Tag: Outreach

Grant to Clemson University Supports CAFMS Outreach

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Although fires have roared through the Appalachian Mountains devouring thousands of acres since October, a Clemson University professor wants people to understand not all fires are bad. Rob Baldwin, a forestry and environmental conservation professor, has received a three-year grant for $216,000 from the U.S. Forest Services to develop outreach activities for the Consortium of Appalachian Fire…  More 

Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program

by Caroline McGough, Forest Health Protection  • 
The U.S. Forest Service has teamed up with ESRI to create an exciting new tool for the Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Prevention Program. This web-based application is called a story map, which is designed for users to navigate through interactive maps accompanied by multimedia content and informative text. The information is provided by the Forest…  More 

Digging up Past Connections at Bent Creek

by Henry McNab, SRS Upland Ecology and Management Research  • 
A rock protruding through the grass in the lawn at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest was the beginning of a part time, amateur archaeology “dig” for Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) employee, Linda Benz. It is well known that rocks and whirling lawn mower blades are a bad combination, so when Linda noticed an exposed…  More 

Black Belt Forestry

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
After the Civil War, former African American slaves were deeded or bought property across the South, but in subsequent years often lacked the money for — or were denied access to – the legal resources needed to establish title to the land. As a result, much of this land was passed down through following generations…  More 

Paris of the South, Beer City — and Now Climate City

by Patty Matteson, SRS Communications  • 
A recent conference titled “Measure Locally, Respond Globally” brought 35 journalists to Asheville, North Carolina, to learn more about what researchers and entrepreneurs are doing to address climate change — and may have also sparked a new nickname for the city of Asheville. The conference, held August 15 and 16, was sponsored by the National Association of…  More 

A Homeowners Guide to Dealing with Storm-Damaged Trees

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Whether trees are damaged by hurricanes, tornadoes, intense rainstorms, or ice storms, they need to be carefully assessed to ensure the safety of homeowners and property. It’s also important to carefully assess whether a damaged tree can be saved, and if so, what actions can be taken to ensure and maintain optimal health.The following are…  More 

Can Urban Forest Settings Influence How Well Children with Autism Manage?

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
In late July, USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the four recipients of the 2016 USDA Forest Service’s National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge grants. One of the four, the winning proposal from Georgia State University (GSU), investigates the impact of natural environments such as urban and community forests on symptom expression in children with…  More 

Serra Hoagland’s Milestone Achievements

by Teresa Jackson, SRS Partnerships  • 
Serra Hoagland, biological scientist with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS), graduated from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in May with a Ph.D. in forestry. In addition to receiving her Ph.D., she received the honor of being the first Native American to receive a doctoral degree in forestry from NAU, and is only the third…  More 

Expanding the Reach of Forest Data and Research with Story Maps

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) unit is increasing the interactivity and reach of forest science by using FIA and other data to create storymaps on topics that range from southern forest products to white-nose syndrome. Developed on Esri’s ArcGIS Online platform, storymaps are stand-alone web-based resources that…  More 

Bees and Butterflies: Celebrating the Small and Mighty

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Bees, beetles, butterflies, and other creatures shuttle pollen between flowers in the vital process of pollination. Without pollinators, most flowering plants would be unable to reproduce, and life as we know it would cease. The U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) recently celebrated National Pollinator Week in North Carolina by hosting a garden tour in Asheville…  More