passed away on Monday, February 12, 2024. John was a great leader and mentor – he spent his career with the USFS, he was a veteran of the Korean War, he led the effort to found the Cal Poly Urban Forestry Ecosystems Institute, and he responded to many FEMA assignments throughout the US and the Pacific Rim. John was involved with SAF throughout his career and he had a great influence on many of us who became leaders in the organization. He was a Golden Member as well as an SAF Fellow.
John earned his forestry degree from Humboldt State College. Much of his career in the Forest Service was spent on the Cleveland and Plumas National Forests, although he did work on other forests. He worked at three different California job corps centers and served nine years as the Greenville District Ranger on the Plumas. In his final assignment, he spent 15 years as the South Zone Coordinator for the Pacific Southwest Region at the Operations Coordination Center in Riverside, CA. After retiring from the Forest Service in 1994, John helped establish and direct the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute (UFEI) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for 10 years. During that time, he also worked with FEMA emergency teams addressing natural disasters in Chuuk, Guam, Palau and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina.
Throughout his career, he was a wonderful mentor to many colleagues, and a supporter and advocate for women and people of color in the Forest Service. He also was known for his love of good food, good wine, and he especially loved anything chocolate!
John and his wife Janet were also part of California SAF’s oral history project. For a brief overview of John’s career and many accomplishments, you can see his oral history here: Oral History Project
Peace.
